A discussion on whether it is possible for an organisation to develop a knowledge base which is more than the sum of its individual employees? knowledge.
Abstract This paper examines how knowledge management is one of the hottest subjects in management studies due to the changing paradigm of management as we enter the 21st century. It attempts to show that it is possible for an organisation to develop a knowledge base, which is more than the sum of its individual employees? knowledge. It reviews the guidance given by the management literature and considers some of the important points. It also looks at some companies that have been successful in their implementation of a knowledge management system.
Outline
Introduction
Knowledge Management
Knowledge Creation
Learning Organisation
Obstacles to Creating a Knowledge Base
Knowledge Sharing
Characteristics of an Effective KM System
Knowledge Management ? 2 Different Opinions
Success Stories
Conclusions
From the Paper "KPMG recently surveyed over 400 organisations in the UK, mainland Europe and the US and found ?81% had or were considering a knowledge management program, 79% believed that knowledge management can play an "extremely significant" or "significant" role in improving competitive advantage?. (KPGM Knowledge management Research Report) Similarly, a survey by PriceWaterhouseCoopers showed that 97 % of senior executives believe that "knowledge management is a critical issue for them". A more telling survey conducted by Tacit was that of individuals working at the interface between creating/using knowledge. In a survey of professional, managerial, and technical knowledge workers Tacit investigated employees opinion on how their employers handled knowledge sharing. The findings of the Tacit survey illustrate a serious problem, valuable knowledge is available &/or created within the organisation, but is not utilised efficiently."
Abstract This paper defines and analyses the concept of "knowledge walkouts". It specifically discusses strategies for managing the creation of enterprise content management (ECM) and ensuing knowledge management strategies to alleviate the loss of key intellectual property as key employees retire.
Outline:
Executive Summary
Statement of the Problem
Findings
Defining Enterprise Content Management
Structuring Enterprise Content is the First Step to Knowledge Management
Retaining the Knowledge to Overcome "Knowledge Walkouts"
Knowledge Management for Many Organizations: Use It Or Lose It
Knowledge for the New Workforce
New Technology for the New Generation
Conclusions and Recommendations
From the Paper "The fact that there are organizations whose knowledge management systems are best practices for their given industry, and have processes in place for capturing and retaining excellent components of their knowledge are still the fact that it must be used to be effective according to Gartner (2006). Based on "the last mile" of knowledge management so to speak being these processes of selectively applying the content to specific business strategies and challenges, the indexing, search, and retrieval of knowledge in these repositories becomes a completely separate issue. Once in the repository, there's little guarantee that the valuable knowledge ever emerges again. In fact, it's not valuable at all without a thorough consideration for the way new workers will access it and put it to use. Getting workers to change how they do their jobs is also a critical aspect of capturing content, according to The Hard Side of Change Management (2005). "
Abstract This paper takes an in-depth look at knowledge management, a relatively new business concept that is attracting the attention of informed and global-oriented companies because of its promise to introduce new elements of flexibility and efficiency in the entire business spectrum - from management, plant and production to front line activities. This paper attempts to answer many questions related to knowledge management, which a growing number of management scholars present as a newly discovered key to unlock the productive powers of all people in a company and to bind them in one neat package towards achieving organizational success.
This paper has chosen to focus on three examples of companies in the automotive industry, implementing knowledge management.
Table of Contents
List of Tables
List of Figures
Acknowledgement
Chapter I - Introduction
Chapter II - Literature Review
I.1. Knowledge Management
II.1a. Knowledge as Business Asset
II.1b. Types of Knowledge II.1c. Key Players in KM
II.1d. Transfer of Knowledge II.1e. Holistic Approach
II.1f. Primacy of People
II.2. The Automotive Industry
II.2a. Technology and Innovation
II.2b. Control Systems
II.3. Product Development
II.3a. Development Stages
II.3b. New Imperatives
II.3c. KM Strategies
II.3d. KM Terms and Concepts
II.4. Conceptual Framework
II.5. Information and KM Concepts
Chapter III - Industry, Country & Company Review
III.1. Industry Trends
III.2. Country Perspectives
III.3. Company Reports
Chapter IV - Research Methodology
III.1. Observation and Direct Communication
III.2. Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research
Chapter V - Results
Chapter VI - Discussion and Conclusion
From the Paper "There are as many definitions of knowledge management as there are long-cherished ideas of how to run a business. If there is a common ground in the divergent perceptions of knowledge management, it is the generally accepted proposition that KM aims to transform knowledge into new levels of organizational capabilities and competences (Sanchez, R., 2006). The debate revolves around the question of how to implement it in the most effective manner. This study thus fixes its attention on the different KM strategies adopted by organizations, closing in on the international automotive industry because it is identified as among the sectors that especially needs and stand to derive enormous benefits from the new management technique. The focus shifts from there to the development process for new vehicles, where KM is said to be most helpful, and which calls for synthesizing all kinds of knowledge and specialization - the whole rationale for KM. As setting of the study, we pick out India for the simple reason that it now serves as manufacturing base for the internationalization efforts of many automotive companies."
Abstract The observation that in order to genuinely know that something is so one must first know that one knows it may appear to be simply tautological. However, as this paper argues, this observation reveals a fundamental issue in our understanding of knowledge and how we know. It argues that to truly know something we must have justification for this knowledge. It also looks at how this classic understanding of knowledge can be seen in Plato's dialog "Meno" in which he describes knowledge as being differentiated from right opinion in that one has justification for this knowledge.
From the Paper "The observation that in order to genuinely know that something is so one must first know that one knows it may appear to be simply tautological. However, as this essay will argue, this observation reveals a fundamental issue in our understanding of knowledge and how we know. As will be argued, to truly know something we must have justification for this knowledge. The classic understanding of knowledge can be seen in Plato's dialogue Meno in which he describes knowledge as being differentiated from right opinion in that one has justification for this knowledge. In this dialogue Socrates is shown to reveal to Meno the underlying contradictions of his flawed understanding of the difference between knowledge and true opinion. "
Abstract In this article, the writer examines a number of issues that address Plato's understanding of knowledge and how true knowledge is derived. In particular, the paper reviews his perception of what knowledge is, his perception of what constitutes the object of knowledge, what knowledge does for human beings, and whether or not all things one may wish to know are indeed knowable.
From the Paper "Epistemological concerns are rampant in the work of most philosophers, and Plato is certainly no different from the majority. The following paper will examine Plato's discussion of the nature of knowledge. In particular, the paper will outline what he perceives knowledge to be, what he perceives to be the "objects" of knowledge, how individuals attain knowledge, what knowledge does for us and whether or not everything we know is knowable with absolute certainty. Drawing from an assortment of his works, what should emerge is an appreciation for how this one philosopher established the underpinnings of western epistemology through his relentless pursuit of ideal forms and greater insight. With all that in mind, it is interesting to examine what Plato divines knowledge to be."
Abstract The following paper discusses and gives examples of how new ideas and knowledge are offered to public consciousness and that they are in turn either accepted or disregarded and whichever judgement is chosen, makes a statement about where society places its trust, how ready we are to accept change and how radical we will allow any changes to be. This paper distinguishes between different kinds of knowledge: Medical (scientific knowledge), Religious knowledge, Political ideologies and Social Science theories.
From the Paper "Medical knowledge is an area which appears to be constantly advancing and changing, new ideas are regularly offered to the public consciousness to be either accepted or disregarded and whichever judgement is chosen makes a statement about where society places its trust, how ready we are to accept change, how radical we will allow any changes to be and whose theories and evidence mass society is willing to accept. An example of this is Alternative Medicine, although it is more accepted now than in previous years like, aromatherapy massage which is now actively promoted by mainstream health professionals as a complimentary therapy during pregnancy and treatment of bad backs, we even have a small number of practitioners qualified in alternative therapies, like homeopathy, scientists have even remarked in the age old profession of palmistry being very accurate in the diagnosis of certain illnesses, the setting up of The Royal Society in 1662 emphasised the 'expert knowledge' camaraderie between so-called experts over common sense knowledge. 'Expert knowledge' was historically endorsed and distributed by middle and upper class male establishments like the Royal Society which was founded by Charles II and allowed male members only and women were only allowed to qualify in Medicine in 1876. This male superiority increased authority to this group in society; their medical knowledge trusted and officially endorsed which in turn dismissed female 'common sense' knowledge."
Abstract This is a paper on human knowledge as pattern matching which takes a naturalized view of knowledge as a human creation. It discusses both theoretical accounts of knowledge from epistemology and applied accounts from knowledge management for business. It concludes that both are part of the human effort to see patterns in the world: one recognizing existing patterns, the other creating extensions of patterns in products and marketing.
Abstract This paper takes the reader on a personal journey through the philosophy of knowledge. The paper presents ideas about the nature, purpose and means of acquiring knowledge. Comparing this process to a forest, the paper shares a personal management viewpoint of the application of knowledge. After traveling through this forest, the reader steps out into the proverbial sunlight, where a personal acquisition plan is established for gaining and applying knowledge in everyday life.
From the Paper "The reasons for attainment of knowledge are infinite. Knowledge is empowering, and anyone with any sense about them strives to attain all they can, and in all areas of life. There are always unanswered questions that the curious continue to pursue for reason. We need to understand and perform our jobs efficiently. We need to know how to nurture and raise our families. We need to know what is poisonous and what is not. Some of us want to know why the sky is blue and grass is green. We need to understand what makes a good leader, scientist, doctor, manager, and pilot. We want to know why we have lost revenue this month, or gained customers that month."
Abstract This paper explores what knowledge entrepreneurs need and how they learn about management. The paper discusses what forms or knowledge are more likely to be easy for them to grasp and what roles they play in helping their organizations to learn.
From the Paper "Successful entrepreneurs generally possess a rich complement of personal traits, inherent skills and business savvy that help them rise above the huge and growing tide of would-be entrepreneurs everywhere. Although some entrepreneurs have achieved great success in spite of a paucity of management knowledge, those cases are rare. Management knowledge is the bedrock that supports a rising star after the initial blaze of early success subsides and the matter of managing a real-world business comes into play."
Tags: management, entrepreneur, knowledge, knowledge management, business knowledge, learning, training
Abstract An explanation of the process, culture, and technology in an expert locator format that are required to facilitate true collaboration and tacit knowledge reuse. This KM initiative proposes the process, culture, and technology required to capture the experts within Raytheon Electronic Systems into an expert locator to facilitate and expedite knowledge transfer between organizations and employees. This set of processes, cultural model, and technology assist in the capture, storage, and dissemination of expert locator data to all business units within Raytheon Electronic Systems. Effectiveness of the expert locator system are also captured through Oregon Productivity Matrix method of organizational performance measurement.
From the Paper "Raytheon Electronic Systems, a business within Raytheon Company, employs over 50,000 in disciplines across engineering, manufacturing, sales, business, information technology, and many others. These 50,000+ employees are spread over a dozen locations within the United States and several foreign countries. There is a need for a standard, simplified, easily accessible expert locator system to improve knowledge transfer and reuse in major projects and initiatives."
Tags: expert, km, knowledge, locator, management, transfer, Raytheon
Abstract This paper addresses four sources focusing on knowledge and how knowledge is communicated in the study of non-native cultures. Knowledge defines how we approach a given culture or concept. According to this paper, when we think we know something, we are more likely to approach it in an authoritative manner and communicate our views and opinions to our audience, as we strongly believe that we have based our position in facts and therefore have a firm foundation for our personal feelings on the issue.
From the Paper "Knowledge defines how we approach a given culture or concept. When we think we know something, we are more likely to approach it in an authoritative manner and communicate our views and opinions to our audience, as we strongly believe that we have based our position in facts and therefore have a firm foundation for our personal feelings on the issue. This scenario, however, makes it extremely dangerous to present information as factual, when it is inherently incorrect. We see in the discussion of Orientalism, for example, how the perception of Hinduism as defined by early scholars was translated into cannon, where as David Ludden writes "Authoritative sources produced diverse types of data that became factualized and located in a unified empirical domain where they could be formed into verified statements about Indian reality."
Abstract The paper discusses knowledge-based management and states that it
can be thought of as the process through which organizations generate value from their intellectual and knowledge based assets. The paper states that generating value from such assets involves sharing them
with other companies in an effort to devise best practices. The paper summarizes knowledge-based management as a process that is pursued using technology to retrieve, and manipulate data, while the technology makes access possible for a number of employees in the organization at any given time.
From the Paper "The process of knowledge management involves gathering information from experience, meaning both whatever experience others may have gathered and placed in a database or a written source and the experience of the individual, the employees, and the organization itself, as gathered and maintained in a database. Technology makes a more thorough gathering and maintenance of such material, and it also allows for subsequent access and analysis of this information in training new employees, in transmitting practices and customs, and in assuring greater continuity in the organization."
Abstract The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast two ways of representing cultural knowledge. It does so by providing background, describing two systems and providing conclusions.
From the Paper "Cultures are considered to be in the heads of culture members and the anthropologists who analyze them. Since anthropology is considered to be a science dealing with the description of human cultures, it is important to have accurate and reliable ways of representing and transferring cultural knowledge. The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast two different ways of representing cultural knowledge in anthropology. It will do so by providing background information detailing the basic needs of a representational system describing..."
Tags: cultural knowledge, ethnography, methodology, tools
Abstract The paper examines the knowledge management system at KPMG that centers upon information technology and then focuses on Xerox's knowledge management that utilizes people-to-people contact. The paper discusses KPMG's massive expense of an IT infrastructure to support knowledge management, the company's need to educate employees to acclimate to these systems, and the company's top-down management style that did not allow the system to be to a team-enhancing tool of productivity for the entire workforce. The paper then shows how Xerox was more successful in its implementation of knowledge management solutions because Xerox was able to utilize the best elements of both the personal and managerial methods of knowledge management. The paper concludes that information technology is an effective tool in knowledge management, but must not be used alone.
Outline:
Knowledge Management at KPMG
Knowledge Management at Xerox
Knowledge Management Cannot be Delivered by Technology Alone
The "Management" Challenge of Knowledge Management
The "Personal" Challenge of Knowledge Management
Conclusion
From the Paper "The driving force behind any company or organization is the information and knowledge it possesses in regards to the industry within which it operates. Effective knowledge management may mean the difference between success or failure, and also between increased cost or rather increased profit and productivity. These two outcomes are illustrated through an exploration of the varying knowledge management systems used by Xerox and KPMG. Some companies center their knowledge management strategies upon information technology, with knowledge carefully stores and coded in databases so as to ensure ease of access, which is referred to as a codification strategy, which is expressed through the management approach below which is concerned with the infrastructure of the knowledge management system."
Abstract In this paper, an overview is provided of knowledge acquisition as it relates to expert systems. After this, specific knowledge acquisition methodologies and techniques are reviewed that have been used in the development of knowledge-based systems. Subsequently, information is provided on recent advances in knowledge acquisition. Finally, future trends based on recent developments are discussed.
Overview of Knowledge Acquisition
First Generation Knowledge Acquisition Methodological Approaches
Second Generation Knowledge Acquisition Methodological Approaches
Knowledge Acquisition Techniques by Interaction with the Expert
Interviewing
Case Study
Protocol Analysis
Critiquing
Role Playing
Simulation
Prototyping
Rapid Application Development and Joint Application Development
Teachback
Observation
Goal Related
List Related
Construct Elicitation
Sorting
Laddering
20 Questions
Document Analysis
Recent Developments in Knowledge Acquisition
Future Directions
References
From the Paper "Knowledge acquisition represents a field of artificial intelligence focused on the development of methods, techniques and tools for building expert system knowledge bases. During the 1970s and 1980s, most researchers and practitioners believed that knowledge should be acquired via a process involving a knowledge engineer, who interviews a domain expert regarding the knowledge domain of interest. The knowledge engineer was then responsible for organizing and formalizing the extracted knowledge to the point that it was appropriate for processing by a knowledge-based system. After processing was completed, the extracted knowledge could then be tested by presenting example problems to the knowledge-based system."
