Knowledge management
Unit – 7
Knowledge Management
Knowledge
The fact of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience
or association
Knowledge Management
Knowledge management (KM) is the process of creating, sharing, using
and managing the knowledge and information of an organization.
It refers to a multidisciplinary approach to achieving organizational objectives by
making the best use of knowledge.
Knowledge Management
Knowledge management (KM) is the process of creating, sharing, using
and managing the knowledge and information of an organization.
It refers to a multidisciplinary approach to achieving organizational objectives by
making the best use of knowledge.
Knowledge Management
While data, information, and knowledge may all be viewed as assets of an organization,
knowledge provides a higher level of meaning about data and information.
Knowledge has the following characteristics that differentiates it from an organization’s other
assets
Extraordinary leverage and increasing returns. Knowledge is not subject to diminishing
returns. When it is used, it is not consumed. Its consumers can add to it, thus increasing its value.
Fragmentation, leakage, and the need to refresh. As knowledge grows, it branches and
fragments. Knowledge is dynamic; it is information in action. Thus, an organization must
continually refresh its knowledge base to maintain it as a source of competitive advantage.
Uncertain value. It is difficult to estimate the impact of an investment in knowledge. There are
too many intangible aspects.
Uncertain value of sharing. Similarly, it is difficult to estimate the value of sharing the
knowledge, or even who will benefit most.
Rooted in time. The utility and validity of knowledge may vary with time; hence, the
immediacy, age, perishability, and volatility of knowledge are important attributes.
Knowledge Management - Knowledge Management System Cycle
The knowledge in a good KM system is never finished because, over time, the
environment changes, and the knowledge must be updated to reflect the changes.
The cycle works as follows:
1. Create knowledge. Knowledge is created as people determine new ways of doing
things or develop know-how. Sometimes external knowledge is brought in.
2. Capture knowledge. New knowledge must be identified as valuable and be
represented in a reasonable way.
3. Refine knowledge. New knowledge must be placed in context so that it is actionable.
This is where human insights (tacit qualities) must be captured along with explicit facts.
4. Store knowledge. Useful knowledge must then be stored in a reasonable format in a
knowledge repository so that others in the organization can access it.
5. Manage knowledge. Like a library, the knowledge must be kept current. It must be
reviewed to verify that it is relevant and accurate.
6. Disseminate knowledge. Knowledge must be made available in a useful for all.
Knowledge Management -
Tacit knowledge (as opposed to formal, codified or explicit knowledge) is the
kind of knowledge that is difficult to transfer to another person.
Explicit knowledge : is knowledge that can be readily articulated, codified,
accessed and verbalized. It can be easily transmitted to others. Most forms
of explicit knowledge can be stored in certain media.
Knowledge Management –
Knowledge management hierarchy
Knowledge Management
organizational success, knowledge, as a form of capital, must be exchangeable
among persons, and it must be able to grow.
An ability to act is an integral part of being knowledgeable. For example, two people
in the same context with the same information may not have the same ability to use
the information to the same degree of success. Hence there is a difference in the
human capability to add value. The differences in ability may be due to different
experiences, different training, different perspectives.
Knowledge Management
Knowledge management is essentially about getting the right knowledge to
the right person at the right time.
Knowledge Management
Strategy: Knowledge management strategy must be dependent on corporate
strategy. The objective is to manage, share, and create relevant knowledge assets
that will help meet tactical and strategic requirements.
Organizational Culture: The organizational culture influences the way people
interact, the context within which knowledge is created, the resistance they will
have towards certain changes, and ultimately the way they share knowledge.
Organizational Processes: The right processes, environments, and systems that
enable KM to be implemented in the organization.
Knowledge Management
Management & Leadership: KM requires competent and experienced
leadership at all levels. There are a wide variety of KM-related roles that an
organization may or may not need to implement, knowledge managers,
knowledge brokers and so on. More on this in the section on KM positions and
roles.
Technology: The systems, tools, and technologies that fit the organization's
requirements - properly designed and implemented.
Politics: The long-term support to implement and sustain initiatives that involve
virtually all organizational functions, which may be costly to implement, and
which often do not have a directly visible return on investment.
Knowledge Management - Advantage
It helps firms learn from past mistakes and successes.
It promotes a long term focus on developing the right competencies and skills
and removing obsolete knowledge.
It enhances the firm's ability to innovate.
It enhances the firm's ability to protect its key knowledge and competencies from
being lost or copied.
Knowledge Management
Knowledge management systems (KMSs) refer to the use of modern
information technologies (e.g. the Internet, intranets, extranets, Software filters,
Agents, Data Warehouses) to systematize, enhance, and expedite intra- and inter-
firm knowledge management.
KMSs are intended to help an organization cope with turnover, rapid change, and
downsizing by making the expertise of the organization’s human capital widely
accessible
Knowledge Management
benefits of using KMS include:
Improved distribution of knowledge - Knowledge that previously resided with one individual
is now made available on-demand for the rest of your organization.
Greater information accuracy and consistency - When everyone in an organization can access
and contribute to a comprehensive internal knowledge base, the quality of information improves.
Increased employee satisfaction - Knowledge workers want to share their knowledge and be
recognized for it. KMS with gasification reward users for participating and lead to improved
employee satisfaction.
Less time spent looking for answers - A comprehensive internal knowledge base with powerful
search functions saves employees time when searching for answers to their questions and also
reduces interruptions and distractions.
Faster on-boarding of new employees - New employees have a wealth of information at their
fingertips to immediately start finding answers to the many questions they have.
Retention of knowledge when employees leave - Capture the knowledge you pay your
employees for and keep it, even if they move on to another position or organization.
Knowledge Management System
Knowledge Management System
A Knowledge Management System is an application designed to capture all
the information within your organization and make it easily available to your
employees, anywhere, anytime. Most KMS provide an "information hub" where
content can be created, organized and redistributed through search tools and other
features that let users find answers quickly.
Knowledge Management System
Some of the tangible benefits of using KMS include:
Improved distribution of knowledge - Knowledge that previously resided with one
individual is now made available on-demand for the rest of your organization.
Greater information accuracy and consistency - When everyone in an organization
can access and contribute to a comprehensive internal knowledge base, the quality of
information improves.
Less time spent looking for answers - A comprehensive internal knowledge base with
powerful search functions saves employees time when searching for answers to their
questions and also reduces interruptions and distractions.
Faster on-boarding of new employees - New employees have a wealth of information
at their fingertips to immediately start finding answers to the many questions they have.
Retention of knowledge when employees leave - Capture the knowledge you pay your
employees for and keep it, even if they move on to another position or organization.
Knowledge Management System
Some of the tangible benefits of using KMS include:
Improved distribution of knowledge - Knowledge that previously resided with one
individual is now made available on-demand for the rest of your organization.
Greater information accuracy and consistency - When everyone in an organization
can access and contribute to a comprehensive internal knowledge base, the quality of
information improves.
Less time spent looking for answers - A comprehensive internal knowledge base with
powerful search functions saves employees time when searching for answers to their
questions and also reduces interruptions and distractions.
Faster on-boarding of new employees - New employees have a wealth of information
at their fingertips to immediately start finding answers to the many questions they have.
Retention of knowledge when employees leave - Capture the knowledge you pay your
employees for and keep it, even if they move on to another position or organization.
