Knowledge Management

KM Definition

A collaborative and systematic process for

acquiring, creating, synthesizing, and
sharing information, insights, and
experiences to achieve organizational
goals.
 KM Considerations
Although many companies recognize the importance of a more effective use of their
knowledge, most struggle with where to start.

• Which factors are critical for my

business that can be addressed by
Knowledge Management?
• Which knowledge adds the most value?

• What are the highest priority initiatives?

• How do you create a culture

Strategy • What tools are currently in place?
for sharing?
• What tools are needed to enable
• Which people need to be
empowered to contribute the the environment?
People Technology
right knowledge? • How do you fill the gap?
• Are priorities aligned with
measurements?

Process
• Are the right processes in place to
- capture, refine, and create knowledge
- disseminate, share, and apply knowledge to
deliver business value?
 Knowledge Spiral
1 Collaboration Externalization 2

• Messaging • Content
Management
• Peer-2-Peer
• Knowledgebases
• eTeamSpaces/
eConferencing • Workflow

• Discussion
Forums

4 Internalization Combination 3

• Portals • Knowledge
Mapping
• eLearning
• Data Mining
• Searching
• Synthesized
• Personalization
Knowledge
• Push/Profiles
 Success Factors
Knowledge Strategy that identifies the
vision, business goals, stakeholders, and
activities to be accomplished.

Detailed Planning that

incorporates activities, schedules,
Executive sponsorship will be
milestones, risk management, and essential to establishing this knowledge
the appropriate monitoring and sharing environment. The cultural changes
tracking tools to support success. necessary to shift to a sharing environment
must be actively supported and fostered
throughout the organization by executive
Integration of sharing into team.
Navigation Executive
normal activities so it doesn’t Leadership
appear as a burden, but rather as an
enabler.
User’s understanding and
Enablement Business commitment to use the
Owner- knowledge environment. A critical
ship mass of users who are willing to
Ongoing training and share, contribute, and use what is
support will be necessary to available must be established for
both establish the critical mass the potential of the environment to
of users and to ensure the be realized.
continued understanding and
effective use of the environment Technical infrastructure
as it evolves. must support sharing Motivation and reward systems
from both a cost and will need to be created to inspire people
architectural standpoint. to contribute to and use the knowledge
environment.
 Knowledge Management

© United Features Syndicate, Inc.

 What is Knowledge
Management?
• Defined in a variety of ways.
• KM in education: a strategy to enable people to
develop a set of practices to create, capture,
share & use knowledge to advance.
• KM focuses on:
• people who create and use knowledge.
• processes and technologies by which knowledge is
created, maintained and accessed.
• artifacts in which knowledge is stored (manuals,
databases, intranets, books, heads).
 What is Knowledge
Management?
“Knowledge management is a discipline
that promotes an integrated approach to
identifying, managing and sharing all of
an enterprise’s information needs.
These information assets may include
databases, documents, policies and
procedures as well as previously
unarticulated expertise and experience
resident in individual workers.”
Source: GartnerGroup Research.
 KM Model
Business Strategy

Knowledge Management Strategy

Processes Culture

People Enabling Technologies

9
 Two types of knowledge
Know-how & learning embedded
Documented information within the minds people.
that can facilitate action.

Explicit knowledge Implicit (Tacit) knowledge

• Formal or codified
• Documents: reports,
policy manuals, white
papers, standard
procedures
• Databases
• Books, magazines,
journals (library)
• Informal and uncodified
• Values, perspectives &
culture
• Knowledge in heads
• Memories of staff, suppliers
and vendors

Knowledge informs decisions and actions.

 Layers of knowledge
Explicit
Implicit (Tacit)

In people’s heads. Individual Personal documents

on my C:\

• Undocumented ways of
working in teams, teaching. • Formalized process for
• Cultural conventions developing curriculum.
known and followed • Corporate polices and
but not formalized. procedures.
Organizational
Knowledge is more than
knowing
Effective knowledge management:

•Deals with both explicit and tacit

knowledge
•While explicit knowledge is copied, tacit
knowledge is not

•Prefer tacit knowledge based projects

for sustained success
Knowledge is more than
knowing
Who do you hire?

•Worker who knows how to operate a machine

but does pick up new skills?

•One who knows how to learn independently

but not familiar with the machine?

Your brand of machine will change !!!

Skills are easier to acquire than attitude !!!
Knowledge is more than
knowing
Another way to look at KM

•How group of people make themselves

collectively smarter

•While training educates individuals, KM

educates the entire organization
Knowledge is more than
knowing
Early knowledge management system

•Beehive - every spring day, hundreds of

bees sortie forth in quest of honey. One of
the emissaries locates a promising patc,
he flies back and does a jig – unique 8
figure dance. This angle of figure 8 tells
rest where the patch of flowers are
Organizational conditions for KM

• Trust
• Confidence
• Credibility
• Direct connection knowledge
acquisition/sharing - reward
• professionals = ambassadors or
bosses
• Systems support
 Why manage knowledge
• Enables effective and timely decision-
making
• Fosters creativity & innovation
• Enhances communication
• Supports culture of learning, customer-
focus, and moving from “good” to “best”
 Do You Really Need KM?
• Competitive success will be based on how
strategically intellectual capital is managed
• Capturing the knowledge residing in the
minds of employees so that it can be
easily shared across the enterprise
• Leveraging organizational knowledge is
emerging as the solution to an increasingly
fragmented and globally-dispersed
workplace
 Do You Really Need KM?
• If your department wants to stop constantly
reengineering and downsizing: talented
people are assets to be developed for a
global 21st Century
• If you are interested in the Knowledge Grid
• If you understand that reuse of knowledge
saves work, reduces communication costs,
and allows a company to take on more
projects
 Organizational Knowledge:
Why Is It Important?
• Knowledge can be embedded in processes,
products, systems, and controls
• Knowledge can be accessed as it is needed
from sources inside or outside the firm
• It is versatile and can be transferred
formally, through training, or informally, by
way of workplace socialization
• It is the essence of the competitive edge!
 Knowledge Management
Enablers

• Leadership
• Knowledge champions, such as CKOs
• Culture
• Access
• Technology
• Learning Culture
 Crucial Concepts for
Knowledge Management

Information = Knowledge

Information is digitisable
Knowledge exists in intelligent systems
Critical Concepts for KM
What’s to Manage?

Organisational information

Organisational knowledge

Individual knowledge
 The Challenge of Knowledge
Management

Not only of how to develop new knowledge,

BUT
• how to locate and acquire others’ knowledge
• how to diffuse knowledge in your organisation
• how to recognise knowledge interconnections
• how to embody knowledge in products
• how to get access to the learning experiences
of customers
HR Roles in Knowledge-Based
Economy
• Human capital steward
• Creates an environment and culture in which employees
voluntarily contribute skills, ideas, and energy
• Human capital is not “owned” by organization
• Knowledge facilitator
• Procures necessary employee knowledge and skill sets
that allow information to be acquired, developed, and
disseminated
• Provides a competitive advantage
• Must be part of strategically designed employee
development plan
HR Roles in Knowledge-Based
Economy
• Relationship builder
• Develops structure, work practices, and culture
that allow individuals to work together
• Develops networks that focus on strategic
objectives
• Rapid deployment specialist
• Creates fluid and adaptable structure and systems
• Global, knowledge-based economy mandates
flexibility and culture that embraces change
Strategic HR as Organizational
Learning
• Stages of knowledge management
• Generating or capturing knowledge
• Structuring and providing value to
gathered knowledge
• Transferring knowledge
• Establishing mechanisms for use and
reuse of knowledge for individuals and
groups
Knowledge Management
Cycle
Knowledge Management
Strategic HR as Organizational
Learning
• How HR management systems can
contribute to development of organizational
knowledge
• Labor markets can be exploited in order to attract
and select individuals with high cognitive abilities
• Internal labor markets can contribute to
development of firm specific assets
• Cross-functional and inter-organizational teams
can be utilized
Strategic HR as Organizational
Learning
• How HR systems can support and
enhance knowledge transfer
• Apprenticeship and mentoring
• Cross-functional teams
• Stimulate and reward information sharing
• Provide free access to information
• Job rotations
 In Successful KM Programs
• Information is widely disseminated throughout
the organization. Wherever it is needed, it is
accessible.
• Accessible at a fast rate of speed.
• Virtual communities of practice share what is
known in a global fashion, independent of time
zones and other geographic limitations.
• Business boundaries are broad, and often
virtual in nature.
• Collaboration to support continuous innovation
and new knowledge creation.
 Sustainability of a KM
Endeavor
There are three fundamental processes
that sustain profound changes such as the
introduction of a KM system:
• developing networks of committed people
• improving business results
• enhancing personal results
To achieve sustainability, there must be a
focus on learning, and learning how to
harness the learning capabilities that lead
to innovation.
 Sustainability of a KM
Endeavor
• For significant change to lead to
sustainability, hierarchical control must be
put aside.
• The emergence and development of
informal networks must be supported so
that people can share their tacit knowledge
and help one another.
• Managers need to surrender control.
• And mental models need to be examined.
The Challenge of Knowledge
Management
Not only of how to develop new knowledge,
BUT

• how to locate and acquire others’ knowledge

• how to diffuse knowledge in your organisation
• how to recognize knowledge interconnections
• how to embody knowledge in products
• how to get access to the learning experiences
of customers