Knowledge Management: People, Work and Systems

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Knowledge Management People, Work and Systems

• Arjan Raven
• Computer Information Systems Department
• J. Mack Robinson College of Business
• Georgia State University
• Spring 2006

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Knowledge Management

• What is knowledge management?
• Can knowledge be managed?
• How is knowledge managed by organizations and
  institutions?

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From Data to Knowledge

• Data
• A set of discrete facts about events
• Information
• A message
• Data that is combined to create value
• Knowledge
• A fluid mix of experiences, values, contextual
  information, and expert insights that provides a
  framework for creating, evaluating and
  incorporating new experiences and information

(Davenport and Prusak)
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Knowledge Management Definition

• Knowledge management comprises the set of
  management processes and initiatives designed to
  ensure that organizations are efficient and
  effective in using their knowledge assets to
  support the business
• Knowledge management is concerned with the whole
  spectrum of data, information, and knowledge,
  whether general or specific, explicit or tacit,
  shared or individual, recorded or not

(KPMG)
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Why Manage Knowledge?

• Because it is a buzz word?
• Avoid reinvention of the wheel
• Learning from mistakes
• Tap into human capital
• Why Now?
• The changing nature of work
• Knowledge Management Systems

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Knowledge work and the knowledge worker
Familiar Problems
Novel Problems
Unstructured, Complex
Collective
Individual
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Perspective Shift Individuals, Work
Traditional Perspectives
New Perspectives
Sense/Conversation Making Knowledge Creation
and Sharing by Individuals in Groups
Information Processing Decision Making by
Individuals Alone

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The Value of Knowledge Intellectual Capital
Stock Market Valuation

• Tobins Q
• Corporate Assets buildings, stock, machinery
• Market Value - Assets Intellectual Capital
• Compare MerckCo., Amazon Vs. GM, Texaco
• Types of Intellectual Capital
• Structural
• Human
• Is all knowledge equally valuable?

Tangible Corporate Assets
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Where is Knowledge?

• Human Capital
• Between the ears (in our brains)
• Between people
• In communities of practice
• Structural Capital
• In structures and routines processes and ways
  of working here
• In systems collaborative filtering, expert
  systems, customer relationship management
  systems, Lotus Notes databases

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Knowledge Processes
Knowledge Creation
Application
Sharing
Automated Pattern Recognition
Codification/ Data Storage
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How to Manage Knowledge?

• Support Innovation exploration and exploitation
  of ideas
• Capture and share insights and experience
• Provide easy access to knowledge resources
• Foster collaboration, sharing, learning
• Improve quality of decision making
• Identify and apply intellectual assets
• But what should you focus on ?

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Knowledge Management Strategy
Focus on People
Understand the value of knowledge
Develop KM Strategy
Focus on Systems
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Strategic Views of Knowledge

• Codification
• Knowledge can be made explicit and stored
• Knowledge can be taken out of its context, is
  portable
• Personalization
• Knowledge is in the people and their
  relationships
• Knowing (process), not knowledge (object)
• Support communication and collaboration
• Support personal and relationship development

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Knowledge Management Systems (KMS)

• Types of KMS
• Collaborative Tools
• Knowledge Repositories (e.g. Lotus Notes)
• Collaborative Filtering
• Customer Relationship Management Systems (CRM)
• Data Mining
• Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS)

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Issues with KMS

• Only fraction of functionality is used KMS
  systems do not deliver on their promise
• KMS are often stand-alone solutions, unclear to
  both vendors and users how they can be integrated
• KMS are frequently and mistakenly seen as a
  cure-all solution for any KM challenge
• Organizational return on investment for KMS is
  hard to show, not guaranteed
• Individual users are often not convinced of the
  pay-off for the investment of their very valuable
  time

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Knowledge Management Initiatives

• Often still small scale
• limited area (e.g. project repository, librarian)
• limited functionality (e.g. skills directory)
• Frequently disguised IT projects
• Consulting companies lead the way
• McKinseyCo
• Price Waterhouse Coopers

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Knowledge Management Initiatives Examples

• Real Estate (Buildings) Leasing company on-line,
  indexed repository of sales presentations and
  notes
• Consulting companies
• Question Answer bulletin board
• Knowledge help desk
• Oil company virtual collaboration to
  troubleshoot drilling problems

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KM Initiatives Communities of Practice (CoP)
Example

• CoP Group of people, self-organized around a
  practice (e.g. claims processing) that develops
  and shares knowledge informal network
• Car manufacturer
• Technology clubs and knowledge books
• Worldwide CoP for knowledge management
• Mining company preserve knowledge whilst laying
  off majority of employees
• You cant design a CoP it responds to design
• You can support a CoP. But be careful not to
  formalize it

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Knowledge Management and People

• Employees as intellectual capital development
  and retention
• Develop skill sets in people
• Create a stimulating work environment
• Match people and projects knowledge yellow pages
  (e.g. Microsoft)

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Knowledge Management and People Facilitating
Knowledge

• Create a culture of sharing training, and reward
  systems
• Support informal networks (CoPs)
• Provide systems for communication and
  collaboration