Intermediaries: Knowledge Roles for Connected Organizations

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Intermediaries Knowledge Roles for Connected
Organizations
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The objective of this session is to present the
results of our research on emerging knowledge
roles and emphasize the human aspect of KM

• Agenda
• Introduction
• Describe Research Approach
• Present Findings
• Use Case Excerpt Viant
• Conclusion

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Our research focused on gaining an understanding
of knowledge intermediary roles used to balance
and sustain KM initiatives

• Knowledge Intermediaries are those in an
  organization who connect knowledge seekers with
  knowledge sources in a way that adds business
  value.
• An intermediary adds value by relating,
  researching, validating, reshaping, or
  transferring knowledge from knowledge sources to
  knowledge seekers.
• An intermediary can be a person or a person
  working in combination with a technology.

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The research methodology was designed to reflect
the realistic needs of IKM member firms through
the guidance of a working group

• What skills should I look for when hiring a
  knowledge intermediary?
• What type of functions and responsibilities
  should this role incorporate?
• How do issues of trust affect the success of a
  knowledge intermediary?
• What are the most effective incentives used to
  enable knowledge sharing?
• How do I measure and exhibit the business value
  of a knowledge intermediary program?

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Using an interview guide that was geared to
uncover answers to the previous questions and
more, the research team collected 19 use cases
drawn from 6 different industries
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Upon completion of these 19 use cases, we found a
confusing array of terminology and titles that
made the development of a systematic approach to
knowledge role design a daunting task
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After a thorough qualitative analysis, we
uncovered three basic categories underlying the
variety of knowledge roles
Knowledge Stewards
Knowledge Researchers
Knowledge Brokers
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The most apparent distinction between these role
categories is their functions
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However, categorization based solely on function
does not reflect the full distinction between the
categories. Other distinguishing variables
contribute to the sound internal structure of
each category
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Using Viant as an example, we will demonstrate
the role of Knowledge Stewards in a real business
setting

• Project Catalysts, or P-Cats, interview internal
  consultant project teams to extract their best
  practices and reusable assets

• They coach team members on how to quickly and
  accurately access the organizations
  intellectual capital using Viants STARRS system

• They connect people looking for information with
  those within the company who have the information

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Our research yielded three major deliverables

• Project Deliverables
• Tools Methods
• Use Case Compilation
• White Paper

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For more information on intermediation, feel free
to contact us
Lisa Sasson 617-693-1432 sasson_at_us.ibm.com http//
ikm.ihost.com