Measuring Outcomes of Knowledge Management in Action - Literature review Example

Topic: Knowledge management Student’s name Course name Institution’s name 19th July 2011 1. Measuring Outcomes of Knowledge Management in Action Measures of knowledge management are aimed at enhancing the understanding of where changes are required in the process of implementing knowledge management. In order to measure outcomes of knowledge management in action a number of things must be taken into consideration in the organization (Wesley, 2002). They include increased content of knowledge in the development of services and products in the organization, shorter cycles for development of new or existing products, increased facilitation of organizational learning and innovation management, increased management of intellectual assets and intellectual capital in the organization, increased accessibility of ideas and insights by the employees regarding different work processes (Wesley, 2002). For example, production of higher quality products due to increased accessibility of ideas and insights among the employees. 2. Methods for analyzing knowledge management Knowledge management can be analyzed in a number of ways. First, knowledge management can be analyzed by focussing on the extent to which performance of the organization has improved due to the integration of knowledge management in the organizational processes (Alavi, Leidner, Dorothy, 1999). Second, knowledge management can also be analyzed by focussing on the extent to which the organization has gained a competitive advantage as a result of the application of knowledge management system in its processes. Third, KM can also be analyzed by focussing on the extent of innovation in the organization as well as focussing on the extent to which people in the organization share the learned lessons. For example, employees in different departments can share their experiences regarding increase or decrease in sales volumes (Alavi, Leidner, Dorothy, 1999). 3. What's the relationship between KM and technology? Knowledge management and technology are related due to the fact that technology enhances creation and sharing of knowledge (Andrus, 2005). This means that knowledge management can be described as techno-centric because technology has to be used to achieve the desired level of knowledge sharing in the organization. For example, in order to share knowledge on a new product development in the organization or knowledge on innovation, technology such as information systems such as computer systems, internet (to mention a few) has to be used (Andrus, 2005). Additionally, software tools for knowledge management use the advantage of the existing technological infrastructure in the organization to create, capture, transfer knowledge in the organization. 4. What is the most efficient way to share knowledge? The most efficient way to share knowledge is through verbal communication. Research study indicates that stored knowledge such as the data and information stored in the database may not make sense to the reader until the reader gets the explanation of the data from a person with prior knowledge about the data (Flemming & Nicoline, 2002). This means that any knowledge transferred from electronic sources to verbal communication becomes important to the reader. In this respect, verbal means are the most efficient ways of knowledge sharing. For example, a sales model target model may not be helpful until a sales person explains the model to the reader. This mode of sharing knowledge is the most efficient (Flemming & Nicoline, 2002). 5. Value of communities for knowledge sharing? Sharing knowledge has numerous values for the communities that share knowledge. First, sharing knowledge in the communities in the workplace reduces the amount of time taken to train new employees which means that new employees are integrated in the organizational processes quickly (Snowden, 2002). This increases the productivity of the employees and reduces the employees turn over. Second, sharing knowledge enhances exchange of views and ideas which results into greater levels of innovation and creativity (Snowden, 2002). This in turn increases the competitive level of the communities both at the local and at the international level. For example, a country that embraces knowledge sharing increases its innovative level and thus its competitive advantage also rises. 6. Efficiency of knowledge transfer? Efficiency of knowledge sharing can be achieved through a number of strategies. This includes reviews of an after-action (Thompson & Walsham, 2004). This means that when a particular action is undertaken in the organization the review of the impact and the effects of the action can be reviewed. The review of the action enhances the transfer of knowledge from one person to the other. The other way of achieving efficient knowledge transfer is through the use of expert directories (Thompson & Walsham, 2004). Expert directories contain contacts through which different experts in different fields can be reached to provide their insights into different issues. Hence, the experts can transfer knowledge from their source to the deserving persons in the organization. For example, an expert in the field of IT can be reached to provide his expertise on how to achieve greater levels of network connectivity in the organization (Thompson & Walsham, 2004) 7. The Essential Components of a Knowledge Management System? The first essential component of a knowledge management system is the people. The reason for this is that people have explicit, implicit and tacit knowledge as well as unsynthesized data or information required to achieve the organizational objectives (Graham, 2010). In addition, people interact effectively with other components in order to produce the required knowledge. The second essential component of knowledge management system is the wide enterprise lexicon (Graham, 2010). This is essential because it helps in the sharing and re-using of knowledge amongst different functional groups. The third essential component is organizational learning which entails supportive environment through which knowledge sharing can be achieved (Graham, 2010). For example, through workshops and seminars employees can be helped to share information and draw information from experts. 8. How Knowledge Management Systems Fail ? The first reason why knowledge management system is embedded on the structure of the organization. For example, some organizations have the hierarchical setting where collaboration and cooperation between different departments is difficult to achieve. In these types of organizations, sharing of knowledge is also difficult making knowledge management systems redundant (Hurley, 2010). The other factor that results into the failure of knowledge management systems is a negative organizational culture that does not support sharing of knowledge in the organization. A negative organizational culture hinders the proper implementation or mechanisms of sharing knowledge in the organization (Hurley, 2010). For example, an organizational culture that does not supports cooperation and collaboration between departments makes it impossible for knowledge management systems to be implemented in the organization (Hurley, 2010). 9. Major criticisms of knowledge management? One of the major criticisms of knowledge management relates to its validity and usefulness. The question raised is whether the kind of knowledge that is captured, shared, created or recorded essential and relevant in the organizational setting? (Wilson, 2002). This implies that knowledge management is not always beneficial in driving organizational processes forward. The second criticism of knowledge management is that KM underlying models may not be valid (Wilson, 2002). Most of KM underlying models are perceived as an oversimplification especially when an organization has resources which cannot be categorised into skills and categories (Wilson, 2002). This means that the usefulness of knowledge is rendered useless and it cannot be used to achieve the desired objectives. 10. Developing a knowledge management strategy? A knowledge management strategy can be developed by incorporating a number of factors. These factors include managing knowledge actively by ensuring that knowledge is explicitly encoded into a repository of shared knowledge (Alavi & Leidner, Dorothy, 2001). The other strategy of knowledge management is making requests from experts about knowledge in a particular field. This is commonly known as the pull strategy where experts are consulted to provide their ideas and insights to a group of people in the organization (Alavi & Leidner, Dorothy, 2001). Additional strategies for developing knowledge management include learning through cross project mechanisms, reviews of the organizations’ after actions and the use of rewards to motivate people to share knowledge in the organization. 11. Leadership in Knowledge Management? In the past few decades the role of a “knowledge manager” has gained popularity in many organizations (Harris, 2006). The knowledge manager takes the leadership responsibility of ensuring that knowledge management systems achieve the desired goals (Harris, 2006). Among the responsibilities of the “knowledge manager” include maintenance and creation of repositories of knowledge in the organization, influencing an organizational culture that support sharing of knowledge, innovation and collaboration between different departments in the organization on the platform of knowledge sharing, learning and reuse of the knowledge in the organization (Harris, 2006). In this perspective, leadership in knowledge management involves a number of departments such as sales, quality, operations, quality (to mention a few). 12. The Evolution of Knowledge Management Knowledge management has a distinguishable and long history which predates in the 1960s. The term knowledge management originated from the term “knowledge worker” which was first used in the 1960s by Peter Drucker (The evolution of knowledge management: link provided). Subsequently, knowledge management was adopted in large organizations such as oil, financial, high tech and pharmaceutical companies and industries particularly in North America and Europe. However, in the recent past knowledge management has been adopted and gradually implemented by companies and organizations globally. The fast development and high levels of innovation in the information technology sectors have been the major players in the advancement of knowledge management. Research indicates that more than 80% or large and small scale organizations worldwide have formal programmes for knowledge management. References 1. Wesley, W. (2002). Measuring Knowledge Management. American productivity and quality center. http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:GSXwr1Q-B5MJ:www.providersedge.com/docs/km_articles/Measuring_KM.pdf+1.+Measuring+Outcomes+of+Knowledge+Management+in+Action&hl=en&gl=ke&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShEBJPOhxXfUJNVeB-FXG0eBjLCkU35WU7aI9KM1lADGjssGeV4C8pFNKOrnA4oxhPYb7kcp5H1ET9jXFSskcrKbI8vQOC78B6edGA33d-2qhP_vxGovJlV2OqQFot4yQziDR64&sig=AHIEtbT9JKP-BOW3p6c99k35mN-gmUqQ7g&pli=1 2. Alavi, M. & ; Leidner, Dorothy, E. (1999). "Knowledge management systems: issues, challenges, and benefits". Communications of the AIS 1 (2). http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=374117. 3. Andrus, D. Calvin (2005). "The Wiki and the Blog: Toward a Complex Adaptive Intelligence Community". Studies in Intelligence 49 (3). http://ssrn.com/abstract=755904. 4. Flemming, P. and Nicoline, J. (2002). Knowledge management in action: A study of knowledge management in management consultancies. http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:1umU5jbxcDQJ:www.lok.cbs.dk/images/publ/FP%2520og%2520NJP.pdf+1.+Measuring+Outcomes+of+Knowledge+Management+in+Action&hl=en&gl=ke&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShCdoPfdpnEUz1hwE7llIzitATHu_HrQ--3eGORoX5lS-3uwExwvx8xu4ap-3qvoyYj2l8l81EoC-N1FTZRLV2DVct0gv-RwOW1bjhdRl7njkkysJ9dDUWN3q4yrLl3O8jR83J-&sig=AHIEtbTesiSVPHDH5H4ou04XV4_0DfciFg 5. Snowden, Dave (2002). "Complex Acts of Knowing - Paradox and Descriptive Self Awareness". Journal of Knowledge Management, Special Issue 6 (2): 100 - 111. 6. Thompson, Mark P. A.; Walsham, Geoff (2004). "Placing Knowledge Management in Context". Journal of Management Studies 41 (5): 725–747. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6486.2004.00451.x. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=559300. 7. Graham, D. (2010). The essential components of a knowledge management system. Understanding knowledge relationships. http://www.durantlaw.info/essential-components-of--knowledge-management-system 8. Hurley, L. (2010). Reasons knowledge management information systems fail. http://www.helium.com/items/1816248-why-do-knowledge-management-information-systems-fail 9. Wilson, T. D. (2002). The nonsense of ‘knowledge management’. Information Research, 8(1). 10. Alavi, Maryam; Leidner, Dorothy E. (2001). "Review: Knowledge Management and Knowledge Management Systems: Conceptual Foundations and Research Issues". MIS Quarterly 25 (1): 107–136. 11. Harris, K. (2006). Knowledge management enables the high performance workplace. Gartner Inc. 12. The evolution of knowledge management. Available from http://www.shvoong.com/internet-and-technologies/1650501-evolution-knowledge-management. Read More