On Knowledge Management

Journal of Management Studies, 2001

2021

The article shows that the main value of knowledge in business is productive internal exchange of opinions and reasoned decision-making. A distinction between the spheres of using free access and structuring knowledge within the technological approach of knowledge management organization was made. The advantages of free access were highlighted, namely, the autonomy of work processes, ease of implementation and the ability to work in conditions of uncertainty, as well as such disadvantages as the lack of performance indicators and possible reduction in work efficiency. Attention was focused on the fact that despite the increase in productivity and transparency of work processes, there is significant resistance from employees when structuring knowledge. To overcome the limitations of the technological support model, it was proposed to consider the possibility of creating an internal knowledge market that requires the definition of pricing, exchange mechanisms and competition between suppliers. The role of standards, protocols and rules as a deterrent for buyers and sellers in the domestic knowledge market was considered. The broker model in knowledge management was analyzed, which involves active cooperation with suppliers, customers and functional business networks. The analysis of the benefits of knowledge management based on social technologies, namely, the creation of content, a searchable archive, as well as limitations in the form of complexity and duration of the process of transformation was provided.

Knowledge Horizons, 2000

The business direction we call Knowledge Management (KM) has emerged over the last decades as a result of many intellectual, societal, and business forces. Some of its roots extend back for millennia, both in the West and the East, while others, particularly those associated with Cognitive and Information sciences, are quite recent. Globalization of business also plays an important role. Whereas KM has become a valuable business tool, its complexity is often vexing, and as a field, will still be under development for a long time to come. Significant changes in the workplace have already taken place, but changes to come are expected to be greater. As for other management directions, it is expected that KM will be integrated into the basket of effective management tools, and hence disappear as a separate effort.

2005

This article gives a brief introduction about Knowledge Management (KM), its need, definition, components, KM assets, challenges and processes of KM initiative at any organisation. It also provides a narration on how the KM initiative has been adopted at ICICI OneSource, to support the achievement of its Business Process Outsourcing objectives. Both knowledge sharing as well as reuse need to be encouraged and recognized at the individual employee level as well as the company level. This is best done by measuring and rewarding knowledgeperformance. Sustained strategic commitment and a corporate culture that is conducive to knowledge-performance are vital for success in Knowledge Management. The paper concludes with suggestions for the implication for policy and future practices.

Library Management, 2000

In order to manage knowledge, we need to understand the nature of knowledge in organisations. It is helpful to distinguish between three categories of organisational knowledge: tacit knowledge, explicit knowledge, and cultural knowledge. Tacit knowledge is personal knowledge, explicit knowledge is codified knowledge, and cultural knowledge is based on shared beliefs. We use this framework to discuss the role of the information professional with respect to each category of knowledge. Knowledge management initiatives led by information professionals in three organisations are then examined. An analysis of these experiences suggests many opportunities for information professionals to make important contributions in managing an organisation's knowledge for growth and innovation.

2005

2015

The activity that we now call knowledge management has been practised for thousands of yearsprobably ever since the first "organizers" in tribes or villages tried to think of ways to stop repeating the same mistakes. Coming up with new knowledge, sharing it with others, making sure it is retained for the future, refining it (learning from experience), understanding how to apply it and deciding when to discard it are all important parts of the human experience. Nevertheless it was only in 1986 that the explicit attempt to direct and combine these activities was given the name knowledge management, by Karl Wiig. Most of the work on knowledge management in the generation or so since then has been set in an organizational context, and that is the emphasis we take in this book. It is nevertheless worth bearing in mind that many of the principles of knowledge management apply at levels all the way from the individual (personal knowledge management) to nations or even (say) science itself. Knowledge management sits at the intersection of several disciplines, including organizational learning, computer science, human resource management, economics, psychology and strategic management. As a result, it is not very surprising that there is no single agreed view of what knowledge management is. 2 Indeed, some would go so far as to say that managing knowledge is not possible, and that the best that can be achieved is managing human "knowers." Perhaps the only aspects that everyone agrees on are that knowledge management is (at best) difficult, and that any knowledge management initiative in an organization has to be tailored to the particular context of that organization at that time. Knowledge management as a field acquired the status of a management "fad" in the mid-to late-1990s, with an explosion in the number of books and articles published about it, and it is fair to say that it has both benefited and suffered from this status. Nevertheless, unlike some other management fads, it has demonstrated its staying power, and is widely practised and studied worldwide today, even if not always under the precise name knowledge management. The aim of this book is to review the field of knowledge management with an operational research/management science mindset, encompassing both "soft" and "hard" aspects. This implies a holistic approach that gives a broader perspective than one based on any single viewpoint such as that of computer science or organizational learning. The various chapters represent the best knowledge management articles published in the 21st century in the journals Knowledge Management Research & Practice and the European Journal of Information Systems. All have undergone a rigorous double-blind review process, and the contributing authors include Ikujiro Nonaka, perhaps the biggest name in the knowledge management field, as well as others with equal reputations in associated fields such as George Huber (decision support) and Richard Baskerville (information systems). The contributing authors are based in nine different countries on four continents, showing the global nature of knowledge management.

TULSSAA Journal, 2007

Knowledge management is a new concept in Library and Information science. Knowledge is considered as a rich asset these days. The dictionary defines knowledge as the facts, feelings or experiences known by a person or a group of people. Knowledge Management as a new branch of management for achieving breakthrough in business performance through the synergy of people, processes, and technology, its focus is on the management of change, uncertainty, and complexity. K. Navalani said "Knowledge Management caters to the critical issues of organizational adaptation, survival, and competence in face of increasingly discontinuous environmental change.... Essentially, it embodies organizational processes that seek synergistic combination of data and information processing capacity of information technologies, and the creative and innovative capacity of human beings." Information can be considered as a message. It typically has a sender and a receiver. Information is the sort of stuff that can, at least potentially, be saved onto a computer. Data is a type of information that is structured, but has not been interpreted. Knowledge might be described as information that has a use or purpose. Whereas information can be placed onto a computer, knowledge exists in the heads of people. Knowledge is information to which an intent has been attached. In the eighteenth century Dr.Samuel Johnson (1709-84) wrote 'Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves or we know where we can find information upon it'. In the new millennium, however, it is apparent knowledge management is emerging as a dominant force in the overall strategy of organizational management. In July 1999 Tony Blair, the British Prime Minister said, "The knowledge economy is the economy of the future". In knowledge economies, knowledge, expertise and innovation rather than land and machinery are the primary assets of an organization. Such assets must be effectively managed. Knowledge Management caters to the critical issues of organizational adaptation, survival, and competence in face of increasingly discontinuous environmental change. Essentially, it embodies organizational processes that seek synergistic combination of data and information processing capacity of information technologies, and the creative and innovative capacity of human beings. Clearly the goal of knowledge management has sustained individual and business performance through ongoing learning, unlearning, and adaptation. Technologies of computing have inherent limitations. They have difficulty in generating meaningful insights from data as they can't question or re-interpret their programmed logic and assumptions. Given inherent limitations of the technologies of computing, human users of such systems have at least an equally important role in knowledge management. Knowledge management is a part of the continuous business improvement process. It relates to the way an organization works and develops. It recognizes corporate capability and enables skills, knowledge and processes of the organization to be used effectively and creatively to improve business performance. It is more useful to consider