International Conference on Access to Legal Information and Research in Digital Age 2012

1Exploringstrategiesforoutsourcingskills:knowledgemanagementventure DrAjayPratapSingh1&MayankYuvaraj2
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Head&AssociateProfessor,BanarasHinduUniversity,Varanasi, ap_singh73@yahoo.co.in 2 JuniorResearchFellow,BanarasHinduUniversity,Varanasi mayank_yuvaraj@gmail.com ABSTRACT

Knowledge management is a conscious discipline that strives to apply the personal store of knowledgefortheaccomplishmentoforganizationalgoals.Thepresentpaperisanexploratory account of the knowledge management phenomenon that tries to trace its roots and the reasons for its failure. Although plenty of literature is available for the same but it is a first attemptthatsurveysthefailureofKMinIndiaanddiscussestherecenttoolsforcapturingthe tacit knowledge. Further it discusses new age competencies that the professionals need to possesstoadeptthemselvesintheprofession. Keywords:knowledgemanagement,tools,barriers,competencies INTRODUCTION Knowledgemanagementisaneclecticdisciplinewhichrestsonthecentralityofthefactthatan organization`s cherished resource is the knowledge and skills possessed by its people. Consequently, the amplitude of an organization`s performance among other factors rests on how effectively its people are able to create and share new chunk of knowledge around the organizationaswellasareabletouseittoitsbesteffect.Itisgeneralmisconceptionamong people that knowledge management is all about managing knowledge. However, the endeavour of knowledge management is not to manage all knowledge rather the knowledge inevitable for the organization. In a nutshell, good knowledge management relates to possessionoftherightknowledge,intherightplaceattherighttime. KNOWEDGEASACOMMODITY Severalscholarsareoftheopinionthatknowledgeisagemandkeytoalldevelopments.Asa resourceithasapivotalroletoplayinsocietaldevelopment.Accesstorightknowledgeatright time can open new doors for furthering study and advanced research. We are living in a scientific era where all our old beliefs and thoughts are dead and science is our salvation. It would not have been possible without the fecund power of human intellect playing parasitic roleontheavailableknowledgewithus. Although,sharingofknowledgehasbecomeaninescapablephenomenayetthereisaneedto tametheknowledgepossessedbyindividualswhichisnotavailabletoall.Onecanneverget access to the knowledge possessed in ones brain which embodies a persons work and his services. There is a need to hatch a knowledge environment that requires changing

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International Conference on Access to Legal Information and Research in Digital Age 2012 organizationalvalues,people`sbehavioursandmindsetsforprovidingeasyaccesstoeachother andrelevantinformationresources EVOLUTIONOFKNOWLEDGEMANAGEMENT Knowledge management as a percipient discipline evolved out of brainwork of Peter Drucker (1970s),KarlErikSvieby(1980s)andNonakaandTekuchi(1990s).Theperiodwitnessedabrupt economic, social and technological changes in the working of companies. New opportunities emergedandcompetitionincreasedwithglobalization.Companiesstarteddownsizing,merging andreengineeringtheirresources.Mostofthemstartedfocusingontheusageofnetworkand computer technology. However, it could not yield hardly any fruits of success that led to increasing prices, smaller companies and people no longer knew what they knew. On closer inspection, companies felt that it was their wrong approach to knowledge management i.e. focuses on technology which misled them. In mid90s most of the world`s leading companies widelyacknowledgedthattheircompetitiveadvantagewasduetotheirknowledgeassetslike, workers skills, customer relations and innovative measures. Excellence in business provoked othercompaniestofollowthetrendandknowledgemanagementemergedasacorebusiness objective. PROSPECTSOFKNOWLEDGEMANAGEMENT Theopportunitiesofferedbyknowledgemanagementcannotbeconfinedtoasingulardomain. Someoftheprospectsare: Developinginimitableknowledge Safeguardingcompetitiveholdandorganization`scontinuity Makingtheorganizationindependentofitsemployeemonopolyoverhis/herinherited knowledge Developing a common platform for sharing the skills viable for the common goal o0f practice
KNOWLEDGEMANAGEMENTPROCESS Knowledge management process broadly involves activities like creating, capturing, refining, storing, managinganddisseminatingtheknowledge. 332

International Conference on Access to Legal Information and Research in Digital Age 2012

Create Capture Disseminate

Knowledge
Refine

Knowledgecreation

Manage Store

Itisaprocesswhichinvolvestheconversionoftacittoexplicitknowledge.AtfirstKnowledgeauditis conducted to identify knowledge needs, knowledge resources and knowledge flows. Further opportunitieshavetobeprovidedtogeneratenewknowledge. Knowledgecapturing Itisaprocesswherenewbodyofknowledgeidentifiedandcaptured. Knowledgerefining Inthisprocessknowledgeisplacedinsuchcontainersorintosuchcontextwhichcanbeeasilyused. Knowledgestoring Thenewchunkofknowledgeisstoredinrepository Knowledgemanaging Heretheknowledgeisreviewedandevaluatedtojudgeitsaccuracyandrelevance Knowledgedisseminating Lastlythenewbodyofknowledgeismadeavailableatalltimestoanyone. Althoughtheknowledgemanagementprocessseemsverysimpleandeasyoneyetvariouspoliciesand processeshastobepreframedbeforeitsimplications.Someoftheissuesare: 1) Knowledgecapture:fortheidentificationandcapturingknowledge 2) Knowledgetransfer:fortransferringknowledgeamongandbetweenvarioussourcesandforms 3) Knowledgeretention:forretainingorganizationalknowledge 4) Contentmanagement 333

International Conference on Access to Legal Information and Research in Digital Age 2012
5) Enablingcommunities 6) Knowledgeculture 7) Knowledgepartnerships 8) Knowledgecapital 9) Businessactivities IMPEDIMENTSOFKNOWLEDGEMANAGEMENTIMPLEMENTATION Most of the organizations and institutions of 19th century responded to knowledge management solutionsfocusingentirelyonknowledgemanagementtechnologies.Butduetounsatisfactoryresults, peoplebegantoraisequestionsontheveryfoundationofknowledge managementwhichtheyfound fancifulthatlookedgreatonpaper,butinrealitydidnotdeliver.Variousreasonscanbeascribedfor poorknowledgemanagement: InappositeuseofMISandIT Lackofinitiativesofthegovernment Unwillingnesstoknowledgecreationandsharing Lackofexpertise Lackofawarenessamongpeople Lackofpoliciesandpractices LackofanyNationalbodytocontroltheactivities Lackoffinance

TofindoutthebarriersofimplicationofknowledgemanagementinIndia,aquestionnairewasdrafted basedontheknowledgemanagementprocessesanditsobstructions: Figure1:ObstructionsfacedinIndiaduringtheimplementationofknowledgemanagementprocess

S.NO Process
1 Create

Obstructions
a) Lackofwillpower b) Lackofinitiative c) Lackofpolicies d) Monopolynottoshare a)Lackofappraisal b)Lackoftools c)Lackofcooperationamongorganizationsandinstitutions a)Lackofanymechanismtochecktheauthenticityofknowledge b)Lackofknowledgemanagementgroup c)Lackofinitiative 334

Capture

Refine

Internati ional Confer rence on Ac ccess to Lega Informati and Research in Dig al ion gital Age 20 012
4 St tore a)Lacko offunds b)Lacko ofknowledgesecurity c)Lacko ofKnowledgecentres a)Lacko ofsoftware b)Lacko offinance c)Lacko ofanymechan nismtojudge eauthenticity y a)Lacko ofknowledgedistributionc centres b)Lacko ofknowledgeportals c)Lacko ofknowledgerepositories Figu ure2:Obstructionsinknow wledgemana agementcreationprocess

Manage M

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L Lackofinitiativ ve

La ackofwillpowe er

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Figure3:O Obstructionsinknowledge ecapturingpr rocess

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Internati ional Confer rence on Ac ccess to Lega Informati and Research in Dig al ion gital Age 20 012

Lackofcooperation

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Figur re4:Obstruct tionsinknow wledgerefining g

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Figur re5:Obstruct tionsinknow wledgestoring g 336

Internati ional Confer rence on Ac ccess to Lega Informati and Research in Dig al ion gital Age 20 012

Lac ckofknowledg gecentres

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Figure e6:Obstructio onsinknowle edgemanagin ng

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Figure7:Obstruction nsinknowledgedissemina ating

Lackofknowle edgerepositor ries

Lackofknowledgeport tals

Lackofknowledgedis stributioncent tres

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Tosumup p,themajorb barrierstoim mplicationsofknowledgem managementinIndiacanb beseenas:

Bar rriersofKMinIn ndia

Lackof ffinance Lackof ffunds lackofwillpower Lackof fgovernmenti initiative

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International Conference on Access to Legal Information and Research in Digital Age 2012 KMTOOLBOX:INVENTORYOFNEWTOOLS Therearevarioussetsoftoolsandtechniquesthroughwhichonesinherentknowledgecanbe shared. Knowledge management recognizes that almost all the works presently involves knowledgeworkandsoallstaffareknowledgeworkerswhosejobsinvolvesmajorchunkof their knowledge. In every organization creating, sharing and using knowledge at its optimal levelarethecoreactivities.Itwouldbeadisingenuouslabourtoputforthvarioustoolsasthey areinplenitudeandvariousliteraturesareavailable.Henceforthitisfairtostudythemodern toolscurrentlyinplay. Knowledgebanks(webdatabases) Theyarethesecuredrepositoriesofstoredknowledgeheldatonecentrallocationshared throughwebsitesandtoolkits.Theyarebuiltaccordingtotheusersrequirementsandare designedtoprovidedataoradviceatanypointoftimeirrespectiveoflocation. Crowdsourcing Itistheactofsourcingtaskstoanundefinedgroupofprofessionalsandskilledpersonnel traditionally performed by specific individuals. It leads to complex problem solving and generationoffreshideasbyanyonearoundtheworld. Knowledgecaf Itisaninformalgroupofpeoplehavinganopenandcreativediscussiononissuesofmutual interest. Knowledgemarketplace Itisamarketspacedevelopedforoutsourcingonesknowledgeonsomechargesorfreeof cost.Itidentifiesareaswhatpeopleknowandwhattheyneedtoknowonanysubjectwho keepsthemappropriatelyconnected. Crowdfunding Crowd funding is a branch developed on the lines of crowd sourcing which involves collective cooperation, attention and trust by people for fundraising via internet. It is dedicatedforvariouspurposeslikecharity,disasterreliefs,andpoliticalcampaigns. Openinnovation Open innovation is an exemplar issue that assumes that organizations and institutions shouldemployitsinternalandexternalideasaswellasstrivetonurturetheiroutputwith the optimal implication of their intellectual wealth. Corporate bodies should also try to applaudandpromotesharingofonestacitknowledge. Cloudbookmarking
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International Conference on Access to Legal Information and Research in Digital Age 2012 It is a collaborative tool for social classification of available online sources by identifying broad areas and classifying online resources according to the need and disseminating the sameinaformeasilyassimilatedtoalargergroupatasingleplatform. Cloudsharing Theyareonlinetoolforsharingonesinformationincloudbymountingtheinformationon available repositories. Some of the available repositories are: Storegate, Amazon S3, Flip drive, Google docs, Opendrive, dropbox etc. They act like online storage device. We can secureandcustomizethefeaturesofthesamewhocanbrowseandeditthesame. Documentrepositories Most of the institutions and organizations are now hosting their scholarly as well as scientificworksthroughtheirhostedrepositories.Theyareprovidingaplatformtosubmit onesworkforwideruseindependentofanysponsoringbodyorfundingagencies. Electronicbulletinboards They are online discussion boards aimed at capturing informal knowledge. They are engaged in generation and transfer of knowledge and emboldening its sharing and collaboration. Searchengines Theyarethetoolsemployedbyknowledgemanagersorinformationprofessionalstosearch theinformationavailableontheinternet.Effectivesearchingisproportionaltothesearch termsorqueryformulationcharacterizedbyasearchtechnique. RSS Theyarethesoftwareprogramsthatprovideautomatedaccesstothenascentinformation published on the internet. Users have to register for feeds and the new content is automaticallyreceivedinthefeeder. Instantmessaging They are very handy tool designed to communicate or chat online. It is a platform for informalsharingofideasandknowledge Communityofpractice It is targeted at networking people who have common interest in a specific area of competenceorknowledge,whoareeagertoworkandlearntogethertodevelopandshare thatknowledge. Collaborativefiltering.

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International Conference on Access to Legal Information and Research in Digital Age 2012 It is a collaborative process where any document or knowledge is filtered by anyone evaluatingitsauthorityandauthenticitybeforeaddingtotheexistingpoolofknowledge. Socialnetworking It is an online service or platform that focuses on creating social relations among people whohaveacommoninterest.Thisserviceconsistsofarepresentationofeachuser(user`s profile), user`s social links and a range of additional services. They are mostly webbased andmediumtocommunicateorinteractthroughinternet. Onlinecommunity Itisacommunitywithoutwallslocatedvirtuallyinnetworkedenvironment.Userscanbe thepartofanycommunityoftheirinterestbyperformingmembershipritual.Userscanalso expressandsharetheirknowledge. Crowdvoting It is a technique where anything can be voted virtually via internet. It is a pivotal tool to collectpeople`sopiniononanyproblem. Groupware Theyaretheprogramsthathelppeopleworktogethercollectivelywhilelocatedremotely fromoneanother. AfterActionReviews ItisatoolexploredbyUSarmywidelyusedinorganizationsandinstitutionstojotdownthe lessonslearntduringorafteranactivityorproject. Knowledgeharvesting Itisatoolusedtocaptureanddocumentexpertknowledgeanddisseminateittoothers. Whitepages Ithelpspeopletogetknowledgeofotherpeopleoftheorganizationorinstitutionwhohave knowledgeandexpertiseforaparticulartaskorevent. Exitinterviews Itisatoolusedtocapturetheknowledgeandskillsofdepartingemployees. Librarytools Various tools are used in libraries for sharing tacit knowledge like digital libraries, e documents,libraryconsortia,onlinecataloguesanddatabases.

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International Conference on Access to Legal Information and Research in Digital Age 2012

NEW AGE COMPETENCIES FOR INFORMATION PROFESSIONALS IN KM ENVIRONMENT

Libraryandinformationprofessionhasundergonedrasticchangeswithtimes.TheinfluxofIT, ICT technologies as well as seepage of information science has ripened its scope and possibilities. To adept oneself to these changes one has to keep pace with the changes otherwise it will derail us. The winds of change brought by KM environment canbe faced by followingdesirablecompetencies: SERVICEABLECOMPETENCIES a) Breadthanddepthofcorporatemindsetandexperience b) Abilitytodealwiththevendors c) Abilitytoemployonesknowledgeandskillsinoutsourcingservices d) Ability to contribute to competitive intelligence of the parent organization and institution. e) Ability to manage the content and ensure optimal user satisfaction and usage of services. OPERATIVECOMPETENCIES a) Strategicplanning b) Decisionmaking c) Soundmarketingandgoodpublicrelations SERVICEENRICHMENTCOMPETENCIES a) Focusonuserneedsandexpectations b) Usereducation c) Informationliteracy d) Aptitudeforinformationhandling REFERENCES 1. Tang Shannong. Knowledge management in libraries in the 21st century. (Accessed on 15012012)http://www.ifla.org/iv/ifla66/papers/057110e.htm 2. ThomasHDavenport.ThefutureofKnowledgeManagement.(Accessedon18012012) http://www.cio.com/archive/010096dovenporcontent.html

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International Conference on Access to Legal Information and Research in Digital Age 2012 3. MarrianeBroadbent.Thephenomenonofknowledgemanagement:whatdoesitmean to the information profession? (Accessed on 20012012) http://www.sla.org/pubs/serial/io/1998/may98/broadben.html 4. Rowley,Jennifer.Knowledgemanagementinthenewlibrarianship:Fromcustodiansof historytothegatekeeperstothefuture.LibraryManagement,2003,24(8/9),43340 5. Abell,Angela&Oxbro,Nigel.Competingwithknowledge:theinformationprofessionals intheknowledgemanagementage.LibraryAssociationPublishing,London2001 6. Elearn. Knowledge management: Information and knowledge management revised editionPergamon:Oxford2009,7695 7. Stankosky, Michael Creating the discipline of knowledge management the latest in universityresearch.ButterworthHienemann2005 8. Peraz, E. A successful shot: knowledge management challenge. Online, 26(6) 2529, 2002

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