Knowledge

Management
 Knowledge Management

© United Features Syndicate, Inc.

 What is Knowledge
Management?
• Defined in a variety of ways.
• KM in education: a strategy to enable people
to develop a set of practices to create,
capture, share & use knowledge to advance.
• KM focuses on:
• people who create and use knowledge.
• processes and technologies by which knowledge is
created, maintained and accessed.
• artifacts in which knowledge is stored (manuals,
databases, intranets, books, heads).
 What is Knowledge
Management?
“Knowledge management is a discipline
that promotes an integrated approach to
identifying, managing and sharing all of
an enterprise’s information needs.
These information assets may include
databases, documents, policies and
procedures as well as previously
unarticulated expertise and experience
resident in individual workers.”
Source: GartnerGroup Research.
 Where does KM come from?
• Technology
• Infrastructure, Database, Web, Interface
• Globalization
• World wide markets, North American integration
• Demographics
• Aging population, workforce mobility, diversity
• Economics
• Knowledge economy
• Customer relations
• Quality
• Increase in information
• Specialization, Volume, Order

Sources: Brown J.S. & Duguid, P. (1991). Organisational learning and communities-of-practice.
Organisational Science. .O’Dell C. & Grayson Jr., C.J. (1998). If only we knew what we know. Stewart, T.
(2002). The wealth of knowledge.
 Why KM?

Source: Luan, J & Serban, A. (2002, June). Knowledge management concepts, models and
applications. Paper presented at Annual AIR Forum, Toronto.
 Data, Information & Knowledge

DATA INFORMATION KNOWLEDGE

Definition Raw facts, figures Data placed into Information in
and records a form that is context to make
contained in a accessible, timely it insightful and
system. and accurate. relevant for
human action.
Reason Processing Storing / Insight,
Accessing. innovation,
improvement.

Source: Luan, J & Serban, A. (2002, June). Knowledge management concepts, models and applications. Paper presented
at Annual AIR Forum, Toronto.

"We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge"

Naisbitt , J. (1984) Megatrends: Ten new directions transforming our lives.
 Two types of knowledge
Know-how & learning
Documented information embedded within the minds
that can facilitate action. people.

Explicit knowledge Implicit (Tacit) knowledge

• Formal or codified
• Documents: reports, • Informal and uncodified
policy manuals, white • Values, perspectives &
papers, standard culture
procedures
• Databases • Knowledge in heads
• Books, magazines, • Memories of staff, suppliers
journals (library) and vendors

Knowledge informs decisions and actions.

Sources: Polanyi, M. (1967). The tacit dimension. Leonard, D. & Sensiper, S. (1998). The Role of Tacit Knowledge in Group
Innovation. California Management Review.
 Layers of knowledge
Explicit
Implicit (Tacit)
In people’s heads. Individual Personal documents
on my C:\

• Undocumented
ways of working in • Formalized process
teams, teaching. for developing
Organizational curriculum.
• Cultural
conventions • Corporate polices and
known and followed procedures.
but not formalized.
Source: Luan, J & Serban, A. (2002, June). Knowledge management concepts, models and applications. Paper presented
at Annual AIR Forum, Toronto.
 In the Business World
• KM is becoming a “big deal” in industry.
• KM involves collaboration,
organizational learning, best practices,
workflow, IP management, document
management, customer focus and using
data meaningfully [data mining].
• KM requires understanding the soft skills
necessary to work with people.
Source: Clare Hart, President and CEO
Factiva, Knowledge Management London 4 April 2001