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Knowledge management:
A tool for organizational transformation and development


By

Ms. Vijit Chaturvedi
Faculty-HRM
ICFAI University
 


Introduction

"K nowledge creation and sharing" is widely recognized as strategically important for

Organization to gain competitive advantage. It is also recognized as to be most important for organizational learning and innovation. More and more organizations are attempting to embrace the knowledge management tool for saving costs and propelling growth.

However there is still a limited understanding on what knowledge management means that benefits from it; how they benefit from it; what technology interface is required to make it successful; what cultural changes are required.

Knowledge management does not even means relying on technology. It starts with business objectives and processed recognition of the need to share the knowledge.

It is the process through which organization generates value from their intellectual and knowledge based assets regarding products, market and technologies thus applying sharing and innovation culture all around for multi-facet development.

Meaning and definition

Knowledge management is "The process through which organization generates value from their intellectual and knowledge based assets. It is the practice of harnessing and exploiting intellectual capital to gain competitive advantage and customer's commitment through efficiency, innovation and more effective decision making''.

As defined by Thomas Davenport knowledge is mix of, values, contextual information insight to provide an environment and framework for evaluating and incorporating new experiences and information.

Expected benefits from a KM program

  • Fostering information
  • Improved customer service by streaming response time
  • Enhance employee retention
  • Streamline operation and reduce cost by eliminating unnecessary operation
  • Increased revenues
  • Generate new wealth
  • Open new markets
  • Lift productivity and efficiency
  • Mitigate risk
  • Unleash new ideas and creativity
  • Develop and implement new business models
  • Enhance team collaboration
  • Better forecasting
  • Help in change management
  • Extend global reach and scope

Areas to implement KM in organization structure

  • Employee Participation
  • Identification of relevant information
  • Managing dynamics of knowledge
  • Managing balance between business and technology
  • Identifying right person for seeing the project through.

    Essentials for successful KM program

    • Identification of Right knowledge- Explicit and tacit 
    • Identification of the right type of knowledge and its application area
    • Workflow
    • Web intelligence
    • Document management
    • Personalized portal interface Recognize learning as a daily process
    • Communities of practice
    • Knowledge sharing events
    • Exemplary leadership

Difficulties in implementing a successful Knowledge management program

    1) Getting employees– The biggest difficulty in implementing KM program is because companies ignore people and culture issues. It is a holistic approach to implement KM throughout the organization and not to fragment it.

    The best way to motivate people for this is by launching an incentive program but again the quality and the accuracy has to be considered.

    2) Allowing Technology to dictate – It is not always the technical part that is workable but a right balance between technical and human angle has to be sorted out. Simply by implementing centralized DBMS, web portal, electronic message board purpose of implementing KM ever comes fertile.

    3)  Unclarity in goals / roles: - KM program should always be aligned with business goal so that delegation and responsibility charting can be done in an effective manner.

    4) Energy and vitality: - It demands heavy participation, forecasting, immediate and reasonable decision making for an efficient KM program to flourish and give right results.

    5) Feedback and follow up : - System approach teaches the right direction in which a KM program must be nurtured so that timely action, 2- way communication and adequate corrective action can be implemented in time.

Principles of Knowledge Management

Managing knowledge is the most difficult thing as tangible or explicit things could be gathered edited, modified and can be presented but those things or information or ideas which go in the minds of people (as employees) is difficult to imagine or assess until discusses, shared or narrated, so this process's more difficult as it demands "Knowledge philanthropists" to contribute and sustain.

So before embarking in the system of implementing Knowledge management in organization certain principles of Knowledge should be known –

a) Knowledge is unending
b) It is a matter of practice
c) It creeps and grows in communities and groups
d) It demands easy , flexible , transparent and logical channels and language
e) It is a consistent process and system
f) It demands attention , updating , visibility and vocabulary
g) It is a multi- approach based process
h) It requires high follow up , timely action and above all socialization
i) It is a team process: participation , involvement makes it a success
j) There is no single destination in KM it is a never ending journey
k) It is a combination of technical and human aspects, no single factor can make it a success , its all about how you manage & inculcate its seriousness in hierarchy

We can conclude these principles by saying as Pankaj Jhaveri a web developer and consultant based in Ahemdabad said that "It matters how you define knowledge than how you practice it. It means nothing if you don't take knowledge and turn into customer value''.Above all what remains is value creation and its sustenance.

Ways for creating knowledge management in organization structure

1. Creating network of champions
2. Setting people system to capture and share information throughout the organization.
3. Deploying technology such as intranets to enable flow of explicit knowledge
4. Develop a common vocabulary
5. Increase efficiencies in knowledge processing and storing
6. Identifying sources where knowledge resides  be it database or in people
7. Develop knowledge maps to reduce the gaps between people and to expand and refine the flow of knowledge.
8. Comparing practices followed by other companies  for better results and to be competitive

Key elements in KM process

1) People
2) Process
3) Structure
4) Technology
5) Knowledge automation
6) IT based infrastructure
7) Learning based approach
8) KM centered strategy
9) Selection of correct dimension –Reactive
                                               Aware
                                               Convinced
                                               Shared

Steps in marching to KM

1) Start with the enthusiastic
2) Convince the influencers
3) Make it no- drainer
4) Hire a coordinator
5) Tel stories
6) Recognize contributors
7) Reward contributors

Conclusion

Knowledge management as a business strategy is about becoming a winning organization. It is a process that flourishes in groups and demands all participation approach for success. It practiced consistently with proper monitoring systems it work wonders and makes the dream of learning organization true.

It becomes a challenging task because people are highly reluctant to share their knowledge and this further complicates the matter, this is only by true motivation, proper incentive structure and commitment that the real participation will come A good training program, performance system, collaborative environment,

Information sharing, retrieving and communicating in time makes such process a success.

References

1. Issues of IBA bulletin

2. Knowledge management Knowledge management t its not all about portal By Robert s. seined The data administration newsletter , November 2000

3. Shri Ratneja Gougle- Knowledge management a new dimension

4. Myers(P.S) 1996 Knowledge management and organization design; an introduction

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Knowledge Management: 3 D Battle ground
The Fourth Dimension

Dr. Viju Mathew
Asst. Professor
MOHE
College of Applied Sciences, Department of International Business Administration
P.O. Box 1905, Postal Code 211 Salalah, Sultanate of Oman

Mrs. Mary Kavitha
Independent Consultant for Marketing and Educational Needs, India
 


During the previous few years KM application has been doing well for the corporate but has been less accepted by all. The future of KM and its value depends on its abilities to overcome the corporate problem and its sustainability. The corporate are looking to create sustainable competitive advantage with the support and us of KM irrespectively of other areas. Most of the corporate frequently ask and discuss about the future and looking for new application which will probably help them to develop and create value to its customers. If we look back and comes to the concept again we have to define, what is really a Knowledge is? What is KM? so on. While going to the fundamental we will also search the "future dimension of KM which will supports the corporate in various ways".

In this article we incorporate the "Fourth Dimension" which will provide new flavor to the KM in future developing excitement over corporate to create value. The conventional practices incorporate regards to the KM begin with the information being used for various strategic purposes to achieve its objectives and create sustainable competitive advantage. Creating value to the process, customers and services through KM will be additional. Knowledge exist only trough people helping each other creating an impact on development. The fourth dimension will focus on sharing knowledge and its value creation which will be the next generation integrating process and service. Alternatively, "integrating future knowledge demand and supply".

In the process phases of KM, it has been observed that the corporate pays major focus on production (process) and its evaluation, information system and sometimes on other aspects. It has given the outcome which support process evaluation and information management. It is the time to expand the scope of KM to address new management issues which has been not looked upon and which will deal with both sharing knowledge and creating value.

KM theories and practices supporting the organization should specifically make a part of strategy initiating the alignment and creating value. These initiatives relatively affect the range of behavior and culture in the organization shaping and integrating people for knowledge sharing and enhance knowledge outcome in terms of value creation. The strategy in an organization which refers to add advantage and achieve organizational objectives is a part of knowledge management initiative. Being shared transferred and achieving of objective through strategic implementation is termed to be KM.

The organization strategic knowledge execution should focus on eliminating errors and flow of knowledge. The strategy should adopt the way to learn and adopt in the organization. The strategy may change but the learning which is created will stay always supporting the organization to survive over long and build culture to innovate and systematic capacity for prosperous knowledge organization. The fundamentals of KM will initiate "sustainable innovative advantage" to integrate future knowledge demand and supply as fourth dimension and 3D tool for competitive advantage. The major focus on innovation will currently possess the KM initiative for value creation capturing and delivering knowledge requirement and strategic support. The major purpose of KM is to enhance value through innovation which will develop sustainable advantage for the future aligned with and supporting strategy.

The knowledge sharing for creating value is supported by technology. The cost of developing and integrating technology will be low compared to knowledge capture and implementation for innovation. The short fall among various components in the organization reduce the scope and application of KM creating inefficiency. The technology used in the KM application will fasten knowledge transfer, information management, increase efficiency, accelerate innovation and deliver value. The organization should always look for the quality and validity of knowledge before capturing and dissemination. The measure should be established at each level for all information, process producing framework which will create new horizon for KM issues Knowledge mapping, balance scorecard and other measured should ensure, classify and measure the knowledge which is coming from all direction at every dimension looking for the future. In this regards the knowledge base existing in the organization and knowledge workers as a team will play a vital role building organizational knowledge culture. The organization should understand that "the size is not the only thing that matters". The strength of that knowledge gives support to innovate which will certainly add new dimension to organization in future.

Practitioners believe that knowledge production is likely to be characterized and used on the quality and validity which clearly show evidence on innovation and adaptability. The knowledge generated by the organizational community should be consistent with strategy and should justify the management criteria established by the organization.

The ability to recognize problems has been a vital part of KM involving the creation of value. The identification of problem creates positive implication adding advantage to the organization. The valuable claims rely based on factual knowledge sequencing the organization process, service to innovate and add value. The knowledge creating value will estimate comparatively future need testing the organization capability and other critical aspect.

Reference

1. Firestone, J. M & Mc. Elroy, M. Key issues in the new knowledge management (KMCI Press/ Butterworth-Heinemann,2003)

2. Nanoka and Takeuchi, H. the knowledge creating company (OUP, 1995).

3. Firestone, J. M Enterprise information portals and KM (KMCI Press/ Butterworth-Heinemann,2003)