2. Recap: Data, Information and Knowledge
• Data represent a structured codification of single primary entities, as well
as of transactions involving two or more primary.
• Information is the outcome of extraction and processing activities carried
out on data, and it appears meaningful for those who receive it in a specific
domain.
• Knowledge consist of information put to work into a specific domain,
enhanced by the experience and competence of decision makers in tackling
and solving complex problems.
It originates and is applied in the mind of the knowers.
In organizations it is embedded not only in documents or repositories,
but also in organizational routines, practices and norms.
3. Types of Knowledge
1. Tacit knowledge
• is personal/ experience-based knowledge; it is highly personal and difficult to
formalize.
• Held by humans, this includes understandings derived from emotions, experiences,
insights, and intuitions.
• Gathered through knowledge surveys, questionnaires, interviews and focus groups.
2. Explicit Knowledge
• Has been codified (documented) in a form that can be distributed to others or
transformed into a process or strategy without requiring interpersonal interaction.
3. Implicit knowledge
• Knowledge that explains how best to implement explicit knowledge.
• It is information that has not yet been codified or transferred, but that would be
possible to teach.
4. Types of Knowledge Cont’d…
4. Embedded knowledge
• Locked in processes, products and culture. Obtained via observation, analysis,
reverse engineering, and modelling.
• It is found in: rules, processes, manuals, organizational culture, codes of conduct,
ethics, products, etc.
5. Procedural Knowledge
• It focuses on beliefs relating sequences of steps or actions to desired outcome.
• Characterized as “know-how”
6. Declarative knowledge or substantive knowledge
• Focuses on beliefs about relationship among variables. Can be stated in the form of
propositions, expected correlations or formulas relating concepts represented as
variables
• Characterized as “know what”
5. What is
knowledge
management?
Knowledge
management is the
art of transforming
information and
intellectual assets
into enduring value
for an organization’s
clients and its
people.
The purpose of
Knowledge
management is to:
Foster the reuse
of intellectual
capital.
Enable better
decision
making.
Create the
conditions for
innovation.
KM provides people,
processes, and
technology to help
knowledge flow
To the right
people.
At the right
time.
So they can act
more efficiently
and effectively
6. Knowledge
Management
Components
• People – how do you increase the ability of an individual
in the organisation to influence others with their
knowledge
• Processes – Its approach varies from organization to
organization. There is no limit on the number of
processes
• Technology – It needs to be chosen only after all the
requirements of a knowledge management
initiative have been established.
Knowledge Management may be viewed in terms of:
• Culture –The biggest enabler of successful knowledge-
driven organizations is the establishment of a
knowledge- focused culture
• Structure – the business processes and organisational
structures that facilitate knowledge sharing
• Technology – a crucial enabler rather than the
solution.
Or
7. Ways to do Knowledge Management
Share
Share what
you have
learned,
created,
and proved
Innovate
Innovate to
be more
creative,
inventive,
and
imaginative
Reuse
Reuse what
others have
already
learned,
created and
proved
Collaborate
Collaborate
with others
to take
advantage
of what
they know
Learn
Learn by
doing, from
others, and
from
existing
information
8. Knowledge Management Systems
• Knowledge Management Systems (KMS): the synergy between latest
technologies and social/structural mechanisms
• Information technology facilitates sharing as well as
accelerated growth of knowledge.
• Knowledge management mechanisms are organizational or structural means
used to promote knowledge management
• The use of leading-edge information technologies to support KM
mechanisms enables dramatic improvement in KM.
9. Knowledge Management Systems
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies play an
important role in the KM processes, enabling the development of KMS
• Experience management: basically experience develops over time, to
coalesce into more general experience, which then combines into
general knowledge
• KM systems classification based on observations on the KM systems
implementations:
1. Knowledge Discovery Systems
2. Knowledge Capture Systems
3. Knowledge Sharing Systems
4. Knowledge Application Systems
11. Challenges of Knowledge Management
• Creating a culture of flexibility and collaboration: KM can be especially difficult because
employees might want to protect their skills and knowledge, or be reluctant to learn from
their peers.
• Security: Need to design a knowledge transfer system that makes it easy for the
appropriate people to access information, while protecting sensitive or private
intelligence from outsiders.
• Measuring knowledge: It can be difficult to define metrics to measure the knowledge
within the organization, especially for tacit knowledge that cannot be easily quantified. To
overcome this, some experts recommend focusing on the purpose of knowledge, rather
than the efforts or results (which are often also unquantifiable).
• Identifying an expert: There won’t always be a single “keeper” of every knowledge type, but
you will still have to identify who within the company possesses certain knowledge, and use
them as the base level of knowledge from which you want to build. This process is difficult
tactically, but can also be delicate among employees who might feel competitive about their
skill levels.
12. Challenges of Knowledge Management
• Document storage and management: Knowledge has to be stored and organized in
some form. Document management is a challenge for many companies, but
organization is a vital aspect of KM.
• Disseminating knowledge throughout an organization: need to devise a process
where, once knowledge is stored, other team members can access it. Many
organizations opt for a software system designed specifically for this purpose..
• Continual improvement: Like most process-driven strategies, continually
improvement of the knowledge management system implemented is necessary.
Stage periodic reviews or, if possible, dedicate resources to continually
optimize your process.
• Determining where KM is housed: If KM serves your entire organization, decide
which department will “own” the strategy. KM is commonly housed in HR or IT.
Remember, this department is not only responsible for effectively managing the
knowledge itself, but also for maintaining the community of knowledge sharing
and organizational learning.
13. Revision Questions
1. Differentiate between process approach and practice approach
to Knowledge Management.
2. Discuss Knowledge Management Life Cycle.
