Review of the organizational learning and knowledge sharing in the context of the CoPs*

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Review of the organizational learning and
knowledge sharing in the context of the CoPs

• Albena Antonova
• Gourova Elissaveta Ph.D.
• CIST at Sofia University

This study is a part of a the pilot project
TRAINMOR-KNOWMORE, funded by the European Program
Leonardo da Vinci.
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Overview of the presentation

• Project TRAINMOR KNOWMORE
• Learning organization
• Intellectual capital
• Collective learning
• Barriers and Limitations to sharing knowledge
• Sharing knowledge
• CoPs

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TRAINMOR - KNOWMORE
November 2005 November 2007

• TRAINing Material in ORganisational KNOWledge
  Management for European Organizations
  Enterprises
• Overall aim of TRAINMOR -KNOWMORETo develop an
  intergraded training framework for Organizational
  Knowledge Management focused on the needs of
  European SMEs

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Project partners
Ireland - WESTBIC The Business and Innovation
Centre for the West and North of Ireland
Austria MERIG - The Multidisciplinary European
Research Institute Graz
Romania National Council for Private SMEs in
Romania

• Germany
• LINK MV
• Institute for Support and Competence Development
  Pro-Competence,
• BILSE Institute

Bulgaria SU-CIST
Cyprus - Cyprus Institute of Technology

• Greece
• Thessaloniki Technology Park
• ATLANTIS Consulting
• ALBA

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Review of the organizational learning and
knowledge sharing in the context of the CoPs

• People are unique holders of knowledge
• The knowledge networks and working groups are
  considered as support for collaboration, and
  ideas, people and projects are primary generators
  of new knowledge and innovations.
• KM is enabler of learning organization,
  prioritizing the human aspects, and putting the
  focus on knowledge sharing and knowledge
  dissemination practices.

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Learning organization and intellectual capital

• The ability to build and exploit intellectual
  capital has become the most strategically
  organizational capability
• Intellectual capital
• customer capital
• organizational capital
• human capital (serves as a collective term for an
  organizations core competences, the skills and
  knowledge)

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Organizational knowledge

• Organizational and collective knowledge include
• rules
• procedures,
• strategies,
• activities,
• technologies,
• conditions,
• paradigms,
• frames of references

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Learning organization

• LO is not about "more training", it involves the
  development of higher levels of knowledge and
  skill.
• Management in learning organizations focuses more
  on how individuals think, what they truly want,
  and how they interact and learn with one another.
  
• Learning provides the opportunity to create and
  recreate, change one's external perception of the
  world and relationship, and extends individual
  ability to be creative.

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Collective learning

• Collective learning requires skills for sharing
  information and knowledge, particularly implicit
  knowledge, assumptions and beliefs that are
  traditionally "beneath the surface".
• Subsequently, the main skills are
• communication (across organizational boundaries)
• listening and observing
• mentoring and supporting colleagues
• holistic perspective (the organization as a whole)

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Characteristics of Learning Organization

• Learning Culture
• Management Processes
• Tools and Techniques
• Skills and Motivation
• Free exchange and flow of information
• Commitment to learning, personal development
• Valuing people
• Fostering a climate of openness and trust
• Learning from experience

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Barriers and limitations of knowledge sharing

• Cognitive limitations are related to the way
  experts store and process information.
• Motivational limitations are related to the
  appraisal and reward systems of companies, the
  internal competition between individuals, teams
  and units.
• Personnel need to be compensated for the
  invested time in knowledge sharing and
  conversations

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Sharing Knowledge

• Two types of individuals
• knowledge seekers
• knowledge sources
• Effective knowledge sharing occurs when
  appropriate connections are built between these
  parties.

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Sharing Knowledge

• Three types of knowledge sharing within
  organizations
• Knowledge retrieval
• Knowledge sharing from the organization to the
  individual has the purpose of retrieving existing
  organizational knowledge.
• Knowledge exchange
• Knowledge sharing from an individual to other
  individuals has the purpose of exchanging
  existing individual knowledge.
• Knowledge creation
• Knowledge sharing among individuals has the
  purpose of generating new knowledge, resulting
  from new combinations of existing individual,
  shared, or organizational knowledge.

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Communities of Practice

• The definition of a community of practice is
• "a group of people who share a concern, a set of
  problems, or a passion about a topic, and who
  deepen their knowledge and expertise in an area
  by interacting on an ongoing basis"

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Communities of Practice

• CoPs - cross-functional and multi-skilled,
• functional position is irrelevant
• the topic knowledge or interest is all necessary
• The diversity of a CoP's population may encourage
  creativity and problem solving, and linkages to
  external communities as CoPs are the legitimate
  place for learning through participation

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CoPs attributes

• Variety multi-skilling prevents boredom and
  monotony, and builds flexibility
• Identity building an identity encourages a
  sense of collective responsibility and
  self-regulation
• Significance motivation to care about the
  outcome of the work process increases
  cooperation when the outcome is imbued
  with a sense of significance
• Autonomy increases the ownership and
  responsibility of members to the process
• Feedback understanding and knowing the
  results of work processes enables groups
  to monitor their progress against targets and
  improve their performance.

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4 Important barriers that can overcome CoPs

• Awareness Making seekers and sources aware of
  their respective knowledge
• Access Providing the time and space for seekers
  and sources to connect with one another
• Application Ensuring that the knowledge seeker
  and source have a common content and
  understanding
• Perception Creating an atmosphere where
  knowledge sharing behaviors between seekers
  and sources are respected and valued

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4 Types of communities

• Innovation communities
• Helping communities
• Best-practice communities - attaining, validating
  and disseminating knowledge
• Knowledge-stewarding CoPs- connecting people and
  collecting information and knowledge across the
  organisation

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10 characteristics of successful CoP

1. Clear business value proposition
2. Dedicated skilled leader
3. Knowledge map for the CoPs core content
4. Easy-to-follow knowledge sharing process
5. Technology medium that facilitates knowledge
   exchange
6. Communication and training plans for outsiders of
   CoP
7. Updated, dynamic list of CoP members
8. Key success metrics to show business results
9. Recognition plan for participants
10. Agenda of topics to cover for the first months of
    existence

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Conclusion

• Organizational learning and knowledge sharing are
  major factors for success for KM initiatives
• The focus is put on human factors, the main
  limitations for effective collaboration are
  related to the human nature and lack of adequate
  motivation policy.
• In this context Communities of practice are
  appearing as an instrument, overcoming the
  behavior constraints and manifesting the
  emergence of new organizational culture

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Thank you for your attention!

• Questions and comments?