Knowledge Management and Knowledge Management Systems: Conceptual Foundations and Research Issues

1
Knowledge Management and Knowledge Management
Systems Conceptual Foundations and Research
Issues

• Group Members
• Steve Wencil
• Todd Will
• Rashief Yusaf

2
The Presentation

• The Article
• Motivation
• Summary
• Value / Contribution
• Critique / Class Concept Integration
• Keys to Success for KM projects
• Future of KM

3
Alavi, M., and Leidner, D.E. Review Knowledge
Management and Knowledge Management Systems
Conceptual Foundations and Research Issues,
MISQ, (25 1) 2001, pp. 107-136.
4
Motivation

• Treat knowledge as a significant organizational
  resource
• Provide a framework for identifying role of IT in
  organizational KM processes
• Identify discrepancies in current research
• Identify potential areas of research in Knowledge
  Management (KM) by reviewing knowledge management
  literature

5
Knowledge and the Firm

• Perspectives of knowledge
• Data, information and Knowledge views
• Data raw numbers, Information processed data,
  Knowledge authenticated information
• Used Here knowledge is information possessed in
  the minds of individuals, knowledge exists before
  information can be formulated and data measured
• State of mind knowing and understanding
• Object stored and manipulated
• Process applying expertise
• Access to information
• Capability influence action
• 2 Dimensions of knowledge Tacit and Explicit
• Tacit rooted in actions/mental models
  (cognitive) and experience applicable to specific
  work (technical)
• Explicit Articulated, generalized knowledge

6

• Knowledge Management (KM)
• Managing knowledge to the organizations benefit
• Basic processes of KM Creation,
  Storage/Retrieval, Transfer and Application
• Aims of KM
• Make knowledge visible
• Develop knowledge intensive culture
• Build knowledge infrastructure
• Knowledge Management Systems
• Information systems applied to management of
  organizational knowledge
• Applications of IT to KM
• Coding and sharing best practices internal
  benchmarking
• Creation of corporate knowledge directories map
  internal expertise
• Creation of knowledge networks online forums for
  discussions

7
Role of IT in Organizational KM Processes A
Framework

• Knowledge Creation
• Developing new content or replacing existing
  content within the organizations tacit and
  explicit knowledge.
• Modes of Knowledge Creation
• Socialization conversion of tacit knowledge to
  new tacit knowledge through social interaction
  and shared experiences
• Combination creating new explicit knowledge by
  processing existing explicit knowledge
• Externalization conversion of tacit to new
  explicit knowledge through articulation of best
  practices or lessons learned
• Internalization creation of new tacit knowledge
  from explicit knowledge (understanding resulting
  from reading or discussion)
• Supporting IT Data Mining and Warehousing,
  Learning Tools
• IT Enables Combination of new sources of
  knowledge, Just in Time Learning

8

• Knowledge Storage/Retrieval
• Individual V/s Organizational Memory
• Individual persons observations, experiences and
  actions
• Organizational extends beyond individual memory
  to include organizational culture, processes and
  procedures, organizational roles and environment
• Semantic Memory general, explicit and
  articulated
• Episodic Memory context-specific and situated
• Effects of Knowledge Storage
• Positive organizational changes in the past,
  changes are easy to make, avoid replication of
  work (standards and procedures)
• Negative decision making bias, organizational
  cultures become resistant to change through
  single loop learning (process of detecting and
  correcting errors)
• Supporting IT Electronic Bulletin Boards,
  Knowledge repositories, Databases
• IT Enables Inter-group knowledge access, Support
  of Individual and Organizational Memory

9

• Knowledge Transfer
• Transfer of knowledge to locations where it is
  needed and can be used
• Elements of Knowledge Transfer
• Value of source
• Willingness of source to share information
• Richness of transmission channel
• Willingness to receive knowledge
• Absorptive capacity
• Focus on richness of transmission channels
• Formal / Informal
• Personal / Impersonal
• Supporting IT Electronic Bulletin Boards,
  Discussion forums, Knowledge directories
• IT Enables More Communication channels, faster
  access

10

• Knowledge Application
• Competitive advantage lies in application of the
  knowledge rather than the knowledge itself.
• Mechanisms for knowledge integration
• Directives rules, standards and procedures
  through conversion of specialists tacit
  knowledge to explicit knowledge.
• Organizational routines task performance and
  coordination patters, interaction protocol and
  process specification allowing specialists to
  integrate knowledge without articulation.
• Self-contained task teams in cases of high
  uncertainty and complexity, teams are formed with
  individuals with prerequisite knowledge and
  specialty
• Supporting IT Expert systems, Workflow systems
• IT Enables application in many locations, rapid
  application of new knowledge (Workflow automation)

11
Research Issues

• Knowledge Creation
• Research conditions that facilitate knowledge
  creation, not source and state of knowledge
• Organization culture to promotes knowledge
  creation
• IT to enhance weak ties and enhance strong
  ties in organization
• Knowledge Storage/Retrieval
• Barriers to effective storage lack of time and
  incentives for knowledge sharing
• Effectiveness of incentives to promote knowledge
  sharing
• Amount of context
• Retrieval mechanism (pull or push)

12

• Knowledge Transfer
• Locating knowledge
• Facilitate knowledge flow by balancing pull
  (provider) and push (seeker) process
• Does IT discourage external sources of knowledge
  ?
• Knowledge Application
• Factors contributing to knowing-doing gap (trust,
  risk aversion, etc)
• Application of IT to KM
• Effectively modify information before application
• Capture modifications along with original
  knowledge
• Develop Trust

13
Value/Contribution

• Defined the various KM processes and provided a
  framework for analysis of role of IT in each of
  them
• Different perspectives of knowledge within the
  organization revealed. No optimum approach to
  effective KM, various approaches and systems need
  to be adopted.
• KM is a dynamic and continuous organizational
  phenomenon. Any member can be involved in various
  KM processes
• Knowledge Management Systems, using various IT
  capabilities, can lead to various forms of KM
  support
• Suggested areas of future research for
  application IT in KM processes

14
Critique / Class Integration
15
Decision Making

• Decision Types
• Structured
• Semi-structured
• Unstructured
• Knowledge management systems tend to be
  unstructured
• Fuzzy logic
• Uncertainty
• User typically does not fully understand the
  information he or she is seeking, impacting the
  system design
• Technology improves the accuracy and ease of
  searching for knowledge
• Gorry and Scott Morton, 1971 and Zwass, 2001

16
Importance of Technology

• Better to be a market follower than a market
  leader
• Reduced infrastructure costs
• Proven technology
• IT should be used to facilitate the exchange of
  knowledge
• IT KM systems becoming standardized as more
  companies implement knowledge management systems
• Agrees with the article in that Knowledge
  Management Systems lead to competitive advantage
  and changing market dynamics, but only if
  implemented correctly
• Need Quality over Quantity
• Carr, 2003 and Zwass, 2001

17
Communication Richness

• Richer medium of communication leads to higher
  level of knowledge transfer
• Richness lies on continuum between formal written
  communication and face-to-face
• Tools in the system can include
• Real time tools
• Chat
• Instant Message
• Groupware
• Asynchronous tools
• Enterprise
• Web-based system
• Forums or email
• KM system should incorporate these tools to
  enable high level of knowledge transfer
• Fjermestad, 2003, Daft and Lengel, 1986, and
  Majchrzak, et.al., 2000

18
Knowledge Management Works

• Web Self-Service Examples
• Amcore Financial, Inc.
• Doubled online service offerings to customers
• Corresponding slight increase in requests for
  personal assistance
• Support staff reduced to one full-time and one
  part-time support representatives
• Adaptec
• Substantial drop in email and support calls after
  implementing web self-service solution
• Fast online solutions provided in two languages
• Knowledgebase a resource for customers and
  employees in answering more queries
• Knowledge management systems, if implemented
  correctly, can lead to a substantial increase in
  ROI
• RightNow Technologies, 2003

19
Knowledge Management System Design Key Points
for Success

• Link to economic performance or industry value
• Appropriate hardware and software to design and
  maintain the system
• Establish Knowledge resources within the
  organization for help and guidance on the project
• Flexible knowledge structure to enable exchange
• Develop a knowledge-friendly culture
• Maintain a clear and ever-present focus of the
  project
• Rewards and incentives based on quality and not
  quantity of contributions

20
Knowledge Management System Design Key Points
for Success (cont.)

• Multiple channels of communication for knowledge
  transfer
• Email
• Forums
• Face-to-face meetings
• Teleconferencing
• Senior Management Support required for success
• Knowledge Maps to identify and utilize islands of
  knowledge
• Cross functional systems to better identify and
  search information resources
• Davenport, Delong, and Beers, 1998 and Will, 2003

21
Future of KM

• KM and Pervasive Computing
• Framework to enable 2-way interaction between
  context-aware computing systems and mobile users
• Users act as consumers of information but also
  supply knowledge and information to the system
• System must be able to be adapted to the users
  task, taking into account cultural and cognitive
  differences for maximum user acceptance
• Amann And Quirchmayr, 2003 and Zwass, 2001

22
References

• Alavi, M., and Leidner, D.E. Review Knowledge
  Management and Knowledge Management Systems
  Conceptual Foundations and Research Issues,
  MISQ, (25 1) 2001, pp. 107-136.
• Amann, P. And Quirchmayr, G. Foundation of a
  Framework to Support Knowledge Management in
• the Field of Context-Aware and Pervasive
  Computing, Proceedings of the Australasian
  information security workshop conference on ACSW
  frontiers (21), 2003, pp. 119-131.
• Benbasat, I., and Taylor, R. N. "Behavioral
  Aspects of Information Processing for the Design
  of Management Information Systems," IEEE
  Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics
  (124), July-August 1983, pp. 439-450.
• Carr, N.G. IT doesnt matter, Harvard Business
  Review (May) 2003, pp. 41-50.
• Daft, R. and Lengel, R. Organizational
  Information Requirements, Media Richness and
  Structural Design, Management Science (325),
  1986, pp. 554-571.
• Davenport, Thomas H., De Long, David W., and
  Beers, Michael C. Successful Knowledge
  Management Projects, Sloan Management Review,
  (Winter) 1998, pp. 43- of 57.
• Fjermestad, J. Knowledge Management, CIS677
  Class Slides, Fall 2003.
• Gorry, A.G. and Scott-Morton, M.S. "A Framework
  for Management Information Systems, Sloan
  Management Review (Fall) 1971, pp. 21-36.
• Majchrzak, A., Rice, R., Malhotra, A., King, N.,
  and Ba, S. Technology Adaptation The Case of a
  Computer-Supported Inter-Organizational Virtual
  Team, MIS Quarterly, (244) 2000, pp. 569-600.
• RightNow Technologies. RightNow Case Studies,
  RightNow Website, 2003. Hyperlink
  http//www.rightnow.com/resource/casestudies.php?c
  ssubject8
• Will, Todd. A Failed Knowledge Management
  System Foster Wheeler E-Knowledge System, IS
  Seminar, Fall 2003.
• Zwass, Vladimir. Business Reengineering,
  Information Systems Planning and Acquisition,
  Foundations of Information Systems, McGraw-Hill
  Primis Custom Publishing, 2001.