Knowledge Management COM910M1

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Knowledge ManagementCOM910M1

• Dr. Sandra Moffett
• School of Computing and Intelligent Systems
• University of Ulster at Magee
• Tel [phone]
• E-Mail sm.moffett_at_ulster.ac.uk

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Aim of Module

• To develop the intellectual and practical skills
  of the learner in the understanding, analysis and
  critical evaluation of the current issues
  relevant to managing in a knowledge-based economy

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Learning Outcomes of the Module

• Critically evaluate the concepts of the learning
  company, organisational learning and knowledge
  management.
• Synthesise, analyse, interpret and evaluate
  information from a variety of sources - lecture
  material, web-sites, bibliographic searches

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Learning Outcomes contd

• Plan, conduct and report current literary
  research - synthesise the theoretical and
  practical components of the concepts of the
  learning organisation and knowledge management
• Develop a prototype application suitable for
  Semantic Web

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Teaching Plan

• Week 1 Module Overview, the relevance of
  Management Research
• Week 2 The concept of the Learning Organisation
  LO
• Week 3 Introduction to Knowledge Management KM
• Week 4 The Human Side of KM
• Week 5 Technology, Information and Collaboration

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Teaching Plan contd

• Week 6 Content Management for Business
  Intelligence
• Week 7 The Semantic Web
• Week 8 E-Commerce
• Week 9 Creativity and Innovation
• Week 10 Measurement
• Week 11 Demonstrations of Assignment 2 Websites
• Week 12 Revision and Examination Overview

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Website

• http//www.infm.ulst.ac.uk/sandra
• Follow the link for COM910M1

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Assessment

• Assignment 1 Literature Review, due on Thursday
  26th October (week 5), worth 40 of total CW mark
• Assignment 2 Practical Exercise using XML, due
  on Thursday 30th November (week 10), worth 60 of
  total CW mark

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Writing a Literature Review

• Need for critical reflection
• Incorporation of relevant evidence/ examples/
  claims
• Ensure that material used is meaningful
• Provide evidence to support claims
• Use up-to-date evidence

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Writing a Literature Review contd

• Identify biases or distortions
• Compare different views and information
• Do not include personal anecdotes
• Avoid generalising from one source
• Present a balanced view

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Guidelines for Literature Reviews

• Remain within the parameters of the subject area
• Avoid a study-by-study summary of findings -
  should be integrated discussion of key issues
• Organise the review around key issues
• State clearly what is known and what is not known

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Guidelines for Literature Reviews

• Include recent work and early studies
• Attempt to explain inconsistencies in the
  literature
• Present a balanced view - incorporate alternative
  perspectives

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Presenting a Literature Review

• Clear Introduction - state what you intend to
  achieve in the literature review
• Present a clear and logical argument - put your
  ideas in order
• Provide evidence for what you want to say -
  present relevant information
• Present alternative views - avoid a bias
  discussion
• Draw conclusions - summarise discussion

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Being Critically Evaluative

• Question the assumptions or key points in the
  question
• Establish what your opinions are with regard to
  the subject area - have you questioned these?
• Decide on the conclusion you want to reach

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Recommended Reading

• Collinson, C. and Parcell, G. (2004), Learning to
  Fly Practical Knowledge Management from Leading
  and Learning Organisations, ChichesterCapstone,
  2004, Library ref HD30.2.C65
• Davenport, T. and Prusak, L. (1998), Working
  Knowledge How Organisations Manage What They
  Know, Harvard Business School Press, Boston
  Library ref HD58.82.D28 (3 copies available)
• Drucker, P. (1999), Managing Challenges for the
  21st Century, Harper Business, New York
• Groff, T.R. and Jones, T.P. (2003), Introduction
  to Knowledge Management KM in business,
  Butterworth-Heinemann Publishers, Library ref
  Oversize 0 HD30.2.G76

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Selection of Leading Journals

• Journal of Management Learning
• British Journal of Management Organization
• Academy of Management Review
• Journal of the Learning Organisation
• Journal of Knowledge Management
• Journal of Knowledge and Process Management
• Journal of Information Technology and Management

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Recommended Reading Practical Aspect

• Erl, T. (2004), Service-Oriented Architecture A
  Field Guide to Integrating XML and Web Services,
  Pearson Education Prentice Hall, Library ref
  QA76.9.A73E75
• Daconta, M.C., Obrst, L.J. and Smith, K.T.
  (2003), The Semantic Web, Wiley Publishers,
  London, Library ref TK5105.88815.D22
• Foggon, D. Maharry, Ullman and Watson, (2004),
  Programming Microsoft.NET XML Web Services,
  Microsoft Press, Library ref QA76.76.H94P76
• Harold, E.R. and Means, W. Scott, (2004), XML In
  a Nutshell, 3rd Edition, O'Reilly Publishers,
  Library ref QA76.76.H84H27

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Characteristics of the Subject Area

• Relatively recent interest in the area
• Interdisciplinary nature conflict with regard
  to definition
• Academic and practitioner interest
• Different perceptions

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Modernism

• Theories and ideas began to emerge in the C17th
• Knowledge accumulated over time
• C18th Enlightenment philosophers -
  characteristics of rationality and empiricism

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Post-modernism

• Relatively recent phenomenon
• Cultural and intellectual movement
• Challenges orthodox approaches to knowledge
  production
• Questions the existence of a grand meta-narrative

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Conceptual Schema of Cognitive Dimensions
(Becher, 1989 Biglan, 1973)

• Hard versus soft - relates to extent to which
  a body of theory is subscribed to by all members
  within a discipline
• Pure versus applied - attempts to capture the
  difference between knowing what at the expense
  of knowing how

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Conceptual Schema of Cognitive Dimensions
(Becher, 1989 Biglan, 1973)

• convergent versus divergent - considers the
  social organisation of knowledge
• urban versus rural - assess the people to
  problem ratio

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The Nature of Management Research

• Soft - heterogeneous nature of field
• Applied - building knowledge which documents,
  codifies and articulates a problem attempt to
  understand improve practice
• Divergent - wide range of ontological
  epistemological positions represented
• Rural - broad intellectual territory

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Knowledge Production Systems

• Mode 1 - Knowledge generation results from the
  pursuit of an academic agenda within particular
  disciplines knowledge resides in universities
  distinction made between fundamental and applied
  research (Gibbons et al, 1994)

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Knowledge Production Systems

• Mode 2 is characterised by the constant flow
  back and forth between the fundamental and the
  applied, between the theoretical and the
  practical. Typically, discovery occurs in
  contexts where knowledge is developed for, and
  put to use, while results - which would have been
  traditionally characterised as applied - fuel
  further theoretical advances (Gibbons et al,
  1994)

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Knowledge Production Systems

• Mode 3 - Need to work on the bigger questions
  which deepen an intellectual understanding of
  the relation between activities in business and
  the major issues of human existence (March,
  2000)
• to assure survival and promote the common good
  at various level of social aggregation (Huff and
  Huff, 2001)
• Funding from philanthropy, university, business
  and government

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Management Research - its relevance?

• Users believe that research can benefit them - do
  not consider many topics as focusing on key
  issues
• Research does not contribute to their managerial
  role - perceived need for prescriptive statements
• Lack of awareness of the results of research

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Valuable Knowledge

• What makes knowledge valuable to organisations
  is ultimately the ability to make better
  decisions and action taken on the basis of
  knowledge. If knowledge doesnt improve decision
  making, then whats the point? (Davenport
  Prusak, 1998)
• If the duty of the intellectual in society is to
  make a difference, the management research
  community has a long way to go to realize its
  potential (Pettigrew, 2001)

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The Reflective Practitioner

• Learning and Wisdom (Montaigne)
• Learning - logic, etymology, grammar, Latin and
  Greek
• Wisdom - a far broader, more elusive and more
  valuable kind of knowledge, everything that could
  help a person to live well

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Conclusion

• Establish context
• Introduce module and assessment
• Consider knowledge production and relevance of
  management research