FATIMA JINNAH WOMEN UNIVERSITYFATIMA JINNAH WOMEN UNIVERSITY

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENTKNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENTLecture # 1:Lecture # 1:

THE KNOWLEDGE CONTEXTTHE KNOWLEDGE CONTEXT

Humayun AkhtarHumayun Akhtar

REFERENCE BOOKSREFERENCE BOOKS

• Knowledge Management Knowledge Management WILEY – Shelda Debowski

• Knowledge Management in Therory & Knowledge Management in Therory & Practice Practice Kimiz Dalkir

• Harvard Business Review on Knowledge Harvard Business Review on Knowledge ManagementManagementHarvard University - Peter Ferdinand Drucker, David Garvin, Dorothy Leonard, Susan Straus, John Seely Brown

Start

Does it

Work ?

QUIT

Leave italone

Yes

Did you fiddle with it

No

IDIOT!

Yes

Did anyone see you?

RUN

No

Can you Talk your way out

of it?

Even BiggerIdiot!!!

FIRED!!!Good Bye!

StartTalking!

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Did your Subordinate fiddle

with it?

No

FireHim!

Yes

Can you blame

on a rival?

Go doIt!

Try AnyWay!

No

NoYes

Impression About Management

RESIGN?

Chapter 1

The Knowledge Context

Today’s focus: Today’s focus:

• How is our working world changing?• What is knowledge and how does it impact

on organisational practice?• What is knowledge management?• Why and how does knowledge management

vary across different organisations?

IntroductionIntroduction

• Technological and social change have reshaped our world and the way we work

• We have shifted from an industrial economy (focusing on commercial products) to a knowledge economy (focusing on services and expertise)

• This has affected most workplaces and most workers

External Influences on OrganisationsExternal Influences on Organisations

• Globalisation– Access to more customers from far-flung

areas– Greater awareness of international practice

• Increased competition• Increased pressure to be innovative and

responsive• Shareholder expectations

– Pressure to achieve economies of scale

External Influences External Influences (cont'd)(cont'd)

• Technological change• Competition for high performing staff• Forward planning and analysis

– Review of emerging trends– Learning from competitors

Organisations are dynamic, vulnerable and volatile….

The Changing Nature of Organisations The Changing Nature of Organisations

• The workplace has changed:– Series of career pathsSeries of career paths– Workforce composition Workforce composition – Evolving roles and responsibilitiesEvolving roles and responsibilities– Teamwork: complex and dynamic Teamwork: complex and dynamic

interactionsinteractions– Strong focus on relationship buildingStrong focus on relationship building

The Changing Nature of Organisations The Changing Nature of Organisations (cont'd)(cont'd)

• Communication • Leadership

– Many people fill leadership roles – Good leadership is expected in most

workplaces• Decision making

– More people participate in decision-making– Many sources of information guide decisions

The Changing Nature of Organisations The Changing Nature of Organisations (cont'd)(cont'd)

• Change management– Ongoing process improvement

• Worker motivation– Self-managing employees anticipate challenging

and fulfilling work– Desire positive and constructive workplaces

• Infrastructure– Systems and services which support the

organisation

Types of OrganisationsTypes of Organisations

• Organisations differ according to: – Their purpose and long-term goalsTheir purpose and long-term goals– Who funds and directs their activitiesWho funds and directs their activities– The stakeholdersThe stakeholders

• Types of organisations include:– Private– Public– Not-for-profit

Private EnterprisesPrivate Enterprises

• Focus on profit• Likely to have shareholders, or may be

privately owned• Anticipate ongoing growth and development,

but with a healthy short-term return• Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the public

face of the firm

Public EnterprisesPublic Enterprises

• Sponsored and funded by government• Linked to ministerial portfolios • Provide service or govern the community• Increasing efforts to collaborate and work

together, e.g. Australian Government Information Office

Not-for-profit agenciesNot-for-profit agencies

• Provide specialised support for community members

• Funding may be derived from different sources including government, sponsors and members of the community

• Frequently have higher demand than capacity to deliver

• Strong staff loyalty and commitment

Strategic Management in OrganisationsStrategic Management in Organisations

• Long-term planning + ongoing responses to existing needs and demands

• Relevance and appropriateness of the business to meet the users’ expectations

• Goals are promoted to all employees

Organisational Influences on Strategic Organisational Influences on Strategic Management Management

Values

Organisational Priorities

Systems andPolicies

Organisational Activities

EmployeeCapabilities

Leadership Strategic Focus and Process

Strategic ValuesStrategic Values

• Collaboration• Communication• Flexibility• Teamwork• Service orientation• Quality focus

Values

Organisational Priorities

Systems andPolicies

Organisational Activities

EmployeeCapabilities

Organisational priorities Organisational priorities

• The goals and directions the organisation should emphasise to ensure both long-term and short-term viability

• Strongly guided by effective leadership within the organisation

Values

Organisational Priorities

Systems andPolicies

Organisational Activities

EmployeeCapabilities

Systems and PoliciesSystems and Policies

• Policies provide guidance on the main principles which should be reflected across the organisation

• Systems enable the implementation of the specified policies through practical and functional processes

Values

Organisational Priorities

Systems andPolicies

Organisational Activities

EmployeeCapabilities

Organisational ActivitiesOrganisational Activities

• Strategic management aims to align organisational activities with the values, priorities and systems which are in place

• The goal is to ensure plans and goals are actually reflected in the real activities of the organisation

Values

Organisational Priorities

Systems andPolicies

Organisational Activities

EmployeeCapabilities

Employee Capabilities Employee Capabilities

• Employee skills, knowledge and expertise

• Capabilities should reflect the organisational requirements

• As the firm evolves, so too will capabilities

Values

Organisational Priorities

Systems andPolicies

Organisational Activities

EmployeeCapabilities

Knowledge ManagementKnowledge Management• Knowledge is the process of translating information and

past experience into a meaningful set of relationships which can be applied by an individual

• Knowledge is an organizational asset: it should be identified, managed and valued to the same degree as other assets. We are now living in the INFORMATION AGE.

• Levels of Knowledge Evolution:– DataData (Just Numbers and Facts)– Information Information (Logical arrangement of Data which starts making

sense)– Knowledge Knowledge (Info. from various sources used for informed and

effective decision making)– Skill Skill (Knowledge combined with Experience)– Art Art (Knowledge and Experience combined with Creativity)

Knowledge Management Knowledge Management (cont'd)(cont'd)

Knowledge as an asset• Explicit knowledge can be documented,

categorised, transmitted, demonstrated… It can be accessed by other people even if the knowledge source is absent

• Tacit knowledge draws on the accumulated experience and learning of an individual. It is hard to reproduce or share with others

Knowledge Management Knowledge Management (cont'd)(cont'd)

Experience

Advice

Learning

Errors

External Sources

History

Individual Knowledge

Corporate Knowledge

OrganisationalKnowledge

Sources of Organisational Knowledge

Knowledge Management Knowledge Management (cont'd)(cont'd)

• Strategic Knowledge assists with taking the organisation toward its desired future goals

• Closely linked to the organisational focus• May be different in each organisation

Knowledge Management: an Emerging Knowledge Management: an Emerging Concept Concept

• The management of knowledge to enable its definition, identification, capture, organisation and dissemination across the organisational community

• Knowledge management is dependent on effective leadership and a collaborative culture

Knowledge Management Knowledge Management (cont'd)(cont'd)

Values

Organisational Priorities

Systems andPolicies

Organisational Activities

EmployeeCapabilities

OrganisationalKnowledge

Knowledge Management Knowledge Management (cont'd)(cont'd)

Knowledge Organisations • The Learning Organisation

– Encourages learning, growth and development of individuals and the community

• The Developmental Organisation– Undertakes regular review, adaptation and

re-orientation to maintain strategic focus• Asset-based corporate development

– Recognition and capitalising on knowledge assets of value to the organisation

A Model of Strategic Knowledge A Model of Strategic Knowledge ManagementManagement

KnowledgeInfluences

Organisational Context (1)

Strategic Knowledge (2)

Leadership (3)

Knowledge Culture (4)

KnowledgeFoundations

Human Resource

Management (5)

Knowledge Systems (6)

KnowledgeApplications

Core Knowledge (7)

Knowledge Repositories (8)

Knowledge Service (9)

Learning and Development (10)

Knowledge Enhancementand Review

Knowledge Evaluation (11)

Knowledge Sustainability (12)

Issues and Research (13)

Concluding PointsConcluding Points

• Knowledge is an essential asset • Organisational knowledge draws on the

collective knowledge held by both individuals and within corporate sources

• A strategic focus assists with preserving the knowledge which is necessary for long-term viability

• Knowledge management is the method of reaching these outcomes

THANK YOU