9 Knowledge Management I

Question 1

9.1.1 Knowledge Management: Definitions

Answer 1

Knowledge Management is a discipline that promotes an integrated and collaborative approach to the creation, capture, organization, access and use of the enterprises’ information assets. This includes databases, documents and, most importantly, the uncaptured, tacit expertise and experience of individual workers. (Probst et al (1999), adapted from: Gartner Group 1999)

Question 2

9.1.2 Types of Knowledge

Answer 2

Explicit – information or knowledge that is set out in tangible form (physical)

Implicit – information or knowledge that is not set out in tangible form but could be made explicit (derivable)

Tacit – information or knowledge that would be extremely difficult (operationally) to make explicit (implied)

Question 3

9.1.3 Tasks and Challenges of KM

Answer 3

• Knowledge identification
- How do I create transparency about existing knowledge?

• Knowledge acquisition
- What capabilities do I acquire from external sources?

• Knowledge development
- How do I build up new knowledge?

• Knowledge usage
- How do I make sure knowledge is actually used?

• Knowledge sharing and dissemination
- How do I get knowledge to the right places?

• Knowledge conservation
- How do I guard myself against knowledge losses?

Question 4

9.1.4 Knowledge Work and IT – Core Processes (Bild)

Answer 4

Question 5

9.1.5 Four Types of Knowledge Conversion (Bild)

Answer 5

Question 6

9.2.2 Knowledge Creation and Team Work

Answer 6

Knowledge creation in organizations is typically not done by a single person

Outcome of an interactive process

Knowledge creation is typically an interactive team working process

Question 7

9.3.1 Definition Core Capabilities

Answer 7

“Core capabilities constitute a competitive advantage for a firm; they have been built up over time and cannot be easily imitated.”

Question 8

9.4.1 Intervention Model for Motivation

Answer 8

Question 9

9.4.3 Management and Mobilization

Knowledge management „Collective control“

Knowledge mobilization „Situational individual action“

Answer 9

Knowledge management „Collective control“

• An organism shares the common through structuring
• Knowledge has value if under control and possession
• Supply-oriented

Knowledge mobilization „Situational individual action“

• Individuals share knowledge and influence each other, if required and / or necessary
• Knowledge has higher value if shared and implemented
• „Knowing is Doing“
• Mobilization means „make or become ready for action“
• Alignment of information supply and knowledge demand

Question 10

9.4.4 Principles of Knowledge Mobilization

Answer 10

• Enable the opportunity
- Mobility as a starting point of access on demand

• Target the payoff
- New freedoms, not conveniences

• Add intelligence
- Smart Applications coming to the user to advise

• Evolve interfaces
- Voice and vision (before text and numbers)

• Build knowledge processes

• Decision-making as a social process
• “systems” are not processes