chapter 9.5

Question 1

Why Knowledge Management in the public sector?

Answer 1

Because an improvement in knowledge productivity in the public sector would make an enormous contribution to a country’s development.

Question 2

Knowledge workers

Answer 2

They often have a high level of education and expertise, and their work primarily involves the creation, distribution, and application of knowledge

Question 3

Three specific intellectual-capital factors include:

Answer 3

Human capital
Social capital
Organizational capital

Question 4

Human capital

Answer 4

The knowledge, skills, and abilities residing within and utilized by individuals

Question 5

Organizational capital

Answer 5

The institutionalized knowledge and codified experience residing within firms utilized through databases, patents, manuals, structures, systems, and processes

Question 6

Social capital

Answer 6

The knowledge embedded within interactions among individuals and their networks of interrelationships.

Question 7

These are key challenges for the public sector

Answer 7

More Process-Focused than Customer-Focused
Compliance Impedes Continuous Improvement
Replacing Silo (independent) Mentality with Interdependence

Question 8

More Process-Focused than Customer-Focused

Answer 8

The public sector is often more focused on following processes rather than customer satisfaction.

Question 9

Compliance Impedes Continuous Improvement

Answer 9

Compared to the private sector, the public sector commonly promotes a rule-based culture that promotes compliance rather than entrepreneurship, innovation, and even improvement.

Question 10

Replacing Silo (independent) Mentality with Interdependence

Answer 10

Knowledge silos are a natural consequence of the hierarchical structure and functional specializations of public sector organizations. While such structures may encourage administrative efficiency, the unintended consequence is fragmentation.