Strategic KM

Knowledge Workers
Knowledge workers & their forms of organizational knowledge
• Know what- knowledge of characteristics, features & usefulness of
various sources
• Know who-identity of different people, groups or units which can
act as knowledge sources
• Know how- application of knowledge to carry out complex tasks
• Know why-ability to evaluate and review options to identify
solutions
• Know where-capacity to identify, evaluate and access appropriate
knowledge sources
 5 Phases of KM
• Knowledge sourcing-identification of a knowledge gap between what is
known and what needs to be known is the often the stimulus to
knowledge creation
– Reviews existing sources of guidance
• Marketing experts
• Data relating to previous schemes and their success
• Published literature
• Contributions from staff with experience in developing successful schemes
• Evidence from schemes undertaken by other competitors
– Process of drawing together as many informed knowledge sources as possible
 Cont…
• Knowledge abstraction- after analyzing knowledge sources, general
principles and concepts are generated to guide the construction of new
knowledge

• Knowledge workers need to recognize the importance of reflection and

consideration in the knowledge creation process

• Can take a long time, for complex, involves politically sensitive issues
 Cont…
• Knowledge conversion- various ideas and principles are refined into specific
outcome
– Codified knowledge are knowledge that can be recorded and accessed by others as
required in a form of models, equations or guidelines
• Ex: marketing plan, implementation guidelines

– Embodied knowledge, is the tacit knowledge of an individual, where it can be shared

thru stories, or personal advice as required.
• Ex: guidance and insights of project leaders and experts
 Cont…
• Knowledge diffusion- is the spread of knowledge, codified or embodied
– Can occur through communication media (newsletters, meetings, videos seminars),
demonstrations, modelling of new practices, coaching
• Ex; promotion of new marketing scheme might be disseminated in various ways, forum for all staffs

• Knowledge development and refinement-is regularly reshaped and further

tested though additional experience and feedback
– An evolutionary process, which is one of the key features of KM, ensuring that the
knowledge remains current and useful
– Places more challenges
 KM Infrastructure
• Managerial
• Managerial support for knowledge workers and formal management processes affect
KM outcomes
• Provide a supportive framework for resourcing, decision and innovative practices
• Successful knowledge activities
• Good management works closely to good leadership
• “Successful KM requires an open management style which requires sharing across the
organization”
 Cont…
• Technological- provides mechanism by which people can share and transfer
information and knowledge
• Library and information services- key elements knowledge strategy ( supports
knowledge creation and abstraction)
• More responsive and accessible service to operate
• Increased versatility

• Records management
• Core organizational data are drawn from these sources that needs to be identified, catalogued and
stored
• KM as integrated system which needs to be accepted across organizational community
 Cont…
• Social –helps encourage social and professional interaction s of organizational
members with colleagues, clients and other stakeholders.
• Understanding knowledge community
• People in work settings seek to profit from their interaction from others I positive and beneficial ways

• Gain social capital by developing long term relationships which increase social cohesion

• KM relies on the development of peer relationships, cooperation supportive technologies, rewards for
sharing and recognition that there is corporate value in helping others as well as oneself through
interchange of knowledge, that is social capital
 Knowledge transference
• Knowledge chain- one-to-one exchanges, often between supervisor and
subordinate
- limited mechanism, linear in nature and tends to direct communication
downwards

• Knowledge hub- centralized agencies coordinate a range of knowledge

sources, wider knowledge community

• Knowledge web- more dispersed and beneficial knowledge environment,

where many members share their expertise with others.
– Open-ended and dynamic
 Homework
• Each of us relies on a number of knowledge channels to build our
expertise. As a student, you will be building many of these while
undertaking your studies. Using a framework, identify one each of your
current academic-related knowledge chains, hubs and webs.
Have you experienced difficulties in establishing or maintaining
these channels? What do you think caused these difficulties?