Knowledge Sharing in Organizations ch9

Knowledge Sharing and Communities of Practice

• Knowledge needs to be shared and disseminated throughout an organization once captured.
• The advent of personal computers and the internet led to the assumption that all web users are good researchers.
• Unfortunately, this assumption isn't accurate; no training or "information literacy" is often provided.
• "Information literacy" is a set of abilities to recognize when information is needed and effectively locate, evaluate, and use it.
• Knowledge workers spend 15-35% of their time searching, often unsuccessfully (less than 50% success rate).
• This means explicit knowledge ("easy" to find info) is no different from tacit knowledge ("harder" to find); both are difficult to locate.
• Organizations lose significant amounts of money ($6 million per 1000 knowledge workers annually) from time spent searching for information.
• In 2000, a survey of 40 managers at large accounting firms found that people were the primary source of information for problem-solving and decision-making (85% turned to people).
• The knowledge base was only the 4th most preferred source of information (12% of respondents).

Community of Practice

• A community of practice is a group of people with common identity and professional interests who share, participate, and build a fellowship.
• It's also a group of people with shared resources, dynamic relationships, and shared knowledge to improve learning and shared value.
• Communities of practice are not limited by geography, business units, or functions, but rather by common contexts, tasks, and interests.
• The word "practice" implies knowledge in action (how people perform daily jobs) rather than formal policies and procedures .

Two Basic Orientations to KM

• The information-based orientation to KM emphasizes explicit knowledge and externalization.
• Learners are viewed as "blank slates," where information is poured into them.
• The people/interaction-based orientation focuses on knowledge-sharing interactions.
• Today's organizations often associate these interactions with communities of practice.

The Social Nature of Knowledge

• Social constructivism views knowledge as subjective, not an objective entity.
• Knowledge is created through shared understandings developed from social interactions.
• Individuals and groups mutually influence each other's views and shape shared realities.

Social Network Analysis (SNA)

• Social Network Analysis (SNA) maps and measures relationships between people, groups, organizations, computers, and other knowledge-processing entities (e.g. information).
• In knowledge management, SNA helps identify knowledge flows.
• It answers questions like: who seeks knowledge from whom?, and who shares knowledge with whom?
• It contrasts with formal organizational charts.

Knowledge-Sharing Communities

• Internet communities (like ARPANET) were early forms of knowledge-sharing designed for researchers to share large data files.
• Knowledge-sharing networks arise because people need to collaborate on common goals; mutual assistance, help, and reciprocity are important.
• The organization is not top-down by design, but it regulates and self-organizes. There is no central figure, and if a member is only interested in themselves, the network will likely recognize this.

Conclusion

• Communities of Practice (CoPs) are critical for knowledge search and contributions in today's knowledge-based economy.

Homework

• Complete a survey in Moodle.