Knowledge Management Systems

‫كلية األمير حسين لتكنولوجيا‬ ‫المعلومات‬ KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT KM Solutions: Processes and Systems Chapter (s) in the Book: 4 Knowledge Management Processes - Processes - Subprocesses  Knowledge Discovery the development of new tacit or expl...

‫كلية األمير حسين لتكنولوجيا‬ ‫المعلومات‬ KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT KM Solutions: Processes and Systems Chapter (s) in the Book: 4 Knowledge Management Processes - Processes - Subprocesses  Knowledge Discovery the development of new tacit or explicit knowledge from data and information or from the synthesis of prior knowledge. combination, enabling the discovery of new explicit knowledge. Existing explicit knowledge may be re- contextualized to produce new explicit knowledge; socialization, facilitating the synthesis of tacit knowledge and therefore enabling the discovery of new tacit knowledge through joint activities rather than written or verbal instructions (Becerra-Fernandez and Sabherwal, 2010). Knowledge Capture the process of retrieving either explicit or tacit knowledge that resides within people, artifacts, or organizational entities. Externalization: converting tacit knowledge into explicit forms. Internalization: the conversion of explicit knowledge into tacit knowledge. Knowledge Sharing the process through which explicit or tacit knowledge is communicated to other individuals.. Socialization: focuses on the sharing of tacit knowledge. knowledge sharing means effective transfer What is shared is knowledge rather than recommendations based on the knowledge knowledge sharing may take place across individuals as well as across groups, departments, or organizations Exchange: focuses on the sharing of explicit knowledge. Knowledge Application Knowledge contributes most directly to organizational performance when it is used to make decisions and perform tasks. In applying knowledge, the party that makes use of it does not necessarily need to comprehend it. Knowledge Application Direction: the process through which the individual possessing the knowledge directs the action of another individual without transferring to that individual the knowledge underlying the direction. Direction involves the transfer of instructions or decisions and not the transfer of the knowledge required to make those decisions. Routines: the utilization of knowledge embedded in procedures, rules, and norms that guide future behavior. Knowledge management systems The integration of technologies and mechanisms that are developed to support the four KM processes. Each KM system utilizes a combination of multiple mechanisms and multiple technologies.  Knowledge exists in the individual and in the group (Nonaka 1994); individuals create knowledge in the first place, organizations and teams do not create knowledge by themselves. The purpose of a team is to create a social knowledge through the interaction and collaboration of team members (Alavi and Leidner 2001). Nevertheless, transforming individual knowledge into a social knowledge is not an easy task. Even if the proper technology is in place, individuals tend to hoard knowledge for different reasons; primarily they hoard their knowledge and selectively release part of it in order to appear valuable to their organization (Gilmour, 2003; Bock et.al. 2005). Therefore, knowledge sharing across the organization depends on employees' willingness to share and contribute their knowledge through a form of a knowledge management system (Bock et al. 2005). The reluctance of employees to share knowledge has serious consequences which have the potential to hinder team collaboration and could lead to a team that is unsuccessful in achieving its goals (Van den Bosch et al. 1999). Knowledge Discovery Systems knowledge discovery systems support the process of developing new tacit or explicit knowledge from data and information or from the synthesis of prior knowledge. Support two KM subprocesses associated with knowledge discovery: combination and socialization. Mechanisms that facilitate combination include: collaborative problem-solving, joint decision-making, and collaborative creation of documents. Knowledge Discovery Systems Mechanisms that facilitate socialization include: apprenticeships, employee rotation across areas, conferences, brainstorming retreats, cooperative projects across departments, and initiation process for new employees. All this can be facilitated through technology. Knowledge Capture Systems support the process of retrieving either explicit or tacit knowledge that resides within people, artifacts, or organizational entities. Knowledge capture systems rely on mechanisms and technologies that support externalization and internalization. Knowledge Capture Systems The development of models or prototypes and the articulation of best practices or lessons learned are some examples of mechanisms that enable externalization. Learning by doing, on-the-job training, learning by observation, and face-to-face meetings are some of the mechanisms that facilitate internalization. Technologies that facilitate internalization include computer-based training and communication technologies.  Knowledge Sharing Systems support the process through which explicit or tacit knowledge is communicated to other individuals. Exchange and Socialization Discussion groups or chat groups facilitate knowledge sharing by enabling an individual to explain her knowledge to the rest of the group. Some of the mechanisms that facilitate exchange are memos, manuals, progress reports, letters, and presentations. Knowledge Sharing Systems Technologies facilitating exchange include groupware and other team-collaboration mechanisms; Web-based access to data and databases; And repositories of information, including best practice databases, lessons learned systems, and expertise locator systems. Knowledge Application Systems support the process through which some individuals utilize knowledge possessed by other individuals without actually acquiring, or learning, that knowledge. Mechanisms and technologies support knowledge application systems by facilitating routines and direction. Knowledge Application Systems Mechanisms facilitating direction include: traditional hierarchical relationships in organizations, help desks, and support centers. Mechanisms supporting routines include: organizational policies, work practices, Organizational procedures, and standards Knowledge Application Systems Technologies supporting direction include: experts’ knowledge embedded in expert systems decision-support systems Troubleshooting systems technologies that facilitate routines include: expert systems ERP and traditional management information systems. Managing KM Solutions