KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Knowledge Management

Knowledge Management

Introduction

Knowledge Management is essentially a human-centered activity. IT without an intended purpose is pointless; therefore attention is needed to human-centered design of useful systems, incorporating IT. Any technical system developed to support human activities can be regarded as pointless if it is not experienced by the engaged actors as useful to their activities. In order for ICTs to be „useful? they must play an instrumental role within an organizational setting. The purpose of IT implementation is therefore to bring about a change in organizational behavior. However, change of behavior is not determined by technologies; it requires purposeful engagement by the actors concerned. To illustrate this point, we will explore how Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH) brought about needful change in their system for handover from one surgical team to another in infant care. This involved collaboration with the Ferrari and McClaren Formula 1 pit teams, and also with two aviator training captains. Through a process of noncompetitive benchmarking, knowledge was shared among the teams and used by staff at GOSH to bring about beneficial change in their practice. In this paper, we discuss ways in which creative learning spirals may be established that support individuals to escape from entrapment in established routines and generate new protocols for enhanced performance through reflection (Alavi & Leidner, 2001, 107-136).

Knowledge is known as a new wealth for the organisations through which they can perform superior business and can achieve a competitive advantage. Knowledge management system is a widely discussed topic in the literature of management and information technology. Knowledge management is becoming one of the crucial ways through which businesses are able to achieve more value from the knowledge that they already possess. For example, organisations can find a better way to assimilate, apply and value knowledge in order to create new and better knowledge. Therefore, it is not easy for the organisations to maintain and implement an effective program of knowledge management. Organisations have been investing billions of dollars in information technology and are hoping that they will be able to meet their promises of successfully managing knowledge, but, unfortunately, the investments have only yielded marginal results for the organisations.

Discussion

Different scholars and analysts have pointed out the major issues that need attention in knowledge management which has been conceptualized as the strategies, frameworks and policies and processes to consider in the implementation and adoption of a functional knowledge management system (Anantatmula, 2012, 2).

Although new to most organisations, knowledge management has found massive applicability in organisations that have sought to ensure that their members are up-to-date with the competition in the market. Organisations that have embraced workable knowledge management systems have not only enlightened their employees and staff in general, but they have ensured that policies are in place to enhance good business operations and profitability in general. Learning from competitors and major threats in the past, organisations have contracted external agents to equip their staff in business processes by ensuring there is the satisfaction of ...