Knowledge Management

Knowledge management (KM) is going to be a key factor in future organisational development and growth. Along with the people in the organisation, knowledge is one of its most valuable commodities, regardless of the task of the organisation. Organisations are beginning to realise its value but at the same time it is intangible and generally 'invisible'. It is hard to manage or shape in the usual ways. IT and technology thinks it is the solution but technology is becoming a integral part of the problems around KM. They are in danger of codifying it into data bytes and too many on the tech side fail to distinguish between knowledge management and information management (IM). Organisations are conned into believing IM is the solution and then are left high and dry wondering why their fancy new Intranet isn't delivering. As organisational consultants we know the successful management and implementation of KM is integral to our theories and models - organisational learning, group processes, teamwork, behaviour, change, creativity etc.

There is a real need to look closer at what is happening in the field.
Knowledge is too often confused with information/data. We need to shout this one out - information is NOT knowledge. It only becomes knowledge when it is used and 'translated', given meaning. KM has to involve processes more complex than the data technologists ever imagined.
At present there is perhaps too much emphasis on the supply of what is perceived as knowledge rather than the real outcomes.Knowledge is a people and process issue. It is also a technology issue. But it is not either or.Key concerns include:
How to share it?
How to use it?
How to find it?
How to convert it?

Definitions
The field is littered with different definitions and slants on the subject. Essentially KM is the acquisition, sharing and use of knowledge in an organisational context.
Many different disciplines and professions are trying to get a foothold in the field which goes some way to explaining why practices are so diverse and definitions so varied.
Different schools of thought and practice can include for example:
Knowledge economy
Knowledge building
Intellectual capital
Intellectual Property
Information Management
Information Literacy etc. etc.


They all have a following but they all lead down different paths. However many organisations are finding it hard to distinguish between them.LINKS@Brint WWW Library Knowledge Management section The knowledge management part of the @Brint site which is mentioned elsewhere on this site. One of the largest collection of Knowledge Management information, articles, materials you are likely to find on the Web.
USA version . KM World articles and special features, an electronic newsletter.
Warwick University Business Processes Resource Centre - articles, links, definitions, papers
What Knowledge Tears Apart, Networks Make Whole - pdf file interesting paper on the issues surrounding the sharing of information by Karen Stephenson. There are other useful articles and material on this site.The Next Information Revolution - Forbes interview with Peter F Drucker - very good, clear about what is needed and the direction KM has to go, distinguishes between the technology and the way the information revolution has 'centered in the 'T' in IT' to the detriment of other key factors. Also video of the interview.Kbdworld Knowledge Based Development consultancy - articles, thoughts, papers, links. Other links into Complexity papers, links and articles.

New links transfered from online blog (Jan 2003)

"Most people don't even know that it is OK to have fun at work." interview/discussion about learning organisations on a site with some useful material on knowledge management - Knowledge Board European KM Community a link to a video of the seminar and a pdf summary of the content

The duality of knowledge A paper arguing that the predominant approach to the management of knowledge remains to try to convert it to a form that can be handled using the 'traditional' approach. In this paper, the authors argue that this approach is flawed and some knowledge simply cannot be captured. A method is needed which recognises that knowledge resides in people: not in machines or documents.

Nurturing Knowledge to Power Innovation Dynamics Presentation by Touraj Nasseri