Exploiting Tacit Knowledge Through Knowledge Management Technologies

Learning Forum London22-24 June 2009

ByFrank Nyame-Asiamah

Brunel University

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PRESENTATION OUTLINE

OBJECTIVES & METHODS

KNOWLEDGE & KNOWLEDGE CLASSIFICATION

COMMONALITY IN KNOWLEDGE TYPES

KNOWLEDGE CONCERNS FOR ORGANISATIONS

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OL & KM THEORIES

TECHNOLOGIES FOR TACIT KNOWLEDGE EXPLOITATION

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT FAILURE

CAMTaKE

CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS & FUTURE RESEARCH

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OBJECTIVES & METHOD

Objectives:

To examine the contributions and suitability of the available KM technologies, including the Web 2.0 in exploiting tacit knowledge

To propose an integrated framework for extracting tacit knowledge in organisations

Method:

A comprehensive literature exploration covering knowledge management (KM), KM technologies and organisational learning (OL)

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KNOWLEDGE

Valuable information from human mind - reflection, synthesis and context (Davenport & Prusak, 1997)

Facts and principles organised by mankind in the course of time” (Clarke, 1992)

“Information that is contextual, relevant and actionable ” (Turban et al, 2006, p.368).

An intellectual asset for organisations (Davenport & Prusak, 1997)

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KNOWLEDGE CLASSIFICATION

2 Main Types Reference

Tacit

Mental models not easily conveyed

Explicit

Artefacts easily accessed

Polanyi 1966; Nonaka, 1991

Informal Formal Conklin, 1996

Softer Harder Hildreth et al, 1999

Unstructured Structured Hahn & Subramani, 2000

Symbiotic Semiotic Sharif, 2008

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COMMONALITY IN KNOWLEDGE TYPES

NOTE: Knowledge is an asset, exists in different forms, mostly created by humankind and hidden parts difficult to exploit

All Knowledge

Tacit Knowledge

Externalisation

Membership Interacting

Mutuality Acting

Living in a world

Points of focus Forms

DocumentsMonumentsInstrumentsProjections

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KNOWLEDGE CONCERNS FOR ORGANISATIONS

Early retirements & staff mobility can lead to loss of knowledge (March, 1991)

It takes longer time to develop experience (Macintosh, 1999)

Lack of time & reward preclude people from sharing knowledge (Turban et al, 2006)

Death ceases human consciousness

Question 1: How do we exploit tacit knowledge?

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Frank Nyame-Asiamah ©

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RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OL & KM THEORIES

KM, OL and CAS

Model

(Firestone & McElroy,

2004)

Knowledge Spiral Model

(Nonaka, 1991)

KM, OL and IC

T

Model

(Bennet &Tomblin,

2006)

Tacit and Explicit Knowledge Model

(McAdam et al, 2007)

Mutual L

earnin

g

Model

(Marc

h, 1991)

CoP M

odel

(Wen

ger, 1

988)

Storytelling Model

(Denning, 2000)

Five Discipline

Model

(Senge, 1990)

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TECHNOLOGIES FOR TACIT KNOWLEDGE EXPLOITATION 1

Learning Laboratory:

A neutral and non-threatening ‘virtual collaborated environment’ where individuals develop deeper understanding of their beliefs and exploit tacit knowledge (Pourdehnad et al, 2002)

UPS used Integrad Learning Laboratory comprising online learning, three dimensional models, podcasts, videos, etc to exploit new drivers and trainees skills on safety performance (Ketter, 2008)

Executive Cognitive Support or ESS:

Information systems at the organisation’s strategic level designed to address unstructured decision making through advanced graphics and communications (Laudon & Laudon, 2003)

It helps higher level learning, knowledge creation, and provides opportunity for executives to identify tacit knowledge (Chen et al, 2003)

Collective Cognitive Mapping System:An episodic memory representing a container of individual cognitive mapsAn organisational memory representing a reservoir of collective cognitive mapsA local cognitive map generator which translates individual mental models into graphical representationsA central collective cognitive map generator which exploit cognitive maps of all members for collective problem solving (Chen et al, 2003)

Knowledge Management Suites:

Complete and unified KM solutions consisting communication, collaboration and storage technologies (Dotsika & Patrick, 2006) They help employees to learn business processes, unlock their tacit knowledge and share them among their peersCommerce Bank, Wow Answer Guide deployment saved Commercial Bank a weekly cost of $20,000.00 (Turban et al, 2006, p. 385)

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TECHNOLOGIES FOR TACIT KNOWLEDGE EXPLOITATION 2

Enterprise Knowledge Portal:

Information gateways including internet, intranet and extranet sites of organisations (Dfouni & Croteau, 2004)They include social network sites, wikis and audio podcasting, video sharing and collaborative tools for learning and knowledge creationInstitutions are using web-based CPD (e.g. REfLECT) and VLE to enhance the transfer of tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge (Harris, 2008)

Personal Information Portal:

Email: Effective and most important method of knowledge conversion from one person to another - CPD support within the University of Wolverhampton (Harris, 2008)Topmost socialisation tool for extracting and sharing unstructured knowledge (Dfouni and Croteau, 2004)BP exploited knowledge stored in the minds of its employees through the use of email technology (Brooks, 2000)

E-Discussion Boards:

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KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT FAILURE Organisations sometimes fail to communicate KM strategies well with staff

Best employees refuse to publish their good ideas on KM platform

Staff show lack of interest when KM systems become fully implemented

Poor content management techniques and lack of incentives for KM system users (Turban et al, 2005; Barth 2000)

Web 2.0 and social software developers usually base their design approaches on ‘technology to the user’ (Dotsika & Patrick, 2006)

So what do we do with design? - Theory of Deferred Action recommends that KM systems should be designed in the context of organised action

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CAMTaKE

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CONCLUSION & IMPLICATIONS

KM and Web 2.0 technologies have been beneficial for businesses and continue to support organisational transformation

Technologies for extracting tacit knowledge should be designed around individuals’ cognitive behaviour and natural processes of human techniques

Organisations should persuade each employee to share his/her ideas on the Web 2.0 platforms with ‘X’ number of staff

No idea should be taken for granted in a learning community where an organisation wants to exploit tacit knowledge for transformation

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FUTURE RESEARCH

Future research should consider CAMTaKE for tacit knowledge exploitation and management for organisational transformation

Design of KM and Web 2.0 technologies needs to consider the application of the Theory of Deferred Action (ToDA)

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Frank.Nyame-Asiamah@brunel.ac.uk