Explaining and capturing CoP value

Miguel Cornejo miguel@macuarium.com

3rd European Knowledge Management Summer School�San Sebastián, 7-12 September 2003

MacuariumNetworkLiving Knowledge

Contents

•  Goals •  Knowledge as an enabler •  Knowledge as an asset •  Macuarium Quadrant and examples •  Capturing value •  Open discussion

Goals

•  how Communities accrue value for users, •  how to map it •  how to capture that value in a way that the

organization can measure... and eventually charge for.

for orgs: get value, publish news

Knowledge as an enabler “knowledge” (model)

•  the set of information that enables the receiver to satisfy a need. •  The sum of data and context necessary for a person to perform a

desired activity (physical, commercial, mental or emotional).

Value of being able

•  it enables the holder to do something productive (allows to create value).

•  a scarcity component and will often be lower as more people share it

•  a competitive component, since it enables differentiation

The “share and keep fallacy”

Knowledge as an asset

An Asset: •  Quantifiable. Measure, parcel and trade. •  Valuable. Cost-independent. Expressable in a

common exchange good (say, money). •  Tradable. Can change hands and still be useful. •  Private. Someone can decide on it, and it can be

exclusively exploited.

Essentially: you can withhold, you can charge.

Communities are working knowledge exchanges.

Macuarium Quadrant and examples

People and organizations have different behaviour when:

•  knowledge received can be directly applied to the improvement of economic situation or the execution of a job, •  … or knowledge’s quality as an asset is high.

Than when:

•  knowledge received can only indirectly affect productive capacity, or not at all (curiosity, leisure… the “priceless”), •  … or has low asset quality (unmeasurable, untradeable, public…).

OBJECTIVE / DIRECT VALUE SUBJECTIVE / INDIRECT VALUE

Macuarium Quadrant and examples

DIRECT INDIRECT

ORGANIZATION

IND

IVID

UA

L

OBJECTIVE

SUBJECTIVE

C. OF PRACTICE

C. OF INTEREST

PROJECT C.

AMORPHOUS C.

Capturing value in CoI Individual wants: •  Information •  Social integration Capture with: •  Extra search tools •  Member galleries / directories •  Private forums / chats •  Individualization (avatar)

Corporates want: •  Promotional target •  Marketing research group Capture with: •  Traditional advertising •  Infomercials •  Events •  Content-related ads •  Market-research tools

DIRECTINDIRECT

ORGANIZATION

INDIVIDUAL

OBJECTIVE

SUBJECTIVE

C. OF PRACTICE

C. OF INTEREST

PROJECT C.

AMORPHOUS C.

Capturing value in CoPs Individual wants: •  Solve practical doubts •  Recognition Capture with: •  Membership fee •  Extra search tools •  Paid content •  Yellow page listing •  Expert hotline

Corporates want: •  Support service •  Innovation and best practices •  Knowledge stewardship (internal) •  (Strategic) marketing Capture with: •  (see CoIs) •  Sponsored / dedicated CoPs •  Outsourced support •  Goal measurement (internal)

DIRECTINDIRECT

ORGANIZATION

INDIVIDUAL

OBJECTIVE

SUBJECTIVE

C. OF PRACTICE

C. OF INTEREST

PROJECT C.

AMORPHOUS C.

Internal CoP can be: -  tool to enable knowledge transmission and work efficiency of knowledge workers. -  steward for a range of knowledge domains. -  upkeeper of knowledge objects. -  emergency management tool. -  talking-shop and decision-making centre

Capturing value in Amorphous Coms. Individual wants: •  Gossip (low relevance info) •  Loose social integration Capture with: •  Private forums /chats •  Gaming clans •  Instante messaging options •  Personalization (avatars)

Corporates want: •  Wide-focus marketing •  Potential targeting Capture with: •  User data mining •  Low price traditional advertising

DIRECTINDIRECT

ORGANIZATION

INDIVIDUAL

OBJECTIVE

SUBJECTIVE

C. OF PRACTICE

C. OF INTEREST

PROJECT C.

AMORPHOUS C.

Capturing value in Project Coms. Individual wants: •  Shared-goal collaboration •  Relevance to work Capture with: •  Collaboration tools on demand

(elancers) •  Private areas on demand (elancers)

Corporates want: •  Higher employee efficiency •  Better management and control Capture with: •  Wider collaboration toolset •  Wider control toolset •  Better reporting tools

DIRECTINDIRECT

ORGANIZATION

INDIVIDUAL

OBJECTIVE

SUBJECTIVE

C. OF PRACTICE

C. OF INTEREST

PROJECT C.

AMORPHOUS C.

Open discussion

•  Comments, disagreements •  Examples •  More ideas for capturing value •  …

Macuarium Quadrant and examples

DIRECT INDIRECT

ORGANIZATION

IND

IVID

UA

L

OBJECTIVE

SUBJECTIVE

C. OF PRACTICE

C. OF INTEREST

PROJECT C.

AMORPHOUS C.

MacuariumNetworkLiving Knowledge

Contact: Miguel Cornejo miguel@macuarium.com