One of the primary reasons for the heightened interest in knowledge management is owing to the advances in information and communication technologies. But why have these technologies created such interest in how people can manage knowledge? Grover and Davenport (2001) highlight that the computing technology evolves in business to the point where it generates interest in managing knowledge. It starts by enabling processes at the level of transactions at the point of work. These systems were collecting amount of data which need to be processed to make sense out of it, and hence, the advent of data processing systems. Such a vast amount of information needs to be interpreted and applied by the management for effective action and even these reports and aggregated information is becoming too much and had to be managed by management information systems (Alavi & Leidner 2001). It is not just the management work that is becoming more knowledge intensive but the production work is also becoming knowledge intensive (Kelloway & Barling 2000). Further, information technology is an integral part of all types of work. As a result of this confluence, the focus has once again shifted to the point of work, the only difference being that this focus is not just on the task that has to be automated or the technology that implements it, rather it is focus on the task, technology and the individual who executes his/her task based on their knowledge (Orlikowski, WJ 2000). Alavi & Leidner (2001) explain that information technology supports the various processes of knowledge creation, storage, transfer and application at an organizational level is dealt with quite extensively. Similarly, Lee & Choi (2003) highlight that information technology ... ... middle of paper ... ...port collaboration, coordination and communication process can enhance an individual access to others (Alavi & Leidner 2001). At an individual level, apart from enabling easy access to others knowledge, these technologies also enable them to share what they know with others. Computer networks, electronic bulletin boards and computer-mediated communications like email are some such technologies that enable them to share what they know (Alavi & Leidner 2001). Other obvious information technologies that enable sharing of one’s knowledge include, file transfers, interoperable technologies, online collaboration and video conferences. It is also possible to share both tacit and explicit knowledge as it is created or applied using information technology. Therefore, the support of information technology is essential for initiating and carrying out knowledge management.
"In a landmark 1945 essay on "The Use of Knowledge in Society," Frederick Hayek spoke about the time we spend in on-the-job learning, and about the unique "knowledge of people, of local conditions, and of special circumstances" we each accumulate through our work" (Arthur, Defillippi, & Lindsay, 2008, p. 365). The enabling the presence and growth of knowledge workers are the technological developments of information systems to improve ideally the productivity of various tasks. Knowledge is "one of the most important driving forces for business success" (Mansour, Alhawari, Talet & Al-Jarrah, 2011, p. 684). As an IT discipline, knowledge management is experiencing a history and evolution since the early 90's. The composition of the development of knowledge management systems include
Asemi observe that Management Information System (MIS) is one of the information systems that is computer based. Besides, Asemi defines MIS as “an organizational method of providing past, present and project information related to internal operations and external intelligences. It supports the planning, control and operation functions of an organization by furnishing uniform information in the proper time frame to assist the decision makers,” (2011). The aim of MIS is to satisfy the general information need of the entire manager in an organization. Before the advent of computers, the process of decision-making was one that was full of built-in advantages and ad hoc methods. Computers technologies have changed the landscape of the decision-making process completely by making the process less demanding and easy to undertake. The reason for this situation is that information technology has made access to information more automated, efficient, effective, timely, and less ambiguous. Consequently, the ordinary t...
Knowledge diversity happened due to different ways of individual views on the world leading to multiple perspectives. In organizational theory, there are four key perspectives namely, modernist, critical theorist, symbolic interpretivist and post-modernist to assist people in understanding and analyzing organizational structures to achieve organization success. In this essay, I will be evaluating what does technology mean in the context of organizations, discussing and comparing the differences mainly on the modernist perspective and symbolic interpretivist perspective and how it contributes different understanding of technology within organizations.
T.D. Wilson (2002) makes a point of identifying several sources of articles, references and course syllabi with varying takes on knowledge management within organizations. Wilson is convinced that organizations misuse the terminology “knowledge management” and that their activities are more concerned with managing information than with the management of knowledge (Wilson, 2002). Wilson defines knowledge as involving “the mental processes of comprehension” or, as “what we know” and information as the expression of what we know and can convey through messages (Wilson, 2002). By researching the use of the “knowledge management” Wilson conveys that the terms knowledge and information are used interchangeably, which results in an inaccurate application
though there remain differing viewpoints to this depending upon the nature of the knowledge being collected. First, there are a number of organizational factors which determine the approach toward knowledge management while also helping to identify the obstacles that may be in the organizations path. Hislop (2013) sited specific considerations for the cultivation of an strategy including, knowledge demands on the organization as determined by the markets in which it competes, organizational culture, workforce diversity, organizational size, work type, product or service characteristics, technology, and any specialized processes which might exist within the organization. In light of these elements, “it should be obvious that there is not one single way for an organization to manage knowledge”(Hislop., 2013, p.55). Additional challenges are brought to bear on the organization based upon the type of knowledge being
In today's business it is in the best interest of companies to have project managers. Common sense isn't always easily accomplished. Anyone who's ever worked on a project in a technical setting knows this. Indeed, much of working with others consists of solving unexpected problems and learning from mistakes along the way. Knowing this and having the proper tools a project manager will be able to manage and complete the most intense project out there.
This wider definition relates the application of knowledge to the wider processes of business practices i.e. the production and promotion of goods and services. Further it indicates how technological de...
Introduction With today’s rate of development in technology, there has also been an immense increase in global information sharing. Innovations in technology and design seem to be emerging in the market almost every month. One of the key aspects of any business is to gather, organize and efficiently apply this information. According to Antonic (2005), economic assets are fast becoming of secondary importance in the market as companies ascribe more importance to intellectual capital. With the right application of knowledge management methods, companies can achieve a competitive advantage by managing the immense amount of information available (Balanced Scorecard Institute, 2002).
Pasher, E., & Ronen, T. (2011). The complete guide to knowledge management: A strategic plan to leverage your company 's intellectual capital. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons.
During the last decade of the 20th century, the business world began to view and use knowledge as a weapon for competitive advantage. It was then the concept of knowledge management (KM) gained popularity. However, in the 21st century, Knowledge and by extension, knowledge management has been an electromotive force for social, economic and educational advancement to any nation. It is therefore worthy of note that the concept of knowledge management emerged from the need to manage knowledge for individual, organizational, societal and/or national gains. Therefore, knowledge is a fundamental aspect of knowledge management practices.
"All media are extensions of some human faculty -- psychic or physical. The wheel is an extension of the foot; the book is an extension of the eye; clothing, an extension of the skin; electric circuitry, an extension of the central nervous system. Media, by altering the environment, evoke in us unique ratios of sense perceptions. The extension of any one sense alters the way we think and act -- the way we perceive the world."
In most organizations, effective utilization of knowledge increases productivity, creates competitive advantage and, ultimately, improves profits.
Access to resource - One of the reasons to collaborate is to take advantage of resources. For example, an inter-company collaborates to place a product in the market where one compa...
In the first place, computer technology can not only improved quality of working but also enhance student’s learning. In the modern society, computer technology becomes more popular in many companies. The reason is that it is able to improve working efficiency and quality. If every worker has abilities to operate and use computer technology, they can save more time to do another things. This means individuals can spend less time on working to do the same quantity of works as before. Most importantly, improving working efficiency and quality is favorable for business operating in the future. For example, more and more companies like to use digital technology to analysis their data. Digital technology is a kind of computer technology that is always used in business. The information created by digital technology and used by others will grow faster than anything else. The Economist reported in 2010 that data management and analytics are worth more than $100 billion and are growing at almost 10% a year, roughly twice as fast as the software business as a whole (Orange, 2014). This is a dramatic increase in working efficiency that is caused by computer technology. Besides, computer technology could also be used to predict further performance of a company, which is
Advances in technology have changed businesses dramatically, in particular the communication and information technology that are conducted in firms, which changed the appearance and pace of businesses over the past few decades. ICT in particular, has evolved a lot over the past 30 years; important information can be stored in computers rather than being in drawers enabling information to be transferred at a greater volume and speed (Guy, 2009). ICT has also expanded various forms of telecommunications and workload conducted in businesses, internet examples of this include: e-mails can be used to communicate with others...