Knowledge Management: Processes and Technologies PDF
Preview Knowledge Management: Processes and Technologies
Knowledge Management Processes and Technologies KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT Processes and Technologies HERWIG ROLLETT t 4 W Springer Science+Business Media, LLC Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT: PROCESSES AND TECHNOLOGIES Herwig Rollett ISBN 978-1-4613-5031-6 ISBN 978-1-4615-0345-3 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-4615-0345-3 A CLP. Catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. Copyright © 2003 by Springer Science+Business Media New York Originally published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 2003 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2003 All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Permission for books published in Europe: permissions @ wkap.nl Permissions for books published in the United States of America: permissions @ wkap.com Printed on acid-free paper. Contents Foreword vii Preface xi Part I Background 1. Introduction 3 2. Two Complementary Views 9 3. Lessons Learned from Past Projects 19 Part II Processes 4. Knowledge Planning 35 5. Creating Know ledge 45 6. Integrating Knowledge 57 7. Organizing Knowledge 69 8. Transferring Knowledge 83 9. Maintaining Knowledge 97 10. Assessing Knowledge 107 VI KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT Part III Technologies 11. Communication 119 12. Collaboration 129 13. Content Creation 139 14. Content Management 147 15. Adaptation 155 16. eLeaming 163 17. Personal Tools 173 18. Artificial Intelligence 181 19. Networking 189 20. Standards 195 21. Hardware 203 22. Summary 209 Bibliography 213 Index 225 About the Author 231 Foreword The transitions to a knowledge society and a global knowledge economy will be the most important social and economic changes in the twenty-first century. The global knowledge economy with its high innovation speed and an increasing demand of innovative and knowledge intensive products and services calls for new management tools and methods. Since the primary key to growth in our economy is innovation, which in turn is enabled through knowledge, efficient knowledge management tools and methods have become imperative for almost all types of organizations. Talking about knowledge management raises the question of what "knowl edge" is. Since Aristotle's essential distinction between "know-what" and "know-how" humankind has been thinking about a definition for the term "knowledge". But a definition on which everybody agrees does not exist yet and will probably never exist. Still, the following sample of definitions for knowledge try to offer you some guidance: - Knowledge is identified, classified, and valid information. - Knowledge is information in contextualized action. - Knowledge is the mapping from reality, states, and activities onto the in ternal model of the "real" world, which an individual or an organization has. With this internal model an individual or an organization can make statements about reality. - Explicit knowledge is knowledge that can be formalized and codified. Tacit knowledge is diffiCUlt to articulate in writing and is acquired through per sonal experience. viii KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT With this in mind, knowledge management can be defined as follows. Knowledge management deals with - knowledge-friendly environments in which knowledge can develop andflour ish to provide individuals, organizations, or regions with - context-sensitive knowledge and - the ability of knowledge workers to apply the knowledge for action. Knowledge management can be addressed from two different perspectives. The first perspective is more people-oriented as it focuses on people and organi zations. The second perspective places the emphasis on information technolo gies as enabling technologies. The difference between these two perspectives is the level at which knowledge management is applied: In people-oriented knowledge management, the focus is on the people, the organization and the associated working and communication processes rather than on the technology. People-oriented knowledge management seeks answers to questions such as "How can we improve the knowledge creation and orga nization?", "How can we adapt our communication culture to become more knowledge-friendly?", "How can we manage our human capital more effi ciently?", and "What methods and incentives exist to foster knowledge sharing and transfer?" The objective of technology-oriented knowledge management is to support knowledge workers in companies at an operational level. That is, information technologies are used as enabling technology to provide the knowledge some body needs to perform a specific task as efficiently as possible. Often, this requires a careful and smooth integration of knowledge management tools with business process management tools. This book reflects these different perspectives with two parts dealing with knowledge management processes (part II) and the role of information tech nologies to support these processes (part III). Thanks to the sound experience the author, Herwig Rollett, has gained in many knowledge management research and industry projects, you are offered much support and advice if you plan to introduce knowledge management in your organization. Of particular value is that the book does not only suggest "what" methods can be introduced, but also "how" they can be introduced which brings us back to Aristotle who argued that knowledge comprises both the "know-what" and the "know-how". In this sense, this book is a huge treasure of knowledge about knowledge management. ix So as you read this book, I suggest you keep the overall intention of knowl edge management in mind: The provision of knowledge-friendly cultures and working environments. If you follow this advice, this book will help continually shaping your thinking in the way required for the success of your organization in the new knowledge economy. Klaus Tochtermann CEO, Know-Center Graz Preface The first thing I discovered when I started out in knowledge management was that it is not about technology. It is about people. People as individuals, people as teams, people as communities, people as organizations. The second thing I discovered was that technology, handled properly, can make an important contribution. It can connect people with each other. It can connect people to information they find useful. It can protect them from irrelevant content. Sometimes, systems can even come up with something one is tempted to call knowledge on their own. The third thing I discovered was that there was no book providing a com pact, comprehensive, balanced overview of both knowledge management and the role technology could-or should-play. A book that would discuss knowl edge management processes, point out the most important issues, and assess the relevance of technologies to the various processes. Without going to un necessary lengths. And in an easily accessible way. I occupied myself with knowledge management in its various forms: With a strategic focus and with an operational focus, with a people focus and with a technology focus, with an organizational focus and with a personal focus. Meanwhile, the hype around knowledge management grew, as did the jungle of theories, models, methods, practices, and tools of knowledge management. Books on the subject were springing up like mushrooms. Except, of course, the kind of book I considered the most appropriate as a guide through that jungle. At some point, I found myself writing the book I had been missing when I first started out. You are holding the result in your hands. If you are taking your first steps in knowledge management, it will provide you with a valuable map of the territory. And even if you are already an expert, I am confident that you will discover a few aspects which you have not yet considered in this light. Books are written by authors. But authors would rarely write books if it were not for the encouragement and support of many people. I am partic ularly grateful to all my colleagues at the Know-Center and at the Institute xii KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT for Information Processing and Computer-Supported New Media at Graz Uni versity of Technology, not only for supporting me in writing this book, but also for providing a very pleasant working environment. Special thanks go to Hermann Maurer, Klaus Tochtermann, Tobias Ley, Markus Strohmaier, Janez Hrastnik, Andreas Ausserhofer, and Denis Helic. The Know-Center is a Com petence Center funded within the Austrian K plus Competence Centers Program (www.kplus.at) under the auspices of the Austrian Ministry of Transport, Inno vation and Technology. Many further people have directly or indirectly helped to make this book possible: The members of Wissensmanagement Forum and its PhD circle; people from the companies I have conducted projects with; the members of the Forschung Austria taskforce on knowledge management; all the people with whom I discussed knowledge management issues at conferences, workshops, and informal meetings; and last but not least my friends and family. I would particularly like to thank, in alphabetical order, Manfred Bornemann, Georg Droschl, Marion Graggober, Karin Grasenick, Erich Hartlieb, Herbert Haubold, Bernd Humpl, Thomas Jud, Iris Klein, Ulrike KrieBmann, Philipp Koronakis, Karl-Heinz Leitner, Thomas Mikl, Fritz Ohler, Johann Ortner, Franz Pirker, Maja Pivec, Michael Ploder, Arthur Primus, Karl Ritsch, Gunter Rollett, Martin Sammer, Andreas Schibany, Gerald Steiner, Josef Tuppinger, Patrick Wehinger, Reinhard Willfort, and Kurt wols. Finally, I would like to thank my publishers, particularly Lance Wobus. Ultimately, a book like this has to be judged by its usefulness to the reader. Most of all, therefore, I hope that it will help you. HERWIG ROLLETT
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