An Introduction to Knowledge Management

1. An Introduction to Knowledge Management Dr. James Marshall San Diego State University EDTEC 685 Presentation

2. Hidden Knowledge • Arthur Clarke observed that cave dwellers froze to death on beds of coal. • Silos in an organization might just be filled with Apples.

3. The Need If HP knew what HP knows, we would be three times as profitable. Former CEO Lew Platt The knowledge you think you’re buying may walk out the door. Davenport & Prusak Best practices in an organization typically linger unnoticed; when recognized, it takes an average of __?__ years before adoption. Szulanski

4. An Example Texas Instruments - 1993 “We had pockets of mediocrity right next door to world class performance simply because one operation did not know what was happening at the other operation.”

5. TI Example Initial KM Focus: Semiconductors • New wafer fab cost $500 million-$1 billion to construct • Compared best practices across wafer fab plants globally • ties bonuses to capacity and productivity • First year results: 1 “free” fab of capacity • Identical increases next two years

6. From a consulting firm... • Charles Paulk of Andersen Consulting put it like this: “When one of our consultants shows up, the client should get the best of the firm, not just the best of the consultant.”

7. KM is Spawned by... • Shift from Brawn to Brain

8. Fuel for the Rise of KM • The Information Age - From Brawn to Brain • Downsizing of the 80s and 90s • Transience of the workforce • Communities of Practice • Movement from training to performance • Just-in-time learning

9. Perspectives Knowledge is a fluid mix of framed experience, values, contextual information, and expert insight that provides a framework for evaluating and incorporating new experiences and information. It originates and is applied in the minds of knowers. In organizations, it often becomes embedded not only in documents or repositories but also in organizational routines, processes, practices, and norms. Davenport and Prusak, 1997

10. Perspectives Intellectual material that has been formalized, captured, and leveraged to produce a higher-valued asset. Klein and Prusak, 1994 …an individual’s accumulated knowledge and know-how [that] is the source of innovation and regeneration… Albert and Bradley, 1995

11. Knowledge is like an Iceberg Knowledge in an organization can be compared to an iceberg: that which is visible is merely the tip of something vast and deep. Stewart, 1998

12. KM Survey • Conducted by Management Review • November 1998-January 1999 • 1,826 respondents, all U.S. managers • 38.4% of sample from manufacturing industry

13. State of KM % of Companies with Effective KM?

14. Content objects Knowledge Information Data

15. Examples • Data • The temperature is 77 degrees • Information • That’s hot for this time of year • Knowledge - conclusion drawn • Global warming is a bigger problem Like beauty, knowledge exists in the eye of the beholder...

16. Knowledge Existence  Value • Regardless of where it is found, the value of knowledge increases with level of accessibility • Paradox: knowledge = power, so hoard it - unlike other assets • Bringing together people with different knowledge and experience is a necessary condition for knowledge creation. • With no system, people will make do with what is easily available

17. Knowledge management Objectivist: Process of capturing, storing, retrieving and using knowledge. Focus on deriving knowledge from individuals and making it available. “STUFF” Constructivist: New knowledge is created through social interactions. Focus on communities and shared lessons. “COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE” (Polanyi, 1966)

18. Barriers to KM

19. Managing tangible intellectual capital Gather, organize, share info & knowledge Creating work environments for sharing and transfer Leveraging to build corporate strategy Effective 38% 72% 75% 47% Knowledge Managed for... Name Only 38% 70% 60% 33%

20. The devil’s advocate... Your company has just announced a new knowledge management initiative. As the unit manager, you have been asked to document your unit’s expertise and customer knowledge. The higher-ups are pretty excited about this KM thing and want to have it up and running by September, 2000. It’s up to you now; mobilize your workforce, document what you know, and make it available to your organization.

21. Barriers to KM • Flawed incentives • Lack of trust; restricted access • Diverse cultures; lack of common language • Lack of time • Not a priority • Lack of forum to share ideas • Hesitance to admit to need for help • No view of the possibilities

22. What gets in the way? • getting people to share • leveraging for comp. adv. • measuring results • getting people to seek best practice • knowing what to capture • keeping technology up-to-date • making knowledge accessible • making knowledge usable Effective 43% 25% 38% 49% 32% 27% 31% 31% Name Only 36% 30% 42% 37% 20% 16% 43% 43%

23. KM Requires Attention to... • Access to Information • Organizational Culture & Policies • Customer Focus • Learning & KM Then... • Enabling Technology & Support

24. What about Technology? Technology can: • extend the reach and enhance the speed of knowledge transfer • extract knowledge of an individual or group, structure it and facilitate use by other members of the organization

25. Is KM happening? In March, 1998 we surveyed an opportunistic sampling of 122 attendees at the ISPI conference in Chicago. We analyzed the results across five domains identified in the literature. Additionally, we looked at consulting firms vs. non-consulting firms.

26. Typically Occasionally Rarely Organizational Performance

27. Typically Occasionally Rarely Consulting Firms in the Lead

28. Consulting Firms Say Yes • Our people tend to generously share their ideas. • People in our organization are allied with their professions and communities of practice even more than with our company or organization. • Our people self-assess in order to get a fix on directions for growth. • Our people have systems to find the right person, obtain quick answers, weigh alternative approaches, and examine numerous examples. • When a manager seeks to reduce access to information, he or she must justify the restriction. • Our people are expected to spend time learning as much as they can about our customers.

29. Recognize contributions? We recognize the contributions that people make to the knowledge system. Yes No

30. Recognize contributions? We recognize the contributions that people make to the knowledge system. Yes 33% No 66%

31. Consulting Firms Say Yes • Our people tend to generously share their ideas. • People in our organization are allied with their professions and communities of practice even more than with our company or organization. • Our people self-assess in order to get a fix on directions for growth. • Our people have systems to find the right person, obtain quick answers, weigh alternative approaches, and examine numerous examples. • When a manager seeks to reduce access to information, he or she must justify the restriction. • Our people are expected to spend time learning as much as they can about our customers.

32. Technology & People for KM? We have a technology-based system to capture and distribute the ideas, efforts, and examples of our people. -and- We have people in the organization who are responsible for nurturing and maintaining the knowledge system. Yes 34% No 66%

33. Typically Occasionally Rarely Influence of KM System

34. My Unit: No Differences • Instructor-led & technology-based training to develop skills • Long-term relationships, repeat business with customers • Customer feedback captured and used to improve what we do • Customer feedback and needs generate new initiatives

35. My Unit: Significant Differences • Consider ourselves (themselves) knowledge workers • Generously share our (their) ideas • Technology keeps up with our information needs • Systems to find the right person, answers, examples • Customers point to examples of knowledge use to customize products and services

36. Supporting a KM Effort • Choose high-value, KM-appropriate knowledge • Structure repository based on knowledge • Establish responsibility and resources to grow and nourish system • Consider incentives and motivation • Organize around intellect - Communities of Practice • Boost problem-solving abilities by capturing knowledge in systems and software

37. But what about MY career? Things you can do easily • Play a role in the battle against restricted access • Soften your tongue to combat natural tendencies towards turf and hoarding

38. But what about MY career? A little more difficult... • “This sounds great! Maybe I’ll become a CKO” • Ferussi Ross of Dataquest estimates that fewer than 5% of organizations have designated CKOs. • Manage your career; self-select professional development opportunities-especially those with diverse minds • New ways of thinking • about time: quick, repurposable; temporary; virtual • about training: education, information, performance, technology and strategic results

39. “The most profitable businesses in the future will act as knowledge brokers, linking insights into what’s available with insights into the customer’s individual needs and preferences.” Robert Reich, October 13, 1997The Wall Street Journal

40. “Knowledge itself is power.” Francis Bacon

41. EdMAP • Teachers throughout district plan instruction, collaborate, access resources, and contribute best practices via database • Enter lesson plans and correlate to objectives • Search for units, view and re-purpose resources associated with the unit • Reports show coverage of the district objectives, teachers can run reports showing accountability for coverage of local objectives or state standards