Knowledge Management

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"Knowledge management is about delivering the right knowledge to the right people at the right time."

Schwen, Kalman, Hara, and Kisling (1998) and Horton (1999) noted two perspectives on knowledge management.  The first views knowledge as content that can be captured.  The 'knowledge as content' perspective leads to the development of systems through, for example, knowledge repositories for business intelligence, anecdotes, presentations, and commentaries. 

The second views knowledge as a social process that brings people into fruitful conversations across borders and boundaries.  The 'knowledge as an interactive and social process' perspective encourages the creation of 'communities of practice,' groups of individuals who communicate because they share opportunities, problems, customers, or other interests."

Studies by KPMG and the Conference Board found that 80 percent of the world's biggest companies have KM initiatives in progress (Barth, 2000). And a study done by Rossett and Marshall (1999) found that consulting companies were leading the way with knowledge management, both through support of their internal efforts and through services for clients. Even school-based educators are intrigued with KM. 

Why the interest in KM? There is a global realization that value is being frittered away through carelessness about what the organization knows and attrition of good people with their ideas and expertise. Knowledge management is an attempt to do far better with the "smarts" within people and organizations.

Allison Rossett

"Our excitement about KM should be tempered with caution.  The success rate is not yet what it ought to be.  Knowledge management will not deliver unless we can anticipate the obstacles and make a concerted effort.  

Johanna Ambrosio (2000) reported that at least half of all KM initiatives fail; some peg the failure rate as high as 70 percent.  Why?  Ambrosio offered several reasons, especially when HR and IT aren't involved together in the KM effort.  She pointed to the failure of organizations to tailor compensation systems to support the unselfish values inherent in KM.  

KPMG's Knowledge Management Report 2000 (Barth, 2000) found that the benefits of KM did not live up to expectations.  They cited the following reasons for those frustrating results:  lack of updates, failure to integrate KM into normal working practices, complicated systems, lack of training, and the fact that users did not perceive personal benefits."

Everything. According to Allison Rossett, the work of the training professional will be devoted to managing knowledge, even more than delivering it. When information grows into a full blown system that reaches out to capture, organize, and stir organizational brainpower, knowledge management is happening. Knowledge management (KM) is an attempt to maximize the 'smarts' that exist within people and organizations. Getting a grip on this knowledge, nurturing it, making it accessible, encouraging conversation about it and contributions to it, and updating it are at the heart of KM. They are also critical components of the work of a modern, strategically oriented training professional. Visit http://defcon.sdsu.edu/1/objects/km/voicemail/index.htm for a discussion of the relationship between knowledge management and the education and training professional.