A knowledge management cycle
Overview
Knowledge management (KM) is far more than the application of information and communications technology (ICT). Rather KM requires an appreciation for the complex aspects of KM at the:
- Organisational level (Knowledge Framework); and
- The implementation level (Knowledge Management Strategy).
This chapter will focus in on the first two levels where KM needs to be framed. Previous chapters should have by now reinforced the importance of KM as not only a process but an intensely human activity. Knowledge management within an organisation still has to address and manage knowledge as part of a social activity. Knowledge capture, transfer and generation is not simply a mechanistic process that can be switched on and off. Every human action involves knowledge. The knowledge humans consciously or unconsciously use may change as capabilities are acquired, transferred and deployed. This knowledge may be driven not only by what humans know and can do, but by how they interact and engage in social exchanges.
So how do you frame knowledge management frameworks, strategies and audit knowledge in organisations given this complex set of interactions? This chapter will establish some conceptual and real world insights into this dilemma.
Learning outcomes
At the completion of this chapter, you should be able to:
- Establish the role of the leader in managing knowledge.
- Differentiate components of a KM Framework or cycle.
- Analyse the stages and related activities within a KM strategy.