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• Module overview
• 1. Introduction to knowledge management
  • 1.1 Knowledge management in organisations: Theory and practice
  • 1.2 Information and knowledge
    • 1.2.1 Distinguishing information, data, knowledge and wisdom
    • 1.2.2 Knowledge defined and managed

• 2. Type and structure of knowledge

  • 2.1 Type and structure of knowledge
    • 2.1.1 The structure of purposeful knowledge in an organisation
    • 2.1.2 Explicit and tacit knowledge
  • 2.2 Acquiring knowledge
    • 2.2.1 Sources of knowledge

• 3. Knowledge and learning

  • 3.1 The ability to learn as knowledge
  • 3.2 Types of knowledge and culture, meaning, and learning
  • 3.3. Knowledge management and balanced learning strategies

• 4. A knowledge management cycle

  • 4.1 A Knowledge Management Framework
    • 4.1.1 Stages in KM Cycle
  • 4.2 Dimensions to KM Strategy
    • 4.2.1 Leadership dimension to KM
    • 4.2.2 Governance and policy dimension
    • 4.2.3 Architecture dimension
    • 4.2.4 Absorption dimension
    • 4.2.5 Measurement dimension
  • 4.3 Knowledge as a basis for organising

• 5. Conduct a knowledge audit

  • 5.1 Knowledge audit
    • 5.1.1 Conducting a knowledge audit
    • 5.1.2 The Audit Process

• 6. Organisational Knowledge Capital

  • 6.1 Building an organisational Knowledge Capital framework
    • 6.1.1 IC and KC
    • 6.1.2 The value of knowledge
  • 6.2 Structural capital
  • 6.3 Social capital
  • 6.4 Human Capital defined
    • 6.4.1 Capital resources for organisations
    • 6.4.2 The individual as a capital resource
    • 6.4.3 Ingredients to HCM

• 7. Valuing forms of knowledge

  • 7.1 Valuing forms of knowledge assets
    • 7.1.1 Valuing Intellectual assets
    • 7.1.2 Valuing knowledge as an intangible asset

• 8. Information management systems

  • 8.1 Information management systems
    • 8.1.1 A basic information management framework
    • 8.1.2 Building systems to meet individual and organisational needs
    • 8.1.3 Information guardians versus stakeholders
  • 8.2 Structure and information transfer
    • 8.2.1 Information relevance and timeliness
    • 8.2.2 Information characteristics versus decision types
    • 8.2.3 Storage and retrieval

• 9. Information capture and intelligence gathering

  • 9.1 Information capture and intelligence gathering
    • 9.1.1 Developing a 'wish list'
    • 9.1.2 Finding answers
    • 9.1.3 Integrating intelligence within a knowledge management framework
  • 9.2 Forecasting methods
    • 9.2.1 Issues to consider when forecasting

• 10. IT and E-commerce

  • 10.1 An overview of e-commerce
  • 10.2 The Internet, computer networks and e-commerce
    • 10.2.1 Internet speed, innovation and change
  • 10.3 E-commerce advantages and disadvantages
    • 10.3.1 E-commerce advantages
    • 10.3.2 E-commerce disadvantages and constraints
  • 10.4 The Internet and business
    • 10.4.1 Drivers of e-commerce and Internet growth
  • 10.5 E-commerce and e-business

• 11. IT and supply chain management

  • 11.1 Electronic supply chain management (eSCM)
  • 11.2 E-logistics
    • 11.2.1 Are e-logistics and e-commerce the same thing?
    • 11.2.2 E-logistics blurs older logistic business categories
  • 11.3 E-procurement
  • 11.4 E-fulfilment

4.3 Knowledge as a basis for organising

Being able to create sustainable ways to capture and transfer knowledge is a core activity of modern business managers in the transport and logistics industry. Specifically four factors have been identified by research into effective and efficient knowledge transfer and absorption, they include:

1. Properties of knowledge being transferred.
2. Characteristics of knowledge source.
3. Characteristics of knowledge recipient.
4. Context within which knowledge is being transferred. (Emery, 2002:3; Szulanski, 1996)

Extensive research has also broken the above factors into more basic elements (Szulanski, et. al, 2002; Szulanski, 1996; Teece, 1977), Emery (2002) aligned the basic elements to properties.

Table 2 Factors and elements inhibiting effective and efficient knowledge transfer

Properties of knowledge being transferred	Characteristics of knowledge source	Characteristics of knowledge recipient	Context for knowledge transfer
Causal ambiguity (depth of knowledge) Provenness (conjecture on utility of knowledge)	Lack of motivation Not perceived as reliable	Lack of motivation Lack of absorptive capacity Lack of retentive capacity Intimacy with knowledge and Stickability*	Mechanisms (structure and systems) to support transfer Sources of coordination and experience with transfer practices Arduous relationships

* This basic element was added and expanded in Szulanski, et. al. (2002)

Strategising to achieve the above outcomes requires a systems-level response. In fact it has been argued in the Knowledge Age knowledge organisations must organise to address these factors and elements. Knowledge at the organisational level can, therefore, provide the basis for determining systems, structures, roles, and processes. This approach is encapsulated in the knowledge-based view of the firm. This approach is explored in the following reading.

Reading 4

Nickerson, J & Zenger, T (November-December, 2004), ‘A knowledge-based theory of the firm – The Problem-solving perspective’, Organisational Science, Vol.15[6], pp. 617-632. Sourced March 2005, at http://www.olin.wustl.edu/faculty/zenger/knowledge.pdf .

Activity 4

The above reading is quite complex. It is however, very useful o extend you idea of KM as just a management activity, to a view where it is central to the organisation’s operations; in fact influencing how managers are trained, act and make decisions.

Reflect on the above reading and how Nickerson and Zenger aregue for what can almost be considered a knowledge-based view of the organisation and how decision making models are implemented.

Do you think the knowledge-based view assist leaders and managers better understand the role of technology? Is technology central to the knowledge-based view does it play a more enabling role?

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