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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

4.2.1 Leadership dimension to KM

Ikujiro Nonaka (1991:22) suggested knowledge-based organisations able to ‘consistently create new knowledge, disseminate it widely throughout the organisation and quickly embody it in new technologies and products’. Achieving this outcome requires commitment from the most senior executives.

Successful implementation of any major organisational strategy more often than not relies on the excellence of the leadership team. Sponsorship by leaders is a consistent factor in case studies and stories on the sustainable implementation of successful KM strategies (Grant, 1996; Nonaka, 1994, McElroy, 2003). The following reading makes some important linkages between the need for leadership of KM and the mutual importance of KM and leadership being transformative.

Leadership in KM involves:

• Establishing a vision for KM in the organisation;
• Leading, modelling and sponsoring KM strategic actions and behaviours;
• Driving KM and related process improvements;
• Identifying organisational knowledge requirements;
• Confirming connections and relationships between knowledge; and
• Reinforcing the importance of knowledge as a platform for the organisation’s future success.

Reading 3

Crawford, CB (July, 2003), ‘Exploring the relationship between knowledge management and transformational leadership’, The Association of Leadership Educators Conference 2003, Anchorage: Alaska. Available at http://www.leadershipeducators.org/2003/crawford.pdf

Activity 3

This activity requires you allocate at least an hour of time. Your facilitator may require that written work be submitted on this topic.

1. Identify a leader in your industry or organisation that you believe is a transformational leader and plays a critical role in the management of knowledge. List why you believe this leader is considered to be playing a valuable or important role in knowledge transfer or growth.
2. What types of activities does this leader perform with regards enhancement of knowledge transfer or growth?
3. Develop a new 3 paragraph leadership statement for the leadership group implementing KM within a transport and logistics company. What steps would you take to develop and refine the ideas for that statement? Compare the statement with the attributes and roles identified in the first two parts of this activity.

Research and practice tells us there is a very strong link between leadership and the successful integration of both KM and organisational learning with strategic imperatives (Güldenberg & Konrath, 2004; Sternberg, 2003: 387-88; & Crossan & Hulland, 2002: 721). Building capabilities at individual, group and organisational level requires strategy drive the formation of knowledge. However, the process also has to be oriented towards shared visions and purpose. Building infrastructure, content and opportunities for learning are simply insufficient to generate all forms of knowledge. Leaders are therefore essential in sponsoring KM while driving changes behaviour and performance.

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