CHAPTER 5: KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING

TECHNOLOGY BASED

Internet

Intranet

Extranet

A global network of interconnected networks

A private enterprise network that uses internet and web technologies for information gathering and distribution within an organization

A community of interest created by extending an intranet to selected entities external to an organization

  • Typical users: Any individual with dial-up access or LAN
  • Type of access: Unlimited, public, no restriction
  • Information: General, public and advertisement
  • Typical users: Authorized employees only
  • Type of access: Private and restricted
  • Information: Specific, corporate and proprietary
  • Typical users: Authorized groups from collaborating companies
  • Type of access: Private and outside authorized partners
  • Information: Shared in authorized collaborating group

Data warehouse

the main repository of the organization's historical data, its corporate memory

In other words, the data warehouse contains

  • aggregate data suitable for decision making
  • the raw material for management's decision support system
  • the critical factor leading to the use of a data warehouse is that a data analyst can perform complex queries and analysis (such as data mining) on the information without slowing down the operational systems

Groupware

Groupware produces shared thoughts, shared media, and shared models.

  • Collective thought is moved into a higher level when the traditional group interaction is eclipsed by the use of such collaborative tools.
  • Efficient sharing of ideas can be transformed into shared understanding and into shared priorities

Electronic Communication Tools

Web publishing

Bulletin Board System

E-mail

Faxing

Voice Mail

Allowing users to :

  • Coordinate with each other's schedules
  • Identify and isolate steps in the work process
  • Find, assess, and interact with organizational knowledge
  • Identify and explore linkages between coworkers (social networks)
  • Develop and broadcast new knowledge
  • Share and manipulate digital objects
  • Easily orient themselves among coworkers in the virtual environment

Transfer and Exchange

Knowledge transfer and exchange occurs through "linkage and exchange" - the interaction, collaboration, and exchange of ideas.

NON - TECHNOLOGY BASED

Best Practise

Corporate storytelling

Communities of Practice (COP)

examples and cases that illustrate the good use of knowledge in developing cost-effective and sustainable survival strategies for improvement.

  • Storytelling is gaining increasing recognition as a mechanism for sharing learning.
  • Enables others to learn, make sense of their world, explore decision processes and mobilize their own efforts and potential.
  • used by many key knowledge enterprises to share experiences and insights.

Best Practice asserts that there is a technique, method, process, activity, incentive or reward that is more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other technique, method, process, etc

Knowledge transfer life cycle

  • Groups of people with common interests who meet to share their insights in order to develop better solutions to problems or challenges.
  • Help reduce the barriers created by organizational structures, political silos, distance or employer.

Ways for the manager to manage the community of practice

Recognize them and their importance

Give them the resource they need: - provide convenient platform for them to perform their job

Fertilize the soil, but stay away from actual husbandry : facilitate them but never over pampered, must have proper leadership to monitor and create awareness and nurturing the culture for a good community of practice

Identifying : Determine what knowledge needs to be transferred

Capturing: Accumulate the essential knowledge needs to be transferred

Sharing: establish methods for transferring the knowledge

Applying: use the knowledge that is transferred

Assessing : evaluate the benefits of knowledge that is transferred and identifying the flaws