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Knowledge management programs are typically tied to specific organizational objectives and are intended to lead to the achievement of specific targeted results such as improved performance, competitive advantage, or higher levels of innovation. While Knowledge Transfer (an aspect of KM) has always existed in one form or another, for example through on-the-job discussions with peers, formally through apprenticeship, professional training and mentoring programmes, and - since the late twentieth century - technologically through Knowledge Base s, Expert System s, and other Knowledge Repositories , KM programs seek to consciously evaluate and manage the process of accumulation and application of Intellectual Capital . KM has therefore brought together various strands of thought and practice relating to intellectual capital and the Knowledge Worker in the Knowledge Economy , the idea of the Learning Organization , various ''enabling organizational practices'' such as Communities Of Practice and corporate Yellow Page Directories for accessing key personnel and expertise, and various ''enabling technologies'' such as knowledge bases and expert systems, help desks, corporate Intranet s and Extranet s, Content Management , Wikis , and Document Management . While Knowledge Management programs are closely related to Organizational Learning initiatives, Knowledge Management may be differentiated from Organizational Learning by its greater focus on the management of specific knowledge assets. The rise of KM has seen an increasing understanding of the relevance of the distinction between Tacit vs. explicit knowledge, sophisticated perspectives on the management, assessment and use of intellectual capital, and the emergence of new organizational roles and responsibilties such as the position of Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO). KEY CONCEPTS IN KM Tacit versus explicit knowledge A key distinction made by KM practitioners is between Tacit and Explicit Knowledge . The former is often subconscious, internalised, and the individual may or may not be aware of what he or she knows and how he or she accomplishes particular results. At the opposite end of the spectrum is explicit knowledge - knowledge that the individual holds explicitly and consciously in mental focus, and may communicate to others. Nonaka and Takeichi (1995) argued that a successful KM program needs to, on the one hand, convert internalised tacit knowledge into explicit codified knowledge in order to share it, but also on the other hand for individuals and groups to internalise and make personally meaningful codified knowledge once it is retrieved from the KM system. Knowledge capture stages Knowledge may be accessed, or captured, at three stages: before, during, or after knowledge-related activities. For example, individuals undertaking a new project for an organization might access KM resources to learn best practices and lessons learnt for similar projects undertaken previously, access the KM network again during the project implementation to seek advice on issues encountered, and access the system afterwards for advice on after-project actions and review activities. Similarly, knowledge may be captured and recorded into the system before the project implementation, for example as the project team learns information and lessons during the initial project analysis. Similarly, lessons learnt during the project operation may be entered into the KM system, and after-action reviews may lead to further insights and lessons being recorded in the KM system for future access. Ad hoc knowledge access One alternative strategy to encoding knowledge into and retrieving knowledge from a knowledge repository such as a database is for individuals to instead access expert individuals on an ad hoc basis, as needed, with their knowledge requests. A key benefit of this strategy is that the response from the expert individual is rich in content and contextualized to the particular problem being addressed and personalised to the particular person or people addressing it. The downside is, of course, that it is tied to the availability of specific individuals in the organization, and does not capture their insights and experience for future use should they leave or become unavailable, and that expert's memories of particular technical issues or problems previously faced may change with time. DRIVERS OF KM There are a number of 'drivers', or motivations, leading to organizations undertaking a Knowledge Management program. Perhaps first among these is to gain the Competitive Advantage that comes with improved or faster learning and new knowledge creation. KM programs may lead to greater innovation, better customer experiences, consistency in best practices and knowledge access across a global organisation, as well as many other benefits, and KM programs may be driven with these goals in mind. Considerations driving a knowledge management program might include:
KM ENABLERS Historically, there have been a number of ''technologies '' 'enabling' or facilitating KM practices in the organization, including Expert Systems , Knowledge Base s, software Help Desk tools, Document Management systems and other IT systems supporting organizational knowledge flows. The advent of the internet brought with it further enabling technologies, including E-learning , Web Conferencing , Collaborative Software , Content Management systems, corporate 'Yellow pages' directories, email lists, Wiki s, Blog s, and other technologies. Each enabling technology can expand the level of inquiry available to an employee, while providing a platform to achieve specific goals or actions. The practice of KM will continue to evolve with the growth of collaboration applications available by IT and through the Internet.Since its adoption by the mainstream population and business community, the Internet has led to an increase in creative collaboration, learning and research, e-commerce, and instant information. There are also a variety of ''organizational'' enablers for KM programs, including Communities Of Practice , before-, after- and during- action reviews (see After Action Review ), peer assists, information taxonomies, Coaching and Mentoring , and so on. KM PROGRAMS KM programs are typically driven initially in a top-down fashion by an individual or a small group of individuals, linked to tangible business objectives, and backed by key stakeholders in the organization. KM ROLES AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE Knowledge Management activities may be centralised in a Knowledge Management Office (KMO), or responsibility for Knowledge Management may be located in existing departmental functions, such as the HR or IT departments. Organizations committed to Knowledge Management on an ongoing basis may create a specific position such as a Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO) or similar, or assign responsibilities for management of a Knowledge Management program to a specific relevant organizational department (e.g. to Human Resources to manage intellectual capital, to IT to manage IT systems for Content Management and Document Management, etc.) KM LEXICON KM professionals may use a specific Lexicon in order to articulate and discuss the various issues arising in Knowledge Management. For example, terms such as Intellectual Capital , Metric , and tacit vs explicit knowledge typically form an indispensable part of the KM professional's vocabulary. RELATED DEFINITIONS
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