Defining Knowledge Management

Discuss about the Culture and Knowledge Management for Collection.

Knowledge management refers to a chain of steps that involves identification, collection, storage and sharing of explicit, implicit and also tactic information to the individuals throughout the firm. Nevertheless, the course of compiling, storing and then making the information accessible to the firm employees is known as knowledge management (Rai, 2011). Exact introduction of knowledge management becomes difficult and is till date not very clear. In reality, knowledge management has been in existence since early phase of human life, even in the period of hunting (Bosua & Scheepers, 2007). 

Culture is said to be a result of an established and well-founded social entity, existing in several sizes, that has attained an opportunity towards enhancement and has sustained from itself or from its neighbors and environments. Such beliefs and suppositions are learned answers, which give inner harmony to the difficulty of survival within the exterior ecology (Bosua & Scheepers, 2007). Organizational culture is considered to be the main essence of beliefs and attitudes of a firm that reflect within the personnel and their performances. Mutual cultural distinctiveness of members of the organization, their beliefs, norms of behavior and values amongst them results in combination of the efforts and struggles, inner commitment towards firm, proper understanding of philosophy as well as direction of the actions, and thus the leads to success of the firm (Robertson, 2013). 

World’s glance towards knowledge management is actually social as well as technical. Infrastructures are vital aspects of firm’s capabilities. It includes structural, technical, cultural and also such infrastructures that are linked to people (Robertson, 2013).

Organizational culture plays a dual role: a) Weakening role in knowledge management, b) strengthening role within knowledge management. As per a research, a major hurdle in implementation of the knowledge management within a firm is said to be organizational culture. Discussions regarding cultural alteration is said to be a vital aspect of any knowledge management scheme (Chang & Lin, 2015). Culture in any organization being a core factor- associated to the organizational culture being a social infrastructure- should guarantee the arrangement of proper implementation of knowledge management as well as organizational culture. Therefore, firms must establish a good and appropriate culture for implementation of the knowledge management. Gold (2001) said that implementation of knowledge management would only be effective if the culture within an organization enhances it (Balafas, Jackson & Dawson, 2005). This type of culture must encourage cooperation, trust and learning amongst the employees. Thus, he has a belief that contributive culture in a firm is a vital base, because in such culture individuals interact and also share their knowledge and idea. Trust has been seen as yet another aspect of organizational culture as in the lack of mutual trust, staffs might become suspicious about each other’s behavior and intentions and thereby would not share knowledge with each other (Watad, 2006). Thus knowledge management can be enhanced by developing a god relation on the basis of trust amongst people within a firm.

Organizational Culture and Knowledge Management

Another facet required for a proper implementation of knowledge management is enhancement of a learning culture. Encouraging this type of culture would involve people within this process of creation of knowledge in the firm and would thereby permit them to hunt for organization actions and then boost them up to learn. Several studies have proved that powerful people’s culture play an effective role for government agencies while the process of implementation of knowledge management takes place (Jamieson, 2006).

For an effective knowledge management, firms need an ecology carrying a constant learning culture occurring at all the levels within the organization. In such a culture, individuals seek problems and are stimulated to learn, through several learning tools like implementation learning, thereby strengthening knowledge management (Jamieson, 2006). To build up proper learning capability in firms, three major aspects are needed: a) learning, b) innovation change, and, c) culture change. Firms require supportive and helpful relations having a sense of collaboration, creating an environment of understanding and friendship, with an aim to attain knowledge management.

In this complex world of dynamic nature, organizational knowledge is rapidly becoming a major key towards attainment of competitive advantage. Supporting and involving knowledge management in firms, develop advantageous condition for the firms. It ensures not only survival within the complex market; rather also helps firm to defeat competitors. Knowledge management can be considered to be an appropriate solution for attainment of profitability and efficacy within a firm (du Plessis, 2007).

Gray & Densten (2004) gave an integrative model for organizational culture plus knowledge management. This model is a mix of both and even lays emphasis on the CVF, which refers to competing value framework. The CVF framework pays attention towards leadership of the behavior management within a firm. Therefore it says that building of trust and attachments as well as a sense of belongingness to an ethnic culture helps in sharing information. Likewise, in the process of socialization within tactic knowledge model, it becomes essential to store the tactic knowledge. Open systems of the cultural competitive framework, with proper flexibility, creativity and also innovation of many value base on building of exterior communication with proper involvement of external processes, actually change the tactic knowledge to an explicit one (Gray & Densten, 2015).

Nonaka and Takeuchi’s in the 1995 gave a model of knowledge creation as well as conversion, named as SECI process. It was a model of socialization-externalization-combination-internationalization, which was later modified by Byosiere and Luethge (2004) and was said that conversion of knowledge is an entire social process amid people and is not limited to a single person (Gray & Densten, 2015).

The Dual Role of Organizational Culture in Knowledge Management

There exist many theoretical as well as practical implications, as a result of examination of relations amongst firm’s cultural traits and knowledge management.  Integration of CVF and SECI might advance our understanding of the social process that determines effectiveness of a firm and profitability as well. SECI offers a proper theoretical guide towards generation of knowledge and its conversion. It even recommends these processes to take place concurrently within a firm. Whereas in contrary, the CVF emphasizes on the significance of handling multifaceted and competing demands (Gantasala, Padmakumar, Yasin & Gantasala, 2010). Illustrating the SECI model to augment CVF model could actually help to extend the understanding about managerial leadership behavior, which ultimately expedites the knowledge management (Robertson, 2013).

A novel model for organizational knowledge management must be build as a base for administrative leadership development and for managerial concerns. This type of development might help leaders to tactically choose behaviors, with an aim to optimize change. Furthermore, such a model might even help in diagnosis o improper knowledge management process within the firm (Robertson, 2013).

All such discussions are narrowly linked to pragmatic as well as utilitarian nature of the knowledge and also knowledge management. Unless the knowledge is used for effectiveness within firm, the firm doesn’t needs to invest efforts in establishing the knowledge management system. Thus, application of knowledge to practical needs of the firm is a vital segment of knowledge management. For the KM to be effective and fruitful, not only the knowledge has to be readily accessible and shared, but recipients also must make a very proper use of the same and apply this knowledge to a real work situation (Gray & Densten, 2015).

Conclusion

It is never sufficient for people to learn. Until and unless the learning is scattered and incorporated into daily work condition, maximum of the potential value is actually lost. Few nations, that have a very high rate of college graduates till date do not have a very high productivity just as a result of their bad understanding of pragmatic nature of knowledge management. Firms must value proper group work actions in order to attain common aims and goals and with an aim to develop new skills and capabilities within the employees. Organizations must enhance their thoughts about the needs of organizational customer’s and then use a great coordination of the organizational units within projects and tasks.

Managers should even establish robust vision for firms and encourage them to stimulate their firm’s mission and vision, which is actually the most central aspect within organizational culture- so as to attain accomplishment in the implementation of knowledge management within a firm. Active application of the knowledge management totally depends on fast and hurdle-free interaction amongst people in the firm, supporting new innovations and novel ideas of individuals and also assignment of authority along with power of decision-making whenever needed. However, such assumptions merely exist in a very robust organizational culture. Thus, it is recommended that a factual understanding of the culture and all its facets through several stages within a hierarchy in a firm play a vital role in successful implementation of the knowledge management.

There still exist skepticism regarding the knowledge management being a managerial concept/tool. Therefore few questions yet remain unanswered: What ultimately van the knowledge management do for firms? Is it a final word or just another managerial vogue? However, arguing and dealing with these issues are outside the realm of this study.

References

Balafas, P., Jackson, T., & Dawson, R. (2005). Deploying Knowledge Management and Securing Future Sponsorship within a Highly Hierarchical ‘Role-Based’ Organisational Culture. The International Journal Of Knowledge, Culture, And Change Management: Annual Review, 4(1), 0-0. https://dx.doi.org/10.18848/1447-9524/cgp/v04/59237

Bosua, R., & Scheepers, R. (2007). Towards a model to explain knowledge sharing in complex organizational environments. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 5(2), 93-109. https://dx.doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.kmrp.8500131

Chang, C., & Lin, T. (2015). The role of organizational culture in the knowledge management process. Journal Of Knowledge Management, 19(3), 433-455. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jkm-08-2014-0353

Cipolla, J., & Petroski, M. (2008). The Role of Knowledge and Culture in Organizational Crises: Managing and Planning in “Interesting” Times. The International Journal Of Knowledge, Culture, And Change Management: Annual Review, 8(6), 1-8. https://dx.doi.org/10.18848/1447-9524/cgp/v08i06/50600

du Plessis, M. (2007). Compiling a Knowledge Management Strategy. The International Journal Of Knowledge, Culture, And Change Management: Annual Review, 7(4), 9-16. https://dx.doi.org/10.18848/1447-9524/cgp/v07i04/50345

Gantasala, P., Padmakumar, R., Yasin, A., & Gantasala, S. (2010). The Role of HR Practices and Knowledge Management on Organizational Performance. The International Journal Of Knowledge, Culture, And Change Management: Annual Review, 10(1), 151-172. https://dx.doi.org/10.18848/1447-9524/cgp/v10i01/59155

Gray, J., & Densten, I. (2015). TOWARDS AN INTEGRATIVE MODEL OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT. International Journal Of Organisational Behaviour, 9(2), 594-603.

Jamieson, R. (2006). Risks and Issues in Knowledge Management. The International Journal Of Knowledge, Culture, And Change Management: Annual Review, 5(7), 157-170. https://dx.doi.org/10.18848/1447-9524/cgp/v05i07/49996

Martins, A., Pereira, O., & Martins, I. (2008). The Role of Knowledge Management within Learning Organizations: A Comparative Study. The International Journal Of Knowledge, Culture, And Change Management: Annual Review, 7(11), 83-94. https://dx.doi.org/10.18848/1447-9524/cgp/v07i11/50454

Rai, R. (2011). Knowledge management and organizational culture: a theoretical integrative framework. Journal Of Knowledge Management, 15(5), 779-801. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13673271111174320

Robertson, J. (2013). A very short, fairly interesting and reasonably cheap book about knowledge management. New York: Sage Publications.

Watad, M. (2006). Knowledge Management and Business Effectiveness. The International Journal Of Knowledge, Culture, And Change Management: Annual Review, 5(2), 125-130. https://dx.doi.org/10.18848/1447-9524/cgp/v05i02/49470