Developing Effective Knowledge Repositories: Managing Organizational Knowledge

1. Chapter 8Developing and Managing Knowledge Repositories

2. Introduction • Knowledge repositories support effective management of knowledge content in the KMS • They provide a systematic single access point for knowledge activities and sources • Considered planning and management of the repository assists with its optimal use and support by knowledge users

3. Effective Knowledge Repositories(1/11) • Link users and core knowledge • Single point of entry • Codify explicit knowledge in a logical manner • Direct the user to enabling sources • Vehicle for contributing new knowledge • Provide personalized knowledge services

4. Effective Knowledge Repositories (2/11) Knowledge repository content • Factual – terminology, specific details and elements or organizational practice • Conceptual – theories, models, principles and generalisations • Procedural – skills, techniques and methods • Meta-cognitive – learning, thinking, problem-solving

5. Effective Knowledge Repositories (3/11) Knowledge repository features • Links to organizational and external sources • Communication forums • Case studies and histories • Discussion topics • Contribution channel • Reference materials and sources • User assistance on the system and indexes • Search services

6. Repository development

7. Effective Knowledge Repositories (4/11) Mapping the content structure • Ultimate goal: save users time and effort in finding the maximum number of highly appropriate sources • Provides direction and structure • Demonstrates intellectual and organizational content • Enables successful retrieval (recall and precision)

8. Effective Knowledge Repositories (5/11) Creating a knowledge map • Integrates relational and operational concepts into one integrated approach • Operates as an ontology: a formal classification of the organizational knowledge structure • The ontology represents the holistic way in which knowledge is applied in the organization

9. A knowledge map ontology Source: S. Robertson, ‘A tale of two knowledge sharing systems’, Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 6, no. 3, 2002, p. 297)

10. Effective Knowledge Repositories (6/11) Creating a knowledge map • Taxonomies describe the various relational and operational approaches to organizational knowledge • Multilevel hierarchies from general to specific content • Can search for broad areas of knowledge or very specific aspects, depending on their needs and knowledge of the field

11. Sample of a taxonomy hierarchy

12. Effective Knowledge Repositories (7/11) Creating a knowledge map • Thesaurus— an alphabetical and hierarchical listing of knowledge content areas supported in the organization using descriptors to describe the content • Includes a definition and may provide an explanation as to application and interrelationships • This explanatory support can greatly assist novices

13. The main features of a knowledge thesaurus (i/ii)

14. The main features of a knowledge thesaurus (ii/ii)

15. Effective Knowledge Repositories (8/11) Identifying structural themes • Knowledge held by individuals • Best practices • Past experiences • Products, services and processes • Expert networks • Customer databases • Access to intellectual assets

16. Effective Knowledge Repositories (9/11) Generating taxonomy headings • Operational: • Job descriptions • Causal mapping which documents hard-to-describe processes • Organizational analysis and classification • Relational: • Authoritative professional taxonomies • Other firms • Commercial providers

17. Effective Knowledge Repositories (10/11) Source description • Increased classification of the source on the basis of metadata • e.g. author, date of contribution, level of access, contact names, project titles etc • Templates and standardization can assist in data classification

18. Effective Knowledge Repositories (11/11) User interface analysis • Screen accessibility • Navigation • Ease of retrieval and lodgement of knowledge • Security processes • Tools and other support

19. Creating a user-friendly knowledge repository interface(1/2)

20. Creating a user-friendly knowledge repository interface(2/2)

21. Repository Quality Control(1/4) • Monitors the value and suitability of contributed sources • Verifies the credibility of the data • Maintains the relevance and viability of the repository • Archives sources which are no longer current

22. Repository Quality Control (2/4) Content evaluation / verification • Knowledge life • Authoritative source • Contributor profile • Accuracy of inputs / editorial policy • Knowledge officers • Downstream / upstream filtering

23. Repository Quality Control (3/4) Content maintenance • Is knowledge current? • Changes to terminology, business focus, loss of expertise etc • High resource commitment to maintain the repository • Taxonomy and descriptor monitoring • Maintaining source information accuracy

24. Repository Quality Control (4/4) Content archives • Usability • Perceived value • Tagged as to importance • Archive old sources? • Policies on archival principles

25. Concluding Points • Knowledge repositories are most effective if they are structured in a systematic manner • A range of strategies can be considered: development of ontologies, thesauruses, use of metatags, strong quality control • The ongoing currency and integrity of the system need to be rigorously preserved and protected

26. Today’s focus questions: • How can a highly effective knowledge repository be developed? • What are the maintenance issues which will need to be considered in managing a repository? • Lecture reference: Debowski, Chapter 8