Knowledge Management Subsystems

1. Knowledge Management Subsystems By Aaron Cowan for OLIT 514

2. Definitions of Knowledge Knowledge attributes (Marquardt) • “the most valuable asset of an organization” • “corporate memory” • “primary resource for innovation and success.” • “the food of the learning organization” • Managed through technology • Most organizations incompetent at managing knowledge Knowledge Management (KM): • “process of revealing and mapping the work activities, behaviors, and knowledge sources within an organization. (Conway & Sligar, 2002) • “bodies of information, principles, and experience that actively guide task execution and management, decision-making, and problem solving” (Marquardt)

3. Types of Knowledge Knowledge Hierarchy Knowledge Character (Wiig)

4. 4 Knowledge Creation Patterns1 1 (Nonaka & Takeuchi , 1995)

5. Systems Model for KM

6. Learning Support / Integration • Systems model integrates learning at each stage • Maps collective corporate intelligence/memory • Operations facilitated by technological tools • Builds culture of knowledge sharing • Allows Just –in-Time Learning • Rapid dissemination increasingly necessary • Makes best of organization available • Helps overcoming barriers & push boundaries • Identify and eliminate bottlenecks • Building Long-term Value • Tracks what knowledge is really valid and applicable

7. Tools that might be used @ Zappos.com • Selection of Marquardt’s 10 Strategies/Tools • 1. Shared responsibility for collecting and transferring knowledge • Already a strong culture of mass-participation • 3. Organize internal learning events: “sharing rallies” • Highly consistent with Zappos.com culture • 4. Encourage creativity and provide opportunities and rewards • Creativity is a core value at Zappos.com • 8. Develop knowledge base around organizational values and learning needs • Considers their culture their “greatest asset”, so this is natural organization scheme

8. Additional Tools from Marquardt • CYLINA (Cybernetic Leverage Intelligent Assistant) • If Bell Lab’s CYLINA and Auto-FAQ are available, it would support strategies 1, 3, and 8 in our organization. • KnowledgeView from Price Waterhouse Cooper • May help at zappos to organize blog discussion and twitter activity • Otherwise internal systems can be adapted • Accenture’s Point-of-Need Learning System • Dynamic organizations producing lots of new, creative content, like zappos, would benefit from this kind of support

9. Other KM Support Resources • The New Social Learning • Bingham’s guide to using social media for learning support would be a natural fit at Zappos. • Zappos employees already make extensive use of twitter, so may be able to adapt and share more knowledge in real time • http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8233389-the-new-social-learning • How Aha! Really Happens • Intelligent Memory model of creativity may better support core creative commitment at Zappos. • http://www.strategy-business.com/article/10405?gko=06d13

10. References • Bingham, T., & Conner, M. (2010, August). The New Social Learning: A Guide to Transforming Organizations Through Social Media. ASTD Press and Berrett-Koehler. Retrieved from http://www.thenewsociallearning.com/: http://www.thenewsociallearning.com/ • Conway, S., & Sligar, C. (2002). Unlocking Knowledge Assets. Redmond: Microsoft Press. • Duggan, W. (2010, November 23). How Aha! Really Happens. Retrieved from http://www.strategy-business.com: http://www.strategy-business.com/article/10405?gko=06d13 • Marquardt, M. (2011). Building the Learning Organization: Achieving Strategic Advantage Through a Commitment to Learning. New York: Nicholas Brealey Publishing. • McLean, L. (2002). A REVIEW AND CRITIQUE OF NONAKA AND TAKEUCHI’S THEORY OF . Retrieved from http://mcleanglobal.com: http://mcleanglobal.com/public/MGC/publications/Nonaka%20and%20Takeuchi.pdf • Wiig, K. (1994). Knowledge Management Foundations: Thinking About Thinking - How People and Organizations Represent, Create and Use Knowledge. Schema Press.