Is Knowledge Management Really an Oxymoron? Unraveling the Role of Organizational Controls in Knowledge Management

2011 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yogesh Malhotra
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Organizational Management ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Knowledge Management Systems ◽  
Organizational Controls ◽  
New Knowledge

Many current implementations of organizational knowledge management, although based on the most advanced information technologies, are hobbled by the pervading organizational controls. Such information systems related organizational controls could spell the success or failure of organizational management initiatives despite application of latest groupware and collaboration software. Often, such failures of knowledge management systems implementations arise from incorrect understanding and misapplication of the notion of “controls.” Hence, it is critical to develop a better understanding of information systems related organizational controls so that they can facilitate the success of knowledge management systems implementations. This chapter fills the critical void of incomplete and often incorrect interpretations of organizational controls by developing a better theoretical and conceptual understanding of organizational controls and their pragmatic implications. The chapter also proposes an organic model of organizational controls for design of knowledge management systems that can effectively enable creation of new knowledge, renewal of existing knowledge and knowledge sharing.

Organizational Controls as Enablers and Constraints in Successful Knowledge Management Systems Implementation

2001 ◽  
pp. 326-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yogesh Malhotra
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Organizational Management ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Knowledge Management Systems ◽  
Organizational Controls ◽  
Systems Implementation ◽  
New Knowledge

Many current implementations of organizational knowledge management, although based on the most advanced information technologies, are hobbled by the pervading organizational controls. Such information systems related organizational controls could spell the success or failure of organizational management initiatives despite application of latest groupware and collaboration software. Often, such failures of knowledge management systems implementations arise from incorrect understanding and misapplication of the notion of ‘controls.’ Hence, it is critical to develop a better understanding of information systems related organizational controls so that they can facilitate the success of knowledge management systems implementations. This chapter fills the critical void of incomplete and often incorrect interpretations of organizational controls by developing a better theoretical and conceptual understanding of organizational controls and their pragmatic implications. The chapter also proposes an organic model of organizational controls for design of knowledge management systems that can effectively enable creation of new knowledge, renewal of existing knowledge and knowledge sharing.

Back to the future of Knowledge Management Systems off the beaten paths

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (9) ◽  
pp. 1953-1984
Author(s):  
Roberto Cerchione ◽  
Piera Centobelli ◽  
Pierluigi Zerbino ◽  
Amitabh Anand
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Knowledge Translation ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Knowledge Management Systems ◽  
Collaborative Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Forms Of Knowledge

PurposeThe evolution of Knowledge-Management (KM)-related literature has highlighted that Knowledge Management Systems (KMSs) have undergone massive changes in collaborative environments. Information-Systems-enabled KM seems to be the necessary response to the recent challenges posed by globalisation and technology dynamics to both large companies (LCs) and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).Design/methodology/approachThis paper provides a systematic review about KMSs to offer an analytical overview of their role in supporting innovative forms of knowledge translation occurring in collaborative relationships. A sample of 129 papers was selected and analysed according to three perspectives: unit of analysis (LCs, SMEs), phases of the KM process (adoption, translation) and topic area (KM Practices, KM Tools, KMSs).FindingsThe findings highlight five literature gaps: (1) the role of KM practices supporting knowledge translation; (2) the impact of the alignment among KM practices, firm's complexity, dimension and culture on KM process; (3) the effect of KM tools on knowledge translation; (4) the variety of KMSs exploited in both LCs and SMEs; and (5) the alignment between organisational structure and information systems in KM context. Accordingly, 13 research questions were formulated.Originality/valueThe proposed research questions define a formal research agenda that could steer further research efforts about the KMS topic for improving the body of knowledge in the KM field. Scientific literature is currently lacking a contribution assessing the role of KMSs in supporting innovative forms of knowledge translation that occur in collaborative relationships.

Role of Organizational Controls in Knowledge Management

2000 ◽  
pp. 245-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yogesh Malhotra
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
New World ◽  
Control Model ◽  
Organizational Control ◽  
Organizational Controls ◽  
New Knowledge ◽  
Concept Of Information

The mainstream concept of information technology enabled knowledge management suffers from the limitations embedded in the traditional organizational control model. Although importance of organization control is acknowledged by many authors as critical to the success of knowledge management implementations, however the concept of ‘control’ is often misinterpreted and misapplied. It is the thesis of this chapter that most such assertions are based on incomplete, and often, fallacious understanding of ‘control’. Several authors have often suggested that knowledge management is an ‘oxymoron,’ however such observations are based upon inadequate and incomplete understanding of ‘control.’ Inadequate and incomplete understanding about organization controls may be often attributed for failure of knowledge management implementations in the new world of business. This chapter sets forth two important goals: first, to develop a richer understanding of organizational controls as they relate to knowledge management; and, second, to propose an organic model of organizational controls that facilitates creation of new knowledge, renewal of existing knowledge and knowledge sharing.

Knowledge Management Systems as a Framework for IT in Knowledge Management

2009 ◽  
pp. 611-616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ángel L. Meroño-Cerdán
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Management System ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Knowledge Management System ◽  
Knowledge Management Systems ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Process Perspective ◽  
Role Of It

Designing information systems from the traditional database orientation is not sufficient to cope with today’s organisational difficulties. Employees need information technologies (IT) which provide them not only with information but also with knowledge. In this context, using a knowledge management system (KMS) perspective can be appropriate. Although the potential benefits of applying this approach have been argued, there is evidence of failures when applying a KMS, caused normally by overestimating the role of technology. To suit the role of IT in KMS, a process perspective is proposed.

Stages of Information Systems in E-Government for Knowledge Management

2011 ◽  
pp. 270-280
Author(s):  
Petter Gottschalk
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Growth Models ◽  
Knowledge Work ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Financial Crime ◽  
Knowledge Management Systems ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Direction Information

A stage model for knowledge management systems in policing financial crime is developed in this chapter. Stages of growth models enable identification of organizational maturity and direction. Information technology to support knowledge work of police officers is improving. For example, new information systems supporting police investigations are evolving. Police investigation is an information-rich and knowledge-intensive practice. Its success depends on turning information into evidence. This chapter presents an organizing framework for knowledge management systems in policing financial crime. Future case studies will empirically have to illustrate and validate the stage hypothesis developed in this paper.

Semantic Integration of Structured and Unstructured Data in Data Warehousing and Knowledge Management Systems

2011 ◽  
pp. 81-105
Author(s):  
Liane Haak
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Data Warehousing ◽  
Semantic Integration ◽  
Unstructured Data ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Knowledge Management Systems ◽  
Application Area ◽  
Ontology Integration ◽  
Basic Ideas

Nowadays, increasing information in enterprises demands new ways of searching and connecting the existing information systems. This chapter describes an approach for the integration of structured and unstructured data focusing on the application to Data Warehousing (DW) and Knowledge Management (KM). Semantic integration is used to improve the interoperability between two well-known and established information systems in the business context of nowadays enterprises. The objective is to introduce a semantic solution in the field of Business Intelligence based on ontology integration. The main focus of this chapter is not to provide a complete literature review of all existing approaches or just to point put the motivation for such an approach. In fact, it presents, under consideration of the most important research approaches, a solution for how a Semantic Integration could be technically achieved in this specific application area. After pointing out the motivation, a short introduction to Semantic Integration, the problems and challenges occurring from it, and the application area of Knowledge Management and Data Warehousing are given. Besides the basic ideas of ontologies and ontology integration are introduced. The approach itself starts with a short overview on the determined requirements, followed by a concept for generating an ontology from a Data Warehouse System (DWS) to be finally integrated with Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) ontology. Finally SENAGATOR, an exemplarily system for semantic navigation based on integrated ontologies, is shortly introduced.

Knowledge Management Systems Characteristics That Support Knowledge Sharing and Decision-Making Processes in Organizations

2021 ◽  
pp. 182-200
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Abdelrahman ◽  
Firas Masri ◽  
Dimitra Skoumpopoulou
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Management Decision ◽  
Knowledge Management Systems ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Management Decision Making

With the advent of the knowledge economy and the growing importance of knowledge societies, organizations are constantly seeking new ways of leveraging and sharing knowledge to support decision-making (DM) processes. This chapter presents an initial insight to the little-researched phenomenon of how knowledge management systems (KMSs) can facilitate knowledge sharing (KS) to support DM processes in organizations. In this chapter, authors aim to extend the existing literature of knowledge management, decision making, and knowledge sharing by proposing a new conceptual framework, namely “ECUA” (easiness, communication, unification, and analytics characteristics). In this study, 42 semi-structured interviews have been conducted. The proposed conceptual framework will benefit managers in both public and private sectors in finding new ways of leveraging and sharing knowledge to support DM processes via using KMSs. This framework can be used to explore KMSs characteristics that can support DM processes by facilitating knowledge sharing in organizations.

Systems for Knowledge Management along the Supply Chain

2016 ◽  
pp. 92-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
John S. Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Systems Development ◽  
General Purpose ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Knowledge Management Systems ◽  
Service Supply Chain ◽  
Knowledge Exploration ◽  
General Purpose Software

This chapter explains the role of knowledge management systems, whether technology-based or people-based, in service supply chain management. A systematic literature review was carried out to identify relevant examples of both successful and unsuccessful knowledge management systems. These are analyzed in terms of process, people and technology aspects, and the activities in the knowledge life-cycle (create, acquire, store, use, refine, transfer) that they support. These include systems used within a single organization, systems shared with supply chain partners, and systems shared with customers, the latter being the least common. Notable features are that more systems support knowledge exploitation than knowledge exploration, and that general-purpose software (e.g., internet search, database) is used more than software specific to knowledge management (e.g., data mining, “people finder”). The widespread use of mobile devices and social media offers both an opportunity and a challenge for future knowledge management systems development.

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