A Framework for Stakeholder-Based Knowledge Valuation in Organizations

Knowledge, an essential production factor in the post-industrial society, is not as rigorously measured as organizational tangibles. Several authors in the tradition of intellectual capital measurement and human resource accounting have tried to solve this by the development of one or more metrics. This chapter assumes that valuation is intrinsically subjective and that knowledge to a large extent is subjective. Consequently, it should be approached by subjective valuation methods. The chapter reviews existing knowledge valuation methods for their validity for a specific stakeholder group, and considers Nominal Group Techniques as a way to converge the resulting opinions. This convergence is important for shared decision-making. Following this approach, knowledge valuation is not accounting but much more the creation and facilitation of productive cooperative systems in the economy.

Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management

In today’s competitive landscape firms must develop idiosyncratic, difficult-to-imitate capabilities. This requires effective knowledge deployment and development. In this chapter, we discuss why knowledge and organizational learning are crucial for today’s firms’ competitiveness and propose a model of individual and collective learning based on problem solving. We then explore its implications and examine how KM can be harnessed to foster learning in organizations.

Knowledge Management for E-Business Performance

<div>Within the last few years, the topic of knowledge management has gathered a</div><div>lot of interest in the corporate sectors. Although there is no commonly agreed upon</div><div>definition of knowledge management, companies, governments, institutions and</div><div>organizations are demonstrating an increasing interest in the topic. The key argument</div><div>of this chapter is that most current interpretations of knowledge management</div><div>are relevant to the industrial world of business of the past era. Given their origin in</div><div>the ‘old world’ of business, many such interpretations of knowledge management</div><div>may have serious and adverse implications for information strategy of enterprises,</div><div>governments and institutions.</div><div>The discussion surfaces the key assumptions about information strategy and</div><div>how they need to be considered afresh given the changing assumptions about</div><div>business strategy and competitive business environment. Based on this discussion,</div><div>a new perspective of knowledge management is proposed followed by suggestions</div><div>for the managers to effectively deploy it in the ‘new world’ of e-business. For the</div><div>purpose of this article, the focus of discussion is on e-business enterprises as most</div><div>observations are already evident in such organizations. However, most of the</div><div>arguments, observations and conclusions are also relevant to executives interested</div><div>in information strategy and business transformation for other post-industrial organizations</div><div>in the twenty-first century.</div>

Process to Product

Knowledge, a resource that was once hoarded and rare, is becoming a commodity with potential to dramatically change the world. While knowledge advances as the key strategic fuel powering an information economy, researchers and entrepreneurs race to create tools to meet needs of effective knowledge management. There is a growing urgency for new technology support structures to link organizations’ people and information worldwide in more effective and valuable ways (Kelly, 1998; Kosko, 1999; Tapscott, 1999). The development of innovative processes and supporting products directly impacts the ability of business and society to use information and knowledge for improvement (Ruggles, 1997; Davenport and Prusak, 1998). Forecasts are common for multi-billion dollar growth in knowledge management products during the next decade. Ernst & Young predicts that knowledge management “has the potential to exceed ERP (enterprise resource planning) as an application opportunity. The principal driving force for this is a growing realization that effective management of knowledge can add real value to the organization (Landau, 1998; Koulopoulos, 1998). This, according to Dr. George Kozmetsky, “will continue well into the next century” (Kosmetsky, 1999). The objective of this chapter is to provide an outline of the general and specific technology issues relating to development of electronic knowledge management tools. Although it focuses particularly on the design of software systems, it provides a coherent overview of general technical aspects and considerations.

From Information Management to Knowledge Management: Beyond the "Hi-Tech Hidebound" Systems

Most extant knowledge management systems are constrained by their overly rational, static and a contextual view of knowledge. Effectiveness of such systems is constrained by the rapid and discontinuous change that characterizes new organizational environments. The prevailing knowledge management paradigm limits itself by its emphasis on convergence and consensus-oriented processing of information. Strategy experts have underscored that the focus of organizational knowledge management should shift from 'prediction of future' [that cannot be computed] to 'anticipation of surprise.' Such systems may be enabled by leveraging the divergent interpretations of information based upon the meaning-making capability of human beings. By underscoring the need for synergy between innovation and creativity of humans and the advanced capabilities of new information technologies, this chapter advances current thinking about knowledge management.

Organizing Global Knowledge Management in a Dispersed Organization

Knowledge has been identified as one of the most important resources that contribute to the competitive advantage of an organization. Such realization has led to a number of studies that have attempted to understand how organizations explore and exploit knowledge from a technological perspective. However, the chapter aims to go beyond the technological perspective by addressing the organizational and social issues of organizing global knowledge sharing. The research is based on an empirical investigation of knowledge sharing processes from an international organization. Through the social construction approach, the chapter traces the interactions between global knowledge management (KM) practices and the organizational context over time.

Cybercentrism

With the advent of ecommerce and the growth of ‘open’ systems communications networks, managers in industry have been confronted by the assaults of technology, an evolving employee profile and changing sets of leadership and motivational challenges. Corporate management architectures, so firmly built for the age of globalization, are today’s ruins of the global village. The virtually extended enterprise can no longer be managed with the tools of a lost era. A new management model is evolving that supports existing and future knowledge platforms and re-engineers rather than retards knowledge creation and systems. This chapter examines a Cybercentristic management model based upon a series of dynamics taken from past research, including collaborative workplace technologies, knowledge leadership methodologies and knowledge sharer and knowledge sharing networks. These are contrasted against Geocentric values. The results of this discussion are keyed into a Cybercentric teleology, constructed to form the basis for future research into the knowledge management model heir-apparent for the cyber century.

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

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.

Knowledge Assets in the Global Economy

This chapter has the following objectives: developing the need for assessing knowledge capital at the national economic level; reviewing a national case study of how intellectual capital assessment was done in case of one nation state; suggesting implications of use of such assessment methods and needed areas of advancement; and highlighting caveats in existing assessment methods that underscore the directions for future research. With increasing emphasis on aligning national information resource planning, design and implementation with growth and performance needs of business or nation, better understanding of new valuation and assessment techniques is necessary for information resource management policymakers, practitioners and researchers.