What is What is ‘knowledge ‘knowledge

management’?management’?Professor T.D. WilsonProfessor T.D. Wilson

An early definitionAn early definition

““By By knowledge managementknowledge management I mean I mean public policy for the production, public policy for the production, dissemination, accessibility, and use dissemination, accessibility, and use of information as it applies to public of information as it applies to public policy formulation.policy formulation.” (Henry 1974: ” (Henry 1974: 189)189)

After 1974After 1974

A special issue of A special issue of Public Public Administration ReviewAdministration Review in 1975. in 1975.

A trickle of papers – mainly in public A trickle of papers – mainly in public administration – one a year to 1977administration – one a year to 1977

Silence – between 1978 and 1986Silence – between 1978 and 1986

KM Papers in Web of Know ledge 1974-2007

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60

80

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120

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160

The 80s ‘bubble’The 80s ‘bubble’

13 papers with km in the title 13 papers with km in the title published between 1986 and 1992published between 1986 and 1992

Artificial intelligence, expert systems, Artificial intelligence, expert systems, etc.etc.

Information systems developmentInformation systems development Policy issuesPolicy issues

Consultancy pushConsultancy push

The consultancy push from 1995 was The consultancy push from 1995 was based on a recession in the industry based on a recession in the industry which made it necessary to sell which made it necessary to sell something new.something new.

The consultancies have now lost interest The consultancies have now lost interest in the subject – the pages they had on in the subject – the pages they had on ‘knowledge management’ have now ‘knowledge management’ have now disappeared and, for the most part, only disappeared and, for the most part, only ‘historic’ documents are on their ‘historic’ documents are on their WebsitesWebsites

Sveiby’s viewSveiby’s view

I don't believe knowledge can be I don't believe knowledge can be managed. Knowledge Management is a managed. Knowledge Management is a poor term, but we are stuck with it, I poor term, but we are stuck with it, I suppose. "Knowledge Focus" or suppose. "Knowledge Focus" or "Knowledge Creation" (Nonaka) are "Knowledge Creation" (Nonaka) are better terms, because they describe a better terms, because they describe a mindset, which sees knowledge as mindset, which sees knowledge as activity not an object. It is a human activity not an object. It is a human vision, not a technological one.vision, not a technological one. (Sveiby, (Sveiby, 2001)2001)

The spread to academiaThe spread to academia

Picked up by management schools and Picked up by management schools and information systems departmentsinformation systems departments

Proponents lacked previous experience Proponents lacked previous experience or research in information managementor research in information management

New terms for old concepts:New terms for old concepts: Library becomes ‘knowledge repository’Library becomes ‘knowledge repository’ Book becomes ‘knowledge object’Book becomes ‘knowledge object’ Information audit becomes ‘knowledge Information audit becomes ‘knowledge

audit’audit’

A recent statementA recent statement

[One of the key issues was] ...the [One of the key issues was] ...the dissemination but yet disconnection of dissemination but yet disconnection of the different pieces of knowledge the different pieces of knowledge generated during a research project; generated during a research project; that situation leads to a wide range of that situation leads to a wide range of unstructured data and documents, often unstructured data and documents, often in paper format, stored in personal in paper format, stored in personal folders and categorized according to folders and categorized according to personal classification schemes.personal classification schemes.(Srikantaiah & Koenig, 2008)(Srikantaiah & Koenig, 2008)

An exampleAn example The reach of the new technology for The reach of the new technology for

information sharinginformation sharing:  Many factors have :  Many factors have transformed the way in which organizations now transformed the way in which organizations now view information, but perhaps the pivotal view information, but perhaps the pivotal development has been the dramatically extended development has been the dramatically extended reach of know-how through new information reach of know-how through new information technology. Rapidly falling costs of communications technology. Rapidly falling costs of communications and computing and the extraordinary growth and and computing and the extraordinary growth and accessibility of the World Wide Web present new accessibility of the World Wide Web present new opportunities for information-based organizations, opportunities for information-based organizations, to share information more widely and cheaply than to share information more widely and cheaply than ever before. Information sharing is thus enabling — ever before. Information sharing is thus enabling — and forcing — institutions that are international in and forcing — institutions that are international in the scope of their operations, to become truly global the scope of their operations, to become truly global in character by enabling information transfer to in character by enabling information transfer to occur across large distances within a very short timeoccur across large distances within a very short time

The originalThe original The reach of the new technology for knowledge The reach of the new technology for knowledge

sharingsharing:  Many factors have transformed the way in :  Many factors have transformed the way in which organizations now view which organizations now view knowledgeknowledge, but , but perhaps the pivotal development has been the perhaps the pivotal development has been the dramatically extended reach of know-how through dramatically extended reach of know-how through new information technology. Rapidly falling costs of new information technology. Rapidly falling costs of communications and computing and the communications and computing and the extraordinary growth and accessibility of the World extraordinary growth and accessibility of the World Wide Web present new opportunities for Wide Web present new opportunities for knowledgeknowledge--based organizations, to share based organizations, to share knowledgeknowledge more more widely and cheaply than ever before… widely and cheaply than ever before… KnowledgeKnowledge sharing is thus enabling — and forcing — institutions sharing is thus enabling — and forcing — institutions that are international in the scope of their operations, that are international in the scope of their operations, to become truly global in character by enabling to become truly global in character by enabling knowledgeknowledge transfer to occur across large distances transfer to occur across large distances within a very short time. within a very short time. (Denning, 1998)(Denning, 1998)

‘‘KM’ means what you want KM’ means what you want it to meanit to mean

You want to push an information strategy in You want to push an information strategy in your organization – call it a ‘knowledge your organization – call it a ‘knowledge strategy’. strategy’.

You want to get a paper into a journal on You want to get a paper into a journal on expert systems – call the expert system a expert systems – call the expert system a ‘knowledge management’ system. ‘knowledge management’ system.

You want to persuade the university You want to persuade the university authorities to put money into the authorities to put money into the development of your department – tell them development of your department – tell them you intend to offer new courses on you intend to offer new courses on ‘knowledge management’, ‘knowledge management’,

and so on, and so on.and so on, and so on.

SveibySveiby

Knowledge management is Knowledge management is made up of two strands:made up of two strands:The management of The management of

information, andinformation, andThe management of people.The management of people.

Analysis of journals – Analysis of journals – 20032003

Knowledge Management in Electronic Government - Knowledge Management in Electronic Government - 1414

Journal of the Operational Research Society - 5Journal of the Operational Research Society - 5 Knowledge-Based Intelligent Information and Knowledge-Based Intelligent Information and

Engineering Systems, Pt 1, Proceedings - Engineering Systems, Pt 1, Proceedings - 55 International Journal of Technology Management - 3International Journal of Technology Management - 3 Annals of Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence - 2Annals of Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence - 2 Automation in Construction - 2Automation in Construction - 2 Computers in Industry - 2Computers in Industry - 2 Decision Sciences - 2Decision Sciences - 2 Information Systems Management - 2Information Systems Management - 2 Journal of Computer Information Systems - 2Journal of Computer Information Systems - 2 Total Quality Management - 2Total Quality Management - 2

Analysis of journals 2007Analysis of journals 2007

Subject distribution of Subject distribution of paperspapers

Earl’s investigationEarl’s investigation

Yet nearly 15 years onYet nearly 15 years on [i.e., from the early 90s] [i.e., from the early 90s], , the promise of knowledge management has yet the promise of knowledge management has yet to be realised. There is a dearth of outstanding to be realised. There is a dearth of outstanding success stories, where original goals were success stories, where original goals were achieved or sustainable value was created.achieved or sustainable value was created.

It is not unusual to visit companies claiming It is not unusual to visit companies claiming knowledge management successes only to find knowledge management successes only to find some worthy efforts lacking any lasting impact. some worthy efforts lacking any lasting impact. More often, a company has simply relabelled a More often, a company has simply relabelled a new IT application as a knowledge new IT application as a knowledge management initiative. management initiative. (Earl 2004)(Earl 2004)

Academic programmesAcademic programmes

… … a discipline that takes a a discipline that takes a comprehensive, systematic comprehensive, systematic approach to the information assets approach to the information assets of an organization by identifying, of an organization by identifying, capturing, collecting, organizing, capturing, collecting, organizing, indexing, storing, integrating, indexing, storing, integrating, retrieving and sharing them. retrieving and sharing them. (Kent (Kent State University, 2008)State University, 2008)

Conclusion IConclusion I

Knowledge cannot be managed:Knowledge cannot be managed: Peter Drucker: knowledge is between two Peter Drucker: knowledge is between two

ears and only between two ears.ears and only between two ears. What we produce on the basis of what What we produce on the basis of what

we know is a ‘message’ – voice, print, we know is a ‘message’ – voice, print, electronic, etc. The message needs to electronic, etc. The message needs to be understood by the receiver before it be understood by the receiver before it can affect his or her ‘knowledge’ – can affect his or her ‘knowledge’ – knowledge cannot be transferred knowledge cannot be transferred directly.directly.

Conclusion IIConclusion II

Obrigado!Obrigado!