Knowledge Management (Essay Sample)

Knowledge Management System for Explicit Knowledge
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Abstract
This paper is an analysis of the knowledge management concepts as presented in the research done at Saudi Telecom Company. The paper was an investigation of the impacts of organizational culture towards knowledge exchange in an organizational setup. It starts by presenting the concepts of knowledge management as presented in the paper and later addressing the cultural factors affecting the exchange of knowledge as presented in the paper. Finally, it addresses the different concepts of knowledge management that can be addressed to ensure that the exchange of this knowledge remains beneficial to the organization towards achieving its goals.
Introduction
Knowledge management is a discipline that has gained much popularity in the recent technologically booming world. Ranging from small to large enterprises, institutions and even general human endeavors, knowledge management has greatly gained status for its amicable benefits. People can have access to information and knowledge without any form of strain as a result of the developing exchanges of knowledge. As such, the value of information within organizations increases, resulting to its increased use and thus productivity of the organizations. This paper seeks to analyze the different aspects and purposes of knowledge exchange and the impacts of organizational culture to knowledge management as seen in the context of Saudi Telecom Company.
Knowledge management has been seen the processes, activities and procedures involved in the connection of people, technology and processes in an attempt to leverage corporate knowledge. Exchange, sharing and distribution of knowledge among the members in any organization seeks to increase its value and worth. Exchanging the available knowledge within members of the organization forms the principal aspect of knowledge management. This has seen many researchers delving into the field of knowledge exchange and the impacts this phenomenon has towards the success of businesses.[R. H. Buckman, Building A Knowledge-Driven Organization, 1st ed. (Maiden head: McGraw-Hill, 2004).] [Amrit Tiwana, The Knowledge Management Toolkit, 1st ed. (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall PTR, 2000).] [Dorothy Leidner, Maryam Alavi and Timothy Kayworth, 'The Role Of Culture In Knowledge Management: A Case Study Of Two Global Firms', Global Information Systems: The Implications Of Culture For IS Management, 2008, 265--289.]
From the analysis it has been noted that, corporate culture plays a critical role in the support and successful implementation of knowledge exchange and sharing of information. Explicit knowledge, which is knowledge preserved in books, paper documents and other electronic formats is cramped and thus easy to exchange between different people within the organization. Tacit knowledge defines the knowledge in the human brains that can be employed in making critical decisions and is thus not easily shared as compared to explicit knowledge. Management of knowledge can thus be defined as the practice of obtaining, capturing, storage, use and implementation of knowledge to heighten the performance of an organization. The concept of knowledge management and exchange are a new phenomenon especially in the context of the Arabian regions. Different researches denote knowledge exchange as the major proponent of knowledge management affected by cultural factors which includes teamwork, invention and flow of information, and involvement of workers among others. This is in accordance with the research paper from the Saudi Telecom company. It also highlights the society as having rich and unique cultures in which less research has been conducted with regards to the knowledge management discipline.[Amrit Tiwana, The Knowledge Management Toolkit, 1st ed. (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall PTR, 2000).]
Knowledge management concepts underlying the paper
From the analysis, it is clear that knowledge management comprises of organizational cultures, the personal needs of the employees, goals and their expertise towards creation of an atmosphere for learning and growth. It should be an integrated component in the corporate principles for success and achievement of organizational goals. Through successful learning and knowledge sharing, the legitimacy of knowledge management is improved within the organizational setup. The assessment and achievement of the needs of each stakeholder in the organization is a very crucial component of knowledge management. This helps to improve organizations and thereby improving the organizational strategies.[Steve Fuller, Knowledge Management Foundations, 1st ed. ([Hartland Four Corners, Vt]: KMCI Press, 2002).] [Peter Busch, Tacit Knowledge In Organizational Learning, 1st ed. (Hershey, PA: IGI Pub., 2008).]
Different knowledge management elements are employed by organizations for transforming their organizational structure and the processes involved in leveraging the knowledge. These elements include the collaboration and the possibility of forming connections between individuals and groups within the organization; the nature and levels of expertise with which individuals in an organization access the knowledge experts; the network of knowledge connecting different people and groups within the organization and finally the community of practice enabling the employees to access and share knowledge, solve issues and have discussions on the matters affecting them. According to the research paper, all these elements have impacts on the organizational culture attributes on knowledge exchange. They thus play a role in enabling an understanding of how appropriate the organizational culture of the Saudi Telecom Company workers have for knowledge exchange.[Jay Liebowitz and Lyle Chester Wilcox, Knowledge Management And Its Integrative Elements, 1st ed. (Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press, 1997).] [Ibid.]
The culture of the workers in the context of Saudi Telecom Company denotes collectivism which is a great component for employing in knowledge management as it provides the chance and opportunity for development of the necessary organizational knowledge bases. As such, the research focuses on the impacts of organizational culture and the impacts it has on knowledge exchange in the Saudi Telecom Company context. To achieve this, the cultural attributes are explored in Saudi Telecom Company. As well, the impacts of these attributes on the exchange of knowledge between the workers are also explored. Lastly, the paper provides the recommendations for decision makers relating to the approaches supporting knowledge management in Saudi Telecom Company context.[G Hofstede, 'Measuring Organizational Cultures: A Qualitative And Quantitative Study Across 20 Cases', Administrative Science Quarterly 35, iss 2 (1991): 286-316.]
Organizational Culture
This forms the most important element determining the realization or failure of a business goals and strategies. Culture can be among the strongest elements in the organizational context, and it varies from different points of view. For instance, national culture varies greatly in comparison to organizational culture in that national culture results from steadiness in values while organizational culture results from the consistency of practices. Organizational culture defines a pattern for sharing assumptions beliefs and the values considered appropriate for application on solving issues and identifying opportunities within the organization. It can be defined as the pattern of assumptions shared in a group that are learned for solving problems facing the organization as well as identifying any opportunities that open up for the business, which can be taught to new employees and members of the organization as the most appropriate methods for perceiving, thinking and feeling whenever such problems arise. Organizational culture has thus been presented as the most perilous factor affecting the organization’s aptitude, effectiveness and the chances of survival. The fact that Saudi Arabia is identical to other Arabian countries denotes that it is also surrounded by the Muslims. Their faith greatly impacts the way of life marked with the disparities in power and the avoidance of the uncertainties. As such, leaders are expected to be totally separated from the other groups of people who are expected to follow their directives to the word. Nevertheless, other cultural elements works positively towards promoting knowledge exchange and are embraced throughout the Saudi Telecom Company.[Jai B. P Sinha, Culture And Organizational Behaviour, 1st ed. (New Delhi: SAGE, 2008).] [G Hofstede, 'Measuring Organizational Cultures: A Qualitative And Quantitative Study Across 20 Cases', Administrative Science Quarterly 35, iss 2 (1991): 286-316.] [Edgar H Schein, Organizational Culture And Leadership, 3rd ed. (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2005).]
The concept of Knowledge Management
According to the research paper, effectively managing knowledge in an organization ensures that information gets to the right people and at the right time. The knowledge management concepts can thus be characterized into the activities involved in the transfer, use, creation and manifestation of the knowledge. Collection, organization and exchange of explicit knowledge can be easi...