Managing Knowledge and Information Systems (Essay Sample)

Managing knowledge and information systems


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Introduction
Organizations in the contemporary promote value creation through various management strategies that involve the sharing of knowledge. Web 2.0 technologies and more so enterprise software mostly favoured by business organizations has been in recent time receiving increased focus since it provides tools which in an immense way fosters collaboration, innovation and most importantly knowledge sharing. Research into the use of web 2.0 software for instance Wikis have proved that initiatives relating to knowledge management have been successful and are widely employed in various business industries including among other fields; sales and marketing, task management, technical support, as well as research and development (Kussmaul & Jack 2008). Based on TPMT Ltd’s case study, it is evident that the company faces challenges of knowledge management, and can greatly benefit from web 2.0 application usage.
Limited by their financial muscle to ensure effective overseas operations outside of the UK, the company can benefit from the enterprise software since it offers a cost effective and efficient means for increasing information and knowledge exchange which seems to the company’s major challenge. Through increased knowledge sharing as a consequence of the use of web 2.0 software usages, the company would eliminate its problems with agents since they would benefit from the shared knowledge and hence acquire the capabilities to effectively represent the company’s interests internationally by improving quality as well as productivity. The use of the application would also ensure the collection of useful as well as accurate information from both agents and clients through offering an interaction platform. This would not only provide a solution to the issue of contradictory client information received from their agents, but its good client relations would also be promoted due to constant communication as well as sharing of useful information.
Web 2.0 technologies overview
The most basic purpose for knowledge management in a firm is to convert the gathered as well as available data that is in its raw form to information that is quite understandable (Deans 2009). Knowledge management is critical to achieving development results in an organization since it equips the organization with the ability to acquire sufficient information needed to solve various business problems. Knowledge management promotes the restructuring of an organization’s problems, ideas as well as projects among other organizational issues in a manner that aligns with its strategic goals of achieving increased productivity. Most corporate entities in the modern business environment have embraced and adopted web 2.0 application usage which provide them tools as well as systems that facilitate among others, information as well as knowledge transfer.
Web 2.0 technology as postulated by various scholarly materials is simply a new approach to internet usage where increased interaction, collaboration as well as participation is enabled hence a more advanced user experience in contrast to traditional web site usage (Razmerita, Kirchner & Sudzina 2009). The technology essentially provides users both experts as well as non-web experts a platform full of tools and applications which facilitate online collaboration in terms of information exchange, hence creating an opportunity where an increased number of users benefit as a consequence of the contribution and involvement of many.
In summary, web 2.0 applications and especially enterprise 2.0 favoured by business organizations represent technological systems characterised by a change in approach in the internet based applications design. The approach also extends to the interpretation and usage by users. Unlike traditional internet applications which are developer oriented where information flow is unidirectional hence creating a passive experience for users, web 2.0 applications are user oriented in the form that they allow users to create social networks, easy access to application content, ease in editing as well as contributing to content existing in the application and hence increased ease in content customization. A specific feature that defines web 2.0 applications is its emphasis on multiple format information transfer, which includes the transfers of pictorial, video, text and audio information. It also enables real-time feedback to subscribed members or users. Another unique characteristic exhibited in web 2.0 applications is its architectural flexibility, which despite offering structure, adapts to meet the requirements and specifications of users. Wiki’s and blogs among other web-based applications represent web 2.0 examples while twitter , my space and face book also represent other platforms operating under the concept.
Web 2.0 technologies benefits
Management of knowledge is central to the growth and sustainability of any business organization. Organizations promote sustainability and ensure the creation of a competitive advantage by managing their resources which they consider as unique, imitable and valuable (Tuten 2010). Organizations therefore through knowledge management ensure the creation of competitive advantage as well as sustainability by providing better solutions, products as well as services through knowledge differentiation. Knowledge management and transfer is therefore a necessity for organizations and web 2.0 technologies provide tools as well as mechanisms that promote effective as well as efficient knowledge transfer through increased information sharing.
One benefit that is consequently achieved through web 2.0 usage in knowledge transfer process is the formation of informal networks within organizations and their subsidiaries. Under the corporate context, informal relationships refer to those networks where the connections of employees are as a consequence of their personal or social associations instead of associations that are work related. Informal associations formed through informal networks compliment the formal networks since created relationships expose different persons involved in networks to each other, hence creating an opportunity for communication and interaction between people of diverse knowledge.
The concept of informal networks is also supported by the fact that numerous tasks in modern organizations are performed through personal contacts which is rather informal in nature. Apart from promoting the exchange of diverse knowledge between participants in contrast with formal work oriented associations where persons contain specialized knowledge that is similar in nature, informal networks promotes tactic knowledge exchange in an organization. Since tactic knowledge is considered as hardly imitable, extremely personalized and practical, its exchange in the organization stimulates innovation and hence improving productivity. Informal networks also make easy and efficient the process of knowledge transfer.
The second benefit involves the creation of weak ties between stakeholders in an organization. While strong ties relate to associations characterised by frequent communications, reciprocity, mutual confidence and emotional attachments, weak ties represent persons who less frequently communicate, persons with reduced mutual confidence as well as emotional intensity and persons with different perspectives on reciprocity. Strong ties are therefore predominant in family members, people in close friendships or working in similar projects while weak ties are involved with people brought together by a certain trade, but who do not necessarily share strong personal bonds.
Weak ties in organizations facilitate the transfer of information hence promoting the exchange of useful, diverse and less redundant information which in turn also facilitate the transfer of specialized knowledge within organizations’ employees. According to Paroutis and Al Saleh (2009) social networks that exhibit weak ties tend to facilitate the diffusion of information in a more efficient manner and hence minimizing redundancy. Useful information in an organization is also gathered easily when social networks are attached through weak ties in contrast with strong ties. Weak ties therefore enable employees acquire new and useful information since information or socially distant ideas are easily reachable. Increased information in tern leads to increased integration hence increasing knowledge transfer and improves relations between all stakeholders.
The third benefits involve social capital development. Social capital refers to the actual as well as potential resources social units in an organization contain or provide through formed relationship networks (Razmerita, Kirchner & Sudzina 2009). Social capital exists in three distinctive aspects which are relational, structural and cognitive. All of these aspects are responsible for the establishment of intellectual capital in an organization. Factors that promote the development of social capital include among others; shared visions, trust, reciprocity norms and interaction ties. The factors also according to Wagner (2004) influence positively both the quality as well as quantity of transferred knowledge. Social capital in essential in an organization since it in the same way as web 2.0 software facilitate the ease in knowledge and information access. Through constant interactions facilitated by the applications, social capital is acquired as well as improved among social network members.
Web 2.0 technologies challenges
Despite various benefits provided by the application, there are various setbacks associated with its implementation which include among others; data security issues, time spent on the application in the form...