The Value of Knowledge as a Competitive Weapon to Modern Organizations - Coursework Example

Determine the Value of Knowledge as a Competitive Weapon to Modern Organizations ID] [Lecturer] Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Core Competencies within the Knowledge Management Domains 3 Knowledge-Centered Companies and Regimes 4 Creating Value and Learning Incorporation 6 Managing Organizational Tenets 7 Training Schedules within Learning Avenues 8 Labor Workforce and the Role of Knowledge Management 9 Role of Human Resources 10 Conclusion 11 Bibliography 12 Introduction To start with, even though knowledge is a widely recognized source of achieving competitive advantage there seems to be very little and at times unsanctioned understanding of how people actually create and manage knowledge in a resolute manner, so much so that it is transferred through observation alone. Talking from an organizational standpoint, the role of the top management employees is quintessential as their astuteness is chalked out with respect to the company’s mission and vision on a long-term basis. Middle management levels also hold significant position in this as they are the real “knowledge producers” and hence any new knowledge that a company looks for is produced courtesy through these people. (Rocca, 1992) Core Competencies within the Knowledge Management Domains Competitive success is basically commanded by the companys capability to harness and indeed develop new forms of knowledge, gained either by observation or by experience attained, which can be called as assets that in turn create the required “core competencies” of the said organization. While these competencies do exist in many forms, learning on the part of a particular company plays a pivotal role, which eventually ventures into other resources of knowledge to generate high-class and exceptional showing from the company’s employees. (Dunn, 2001) Core competencies, which usually flow out of a company, provide characteristic benefits to both the customers as well as any other individuals attached with it. These are generally espied as being the foundation of forming a competitive advantage within the said company. It is quite true that there is a host of ways in which new knowledge within a company is facilitated within its ranks. The need here is to classify them with respect to their importance, which include the cultural infrastructure can be changed within a company so as to gather some proportion to the fact of the actual remains that have to be taken care of in the company and in its employees’ minds. It demands idealization and disclosure of everlasting knowledge that is created over a certain period of time. This usually requires basic changes to already set cultural notions in companies and more so in the minds of their employees. (Fahy, 1996) Also operational infrastructure is changed through human resources organizational practices that are managed and received by the employees and other people in a different way altogether. Knowledge-Centered Companies and Regimes A basic revamp of a knowledge-centered company is required here, which would involve the job ladders, compensations, work locales and command and control structures to be changed so as to cater to the needs of an individual knowledge worker and thus his or her company. Labor unions have been quite supportive of education as well as training for their members around the late 19th century. (Han, 2001) A few decades into history has seen a gradual fall in the membership of these unions but at the same time workplace learning has boomed big time in magnitude. The new educational vision of labors has been based on the conviction that worker-centered learning can more or less contribute both to individual development and the economic viability of the organization, not to forget the education of the whole society as a result. Labors have been the objects of extreme exploitation in terms of toiling for long hours for minimal pay. Their work conditions are more than ever quite severe whereby they often not provide the inspiration for proper physical as well as mental development of the individual. (Murtha, 2004) Many of these labors usually bear lives that are filled with innocent deprivation. Nevertheless, there are problems with the intuitive solution of immediately educating this labor class so as to provide them a platform of their own for their better upbringing, one which can easily be compared with other individuals of the society. (Mort, 1987) The state could in essence facilitate by making it worthwhile for them to attend schools, whether it is by providing them with nutritional supplements or their increase in the quality and usefulness of obtaining education. There must be an economic change in the condition of a struggling family to free the labors from the responsibility of working. Family subsidies can help provide this support as well. Thus the knowledge these labors attain day in day out is pretty much enough for them to make them understand the importance of gaining education and knowledge as these are the men and women who have faced the hardships of life and they know the real gap between their present positions and where they eventually want to be at. Knowledge surely is gained through these people courtesy observation and they know it pretty well. Creating Value and Learning Incorporation The organization strives to bring value to its customers, stakeholders and create an encouraging environment for the employees and workers. The aspect of learning is tied in closely with the organization since it has to seek future business activities, tasks and processes in line with the already completed research and surveys. (Sisaye, 2005) Learning has to be the basic outcome of its activities and on those very learning principles, does the business survive. Now the imperative point to understand here is the fact that learning can not only be at the highest level, rather the knowledge management can even take place at the middle cadre and the special training help at doing their best as far as the lower level management is concerned. An organization which can learn can understand what are its responsibilities with regards to the society, the environment, its stakeholders and customers, its functions and different processes which have to be looked down up at with a legal and ethical perspective. This means that the organization emancipates its working methodologies in line with its already set values and moral principles. Moreover, it knows what are its obligations and compulsions towards all the above-mentioned. The organization is always willing and eager to learn from its mistakes, ready to bring in newer and fresh processes within its folds and always encouraging its stakeholders and employees to invest more money and time, respectively. Organizations have responsibilities to give back the people what they deserve and not merely run after revenues which would surely come if they play it fair. Managing Organizational Tenets Managing an organization is also an important function which comes under the learning principles. It has case studies and best case scenarios to look up to whenever there is a problem or trouble at hand and it knows who the right person is to contact whenever there is some discrepancy within the system. Add to that the organization tries to keep its contacts, no matter in which capacity they are, at a maximal point and always keeps on increasing so as to become a socially active player within the relevant industry. The management aspect also stems from the fact that its knowledge base is intact and knows what is required of it. This knowledge base has the role of continuously improving the systems and working methodologies. It also has the best available middle management employees who know the technical basis of running the organization and whose potential can largely benefit the sound workings of the company. (Sims, 2002) Thus it is very important to understand that an organization which is willing to place the knowledge base at level with the top management when it comes to calling the shots (taking the decisions), is willing to experiment in a very proactive manner; one that can reap rich dividends in the near future. Training Schedules within Learning Avenues Continuing with the debate of knowledge management and its significance within an organization, one finds that learning within an organization can also be an intrinsic entity when there are special training programs and in house courses and seminars for the employees and stakeholders. By this process, these people come to know of the industry norms and what new activities are taking place in the world of relevant business paradigms. Also it helps to improve the understanding and knowledge levels of these people who are tied in closely with the very organization in the first place. An organization which is willing to learn is such that can create value for its customers and provide more investment opportunities as far as its stakeholders are concerned. What this does is that it creates a competitive environment and spirit within the organization and each entity that functions within it, is ready and willing to give in their very best so that the eventual goals of the organization could be met in a positive and safe manner. The steps that the organization takes all this while are proactive which indeed works as a positive sign and the same should be the case at all possible times as well. (Chang, 2001) We can easily summarize that an organization, which is open to learning, is a winner and can have all sorts of benefits and revenues up its sleeves, no matter when we speak of the short term activities or the long run processes. Labor Workforce and the Role of Knowledge Management One of the most dramatic changes in labor union-sponsored work force of late has been in the field of education, inclusive of knowledge gathering and information finding regimes. Even though conventionally used technical education is pretty much prevalent to date but it is these liberal educational programs that are emphasizing on the personal development of the society’s individuals that is giving it greater importance in the long run. A number of developmental programs as concerns to employees have now sought at promoting workplace learning further than the somewhat intently defined business interests of a company or an industry for that matter. (Lumpkin, 2005) This has been pretty much the trend and it is a direct response to the eventual need for sovereign employees in what can be remarked as an environment having information easily distributed along its lengths and breadths. This, in essence has been a feat of the two-way relationship that has existed in the past and even in the present times between personal and community development as well as vocational training. Role of Human Resources Human resources function within an organization becomes absolutely minimal if the knowledge management role is reduced or completely taken off the roster. There must be methods and ways to counter this problem which could arise at some point in time and knowledge must readily be available at the best of times and not to forget the moments when there is a dire need for these. Furthermore, supplementary inducements and benefits in order to participate in educational programs so that one can get a know-how and attain knowledge through observation on and off might also be provided by making these working men and women apply toward long-term goals by granting credits toward a degree or continuing education credits. In the coming times, to equalize educational access these working men and women must negotiate employee education development funds as well as pay educational leave for ordinary workers into labor contracts. In addition, increased use of technology for individualized studies can take learning into a whole new world of geographic and socio-economically diverse inhabitants. (Fountaine, 2005) Conclusion In the end, knowledge can seriously instill pride and confidence into the minds of one and all, as it is quite an awareness-setting thing. Observation helps build that knowledge into one’s mind and with experience a person can polish his or her skills with the passage of time. The need of the hour is to understand that knowledge needs to be grasped at all times and under all situations and conditions no matter how harsh and rigid the environment is. Hence in the end it is significant here to understand that knowledge management and organizational learning hand in hand and it is with their unified approach that the process moves forward. Competitive advantage is based on not just a single factor out of the two but a combination of both knowledge management perspectives as well as the organizational learning regimes. (Thierauf, 1999) The positives simply outnumber the negatives found all this while where the latter seem to be a foregone conclusion. All said and done, it is up to the middle management in facilitation with the top hierarchies within organizations as to how effectively they utilize the resources at their disposal and what steps they undertake with the passage of time. Bibliography CHANG, Richard. (2001). Turning into Organizational Performance. T&D, Vol. 55 DUNN, Rita. (2001). Knowledge Management and Learning Styles: Prescriptions for Future Teachers. College Student Journal, Vol. 35 FAHY, John. (1996). Competitive Advantage in International Services: A Resource-Based View. International Studies of Management & Organization, Vol. 26 FOUNTAINE, Dave. (2005). Human Resources: What’s Your Plan? Public Management, Vol. 87 HAN, Frances. (2001). Understanding Knowledge Management. The Public Manager, Vol. 30 LUMPKIN, G T. (2005). The Role of Organizational Learning in the Opportunity-Recognition Process. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, Vol. 29 MORT, Jo-Ann. (1987). The Vanishing Labor Beat. The Nation, Vol. 245, November 21 MURTHA, Thomas P. (2004). Knowledge and Competitive Advantage, the Coevolution of Firms, Technology and National Institutions. Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 35 ROCCA, Giuseppe Della. (1992). "Voice" and "Exit" in the Middle-Management Labor Market. International Studies of Management & Organization, Vol. 22 SIMS, Ronald R. (2002). Organizational Success through Effective Human Resources Management. Quorum Books SISAYE, Seleshi. (2005). Business Process Outsourcing: The Competitive Advantage. Issues in Accounting Education, Vol. 20 THIERAUF, Robert J. (1999). Knowledge Management Systems for Business. Quorum Books Word Count: 2,063 Read More