Information and Knowledge Management - Essay Example

Information and Knowledge Management Submitted by: XXXXXXXX Number: XXXXXX XXXXXX of XXXXXXX XXXXXXX Subject Code: XXXXXX Date of Submission: XX – XX – 2011 Number of Words: 2925 (Excluding Bibliography) Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 1 Reflective Log: 2 2 Academic Report: 4 2.1 Introduction: 4 2.2 Digital Age: 4 2.3. Information and Knowledge Management: 5 2.4 Information Management in Digital Age: 6 2.4.1 Challenges Faced: 8 2.4.2 Opportunities Presented: 9 2.5 Conclusions: 10 3 Evidence of Engagement: 11 Bibliography 18 1 Reflective Log: As a part of this course a number of different readings have been undertaken. In terms of discussions, one discussion was held which mainly dealt with strategic alignment. I have had a constant focus on references and have used the library to gain as much additional reading as possible for this course. Throughout the course, I have tried to keep myself updated with the subject by going through additional readings from the library as well as the online library. These I believe have helped me make my foundations strong and have also helped in gaining a stronger understanding of the topics. Below is a copy of my log: Objective: My main objective is to understand the topics in detail and get my foundation strong. This is only possible with extensive reading and also trying to apply the various concepts to the daily events. Opportunities: I have a number of different opportunities that have been thrown at me. Firstly, access to an extensive library with all the books and journals that I need for my course. Also, the access to an online library where I can get a chance to read as many articles on the various topics and also be updated with the current events, findings for the various topics as well. With the gift of being a good reader, I believe this has been a major opportunity for me and has been very helpful during the entire course. Constraints: The only constraint that I have had is the lacking ability to effectively keep track of all the readings. This has been a major issue throughout the course. Action: As a means to achieve the objectives, I have tried my best to read as much as I can and have used the internet and the online libraries as a major source of information. A few of the articles that I have used as references include, a) The ‘Information Officer’ in Britain Before the Age of the Computer by Alistair Black, b) Global forces: An introduction by Peter Bisson, Elizabeth Stephenson, and S. Patrick Viguerie, c) Does IT Matter? An HBR Debate, d) A generic framework for Information Management by R Maes, e) ICON, INDEX and SYMBOL, f) The Information Officer as Intelligence Officer: Aspects of Information Management in British Military Intelligence 1909–1945 by Rodney M. Brunt, g) Information and the CIO by Antony Bryant, h) Thinking Automatically: A New understanding of Information, Communication, and Technology by Antony Bryant and many others. A few of the books that have also been used include, a) Management Information Systems for the Information Age by Stephen Haag, Maeve Cummings and Donald J. McCubbrey and b) Information Technology for Management: Transforming Organizations in the Digital Economy by Efraim Turban, Dorothy Leidner, Ephraim McLean, and James Wetherbe. Future Actions: Based on these, I realized that it is difficult to keep track of all the information available and hence in the future, I aim at developing notes for all the articles and books. I plan to develop these chapter by chapter for books and based on each article. Also, as a means to understand the topic better, I aim at trying to relate each of the topics to real life examples. This I believe will not only assist in learning the topics but will also help in better application in real life situations. 2 Academic Report: 2.1 Introduction: This part of the paper aims at discussing in detail the management of information in the digital age. Here the following sub sections will firstly briefly discuss the digital age and information and knowledge management. Also, the challenges and opportunities have also been discussed in detail here. 2.2 Digital Age: In the current times, people need to have complete accessibility to information anytime anywhere. With the growing need of moving out of four walls, business and work is now becoming possible from anywhere at any time. In the current times, the world is based on an increasingly connected society which has only been due to the increase and rapid advancement of information and the communication technology (Beynon-Davies, 2003). This is seen not only in businesses but also at home. As explained by the Office for National Statistics (UK), the report Focus on the Digital Age, provides a clear explanation of the extent to which the people use information and communication technology in different fields like education, business, government and also at home (Office for National Statistics, 2007). The world has been facing a drastic increase and improvement in the overall technologies, and communication tools (Allen, Rosenbaum, & Shachaf, 2010). With the introduction of the Internet, and also the development of Web 2.0 have marked the change in the overall process of knowledge and information technology to a great extent. The next section will provide a basic overview of information and knowledge management. 2.3. Information and Knowledge Management: Information and knowledge are two words which are interchangeable and are very valuable. Knowledge Management (KM) has been in use for a very long period and has a strong and distinguished history. Peter Drucker introduced the first related term ‘Knowledge Worker’ in 1960. Over the years, there has been a significant growth in this field and various authors and scholars have brought a number of different areas of focus on the subject. Carlie (1998) highlighted that several theories were developed to manage the intellectual capital in the 21st century. Graham and Thomas (2008) believed that KM is supported as a means of harnessing and utilizing intellectual resources to address challenges, as well as improving innovation, business performance and client approval. Since 1996, there has been immense and rapid growth in terms of KM. Knowledge is the awareness of what one knows through study, reasoning, experience or association, or through various other types of learning (McInerney, 2002). KM consists of four key processes to include knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing, scoring knowledge and knowledge use. DeNoni, Orsi, and Pilotti (2009) believed that the implementation of knowledge management needs effective methods of accessing, measuring and controlling information to manage increasing complexity. Knowledge is normally difficult to access and it can leave the organisation if the person who contributes to the organisation leaves the organisation. “The only irreplaceable capital an organization possesses is the knowledge and ability of its people. The productivity of that capital depends on how effectively people share their competence with those who can use it” (Carnegie, 2009). Information is usually gained from books or online and is independent by itself without the need for an individual (Alavi & Leider, 2001). Knowledge on the other hand is related to a knower or a person who knows the topic and is mostly gained from an individual rather than a book. The next section will deal with the information management in the digital age. 2.4 Information Management in Digital Age: Informatics mainly deals with representing, processing and communicating information. The rapid technological advances and the ability to process large volumes of digital data has led to the evolution of informatics: dealing mainly with digital information (Beynon-Davies, 2003). As web 2.0 has significantly altered the way in which information is gathered, processed and presented, it plays a prominent role in the development of informatics (Carlie, 1998). To understand the impact on informatics, it is essential to comprehend the technological innovations brought about by web 2.0. Unlike web 1.0, dynamic content can be delivered to end users using database driven applications. This is the main characteristic of web 2.0. There have been a number of innovations in effectively presenting this dynamic information (White, 2007). The characteristic elements of web 2.0 have enabled more effective information management across various disciplines, for instance, the evolution of knowledge management in a business environment. Knowledge management has become a crucial factor to maintain a sustainable competitive advantage. Today’s organizations depend widely on Information Technology (IT) to create business intelligence. Web 2.0 has enabled easier collection, storage and distribution of information in real time and hence has completely altered the way in which information systems are handled in a business environment (Frappaolo, 2006). With the use of simple web services which are platform independent, it has become easier to seamlessly integrate various IT subsystems of an organization, such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), SCM (Supply Chain Management), CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and BI (Business Intelligence) systems, which was once a daunting task (Andriole, 2010). All the information is shared from a central database and the relevant information is presented to the various functions of the business, such as accounting, production and human resources. An important initiative to note in this context is that of General Electric. GE has developed a professional network, named SupportCentral, where employee communities can collect and collaborate on documents. The system also inhibits experts to share their ideas by prompting them to answer employee queries. The system also has a workflow functionality which allows users to move documents around the organization for various functionalities (Swabey, 2008). Similarly web 2.0 has a significant effect on various disciplines which are dependent on gathering and processing information. Information management and knowledge management has become much simpler due to the advent of web 2.0 and this has resulted in a number of innovative applications such as forums, blogs and wikis. User generated content adds significant value to an organization as it is an effective gateway for obtaining information on the users’ expectations and attitude towards a service or product (Allen, Rosenbaum & Shachaf, 2010). It has become common for information personnel to actively engage in forums and blogs to gather useful information relevant to their organization. IdeaStorm, an initiative by Dell, is a unique example which depends on user content to implement product improvements (Swabey, 2008). Apart from the high levels of technology available for knowledge management and information management, the common elements which help in improvised management of information and knowledge are several different modes of sharing the information and knowledge. These include user generated content, Software as a Service, and also Social Networking. However these come second to the various tools and systems that are available for knowledge management. It is also important to gain a clear insight into the challenges and opportunities faced by the use of information and knowledge management. 2.4.1 Challenges Faced: With the digital age, there are newer methods and technologies being used by professional across the world to manage the information and knowledge within the company. The widespread use of Internet and also the increased dissemination of information technology is now leading to newer means of providing information unlike the older times where libraries were the basis for all information. The introduction of these has led to the development of newer forms of information delivery and restoration. A more important aspect is that the world is moving from the concept of ‘Knowledge is power’ and making this more intractable and the concept now being followed is ‘Knowledge sharing is Power’. The main challenges that are being faced currently is more related to the human resources and the skills of the people rather than the technologies. With the information and knowledge sharing, there is a need for people with skills to not only manage the information but also understand, capture and also structure various tactics to change the knowledge and information into capital. An excellent example of this is the case of librarians across the world. Librarians are now required to not only have knowledge of managing books but also knowledge of computers, networks and content management. Other mandatory skills required include information analysis, digital sources and also internet surfing. This leaves the librarians with a need for learning new skills and working based on the new ways of thinking (Khosrowpour, 2000). Another issue and challenge that can be found with the information management are the security issues. With the intense technology and increased growth in terms of the amount of content that can be shared, there level of security is also a concern. The opportunities that information management in the digital age presents are also very high. These have been discussed in the following section. 2.4.2 Opportunities Presented: Information and knowledge management in the current digital age provides a wide range of opportunities to businesses. The concept of knowledge management although is young, is yet well known and understood widely across the world. Knowledge management and information management in the current times provide a wide range of opportunities which include aspects like tangential and imaginative thinking. Also with these systems in place, chances for development of more innovative libraries have become a common aspect. One other important aspect is that it provides the information professionals to not only prove their thinking but also to show off their skills and to make best use of their skills. This has also opened up opportunities for people and businesses to claim for their rightful skills since new technologies have led to blurred boundaries. In the book Information Entrepreneur authors Sheila Pantry and Peter Griffiths explain, “Information is lost at an alarming state, whilst inaccurate information replaces it from informal and formal resources, causing unnecessary expenses and creating competitive disadvantages for organisations and possibly serious consequences for individuals. The person with the combination of abilities to resolve these problems to the benefit of the customer and the information and library service is the information (or library) entrepreneur”. It is clear that the Internet has led to a complete change in the process of information gathering, generation, transmission and also understanding. The transformation from the use of web as a medium to the use of web as a platform marked the beginning of web 2.0 era. The advent of web 2.0 has had significant impact on various levels and areas. In a nutshell, it can be considered that web 2.0 has radically altered the manner in which information is processed and communicated. For instance, with web 1.0 it was difficult to collaborate and coordinate information from multiple users or multiple computers. However, software interoperability and computer-to-computer interaction became a reality with web 2.0 (Sena, 2009). This has created some marked changes in the field of informatics and information management. It is clear that Web 2.0 forms a major part of the new generation of information and knowledge management and this focuses on the use participation and also collaboration. The web 2.0 not only has opened up newer opportunities in this field but has also become the cause for rapid growth and development of information management alike. It will continue to evolve and in the near future users will be able to execute their own applications in the web to share novel ideas and information, thus enabling a more effective information system. 2.5 Conclusions: In conclusion, it is clear that the current digital age is becoming a completely information based world and companies as well as individuals are required to have strong knowledge and information to be able to effectively participate in the current times. The competitive edge of companies as well as individuals is more so, on the information and the management of information than it has ever been in the past. Hence it crucial that individuals and companies alike use the current digital age as a strong advantage for information management. Although there can be numerous challenges that can be faced with effective management of information, it is crucial that all information and knowledge is managed with care. Here an old saying plays the perfect role, i.e. ‘Knowledge is Power’. This saying has been proved to be absolutely true. Companies with good and well developed knowledge management systems and accurate information management have proved to be more successful and effective. Hence it is clear that although managing information in the digital age is surrounded by numerous challenges, there are also a number of benefits that companies can gain of this. Along with the intensive increase and improvement in the technology and the technological development, managing information has now become a simpler task for most. Hence this should be used to the fullest extent to help steer the businesses towards success. 3 Evidence of Engagement: Numerous books, journals and articles have been referred to and used during the entire course period. The course has not been based solely on the discussions, but rather I have made an attempt to make complete use of our resources and to learn as much as possible. The following have been the main books that have been used for the course. Although a few of these books are not directly related to the course, these do hold a great link to the overall course and also help in understanding the concepts more effectively. The following are the books, with their covers: a) Information Systems an Introduction to Informatics in Organizations b) Knowledge Management c) Challenges of information technology management in the 21st century Also, below are a few of the screen shots of the online sources used. d) WEB 2.0: A Social Informatics Perspective e) Impact of Web 2.0 Technologies f) The Impact of Web 2.0 on Enterprise Applications g) Solutions for Research and Knowledge Management h) Definition of Knowledge Management i) Focus on the Digital Age j) Web 2.0 in business k) The Impact of Web 2.0 on Business Portals The paper does not include all the books that have been used as readings to gain a better idea of the basics of the topics. However all books and websites that have been used for this paper have been referenced in the list below. Bibliography Alavi, M., & Leider, D. (2001). Review: Knowledge management and knowledge management systems: Conceptual foundations and research issues. MIS Quarterly , 25(1), 107-136. Allen, J. P., Rosenbaum, H., & Shachaf, P. (2010). WEB 2.0: A Social Informatics Perspective. Retrieved January 19, 2011, from Arizona Open Repositary: http://arizona.openrepository.com/arizona/bitstream/10150/105228/1/Web2point0.pdf Andriole, S. J. (2010). Impact of Web 2.0 Technologies. Retrieved January 18, 2011, from Liquid Hub: http://www.liquidhub.com/docs/Impact_of_Web_2_technologies.pdf Beynon-Davies, P. (2003). Information Systems an Introduction to Informatics in Organizations. Palgrave Macmillan. Carlie, P. R. (1998). Working Knowledge: How Organizations manage What they Know. Human resource Planning , 21 (4), 58 -59. Carnegic, A. (2009). The Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie and The Gospel of Wealth. Digireads.com. CIO. (2010). The Impact of Web 2.0 on Enterprise Applications. Retrieved January 19, 2011, from Adobe: http://www.adobe.com/financial/pdfs/cio_mag_executive.pdf Coakes, E. (2004). Knowledge management--a primer. Communications of AIS , 2004(14), 406-489. DeNoni, I., Orsi, L., & Pilotti, L. (2009). Uncertainty and forecasting of future extreme events in organizations: New approaches in knowledge management. ICFAI Journal of Knowledge Management , 7(3), 96-113. DowJones. (2010). Solutions for Research and Knowledge Management. Retrieved January 18, 2011, from http://www.dowjones.com/solutions-researchers.asp Frappaolo, C. (2006). Knowledge Management. Capstone. Khosrowpour, M. (2000). Challenges of information technology management in the 21st century. Idea Group Publishing. Knowledge Management . (2010). Definition of Knowledge Management. Retrieved January 10, 2011, from http://www.knowledge-management-online.com/Definition-of-Knowledge-Management.html McInerney, C. (2002). Knowledge management and the dynamic nature of knowledge. Journal of the American Society for Information Science & Technology , 53(12), 1009-1018. Murphy, K., & Holm, J. (2008). Knowledge Management at NASA: Supporting Missions and Collaboration. Knowledge Management and Collaboration Technologies , 2 - 23. Office for National Statistics. (2007, March 15). Focus on the Digital Age. Retrieved January 20, 2011, from http://www.statistics.gov.uk/focuson/digitalage/ Sena, J. A. (2009). The Impact of Web 2.0 on Technology. International Journal of Computer Science and Network Seurity , 378-385. Swabey, P. (2008, October 08). Web 2.0 in business. Retrieved January 20, 2011, from Information Age: http://www.information-age.com/channels/information-management/features/650221/web-20-in-business.thtml White, C. (2007, January 24). The Impact of Web 2.0 on Business Portals. Retrieved January 19, 2011, from http://www.b-eye-network.com/view/3850 Read More