Knowledge Management - Essay Example

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT Work, in the main, is no longer the manipulation of things, but of meanings. (Ernest Gellner, Nations and Nationalism) INTRODUCTION The quest for knowledge has been embarked by human beings since the ancient period. The innate desire and ability to know, understand and comprehend the workings of nature and of the world has always been one of the primary motivators for humanity to continue seeking knowledge. But this quest for knowledge has been undertaken in many forms and in many ways, responding to the needs and demands of times. Beings such, humanity’s quest for knowledge in the contemporary period has been driven no longer solely on the basis that individual thinkers posses knowledge by themselves coupled with the notion and common belief that knowledge has a social function.. But rather, in the contemporary societies “knowledge provide the principle for social hierarchies, and stratification, for the formation of class structure, for the distribution of chances of social and political influence and for the nature of personal and finally, knowledge may also prove to be a normative principle of social cohesion and integration.”1 And this, for the reason that the very “constitutive mechanism or the identity of modern and contemporary society is increasingly driven by knowledge.”2 But it is not only that. Globalisation which do not refer merely to “development of global financial markets, the growth of transnational corporations, and their increasing domination over national economies… but one could also discuss the globalization of information, of culture and commercialization of ideas.”3 Which in turn created fast phase creation, production, development, transfer and exchange of knowledge between organizations, among nations resulting into “information overload and chaos, information congestion, information and skill segmentation and specialization, workforce turnover and mobility and competition.”4 As such is the environment of the contemporary globalised world, a new field has emerged – knowledge management. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT Knowledge Management is the “systematic and organized approach of organizations to manipulate and take advantage of both explicit and tacit knowledge which in turn leads to the creation of new knowledge.”5 In the same manner, knowledge management has also been defined by the American Productivity and Quality Center as “the systematic process of identifying, capturing, and transferring information and knowledge people can use to create, compete and improve.”6 And this is primarily because knowledge management is in fact organizational knowledge which is “comprised of shared understanding, created within the company by means of information and social interaction and provides potential for development and it is this form of knowledge that is at the heart of knowledge management.”7 Being such, the progress of organizational knowledge is measured via the movement of knowledge from the domain of the individual whose possessed knowledge is considered and appreciated as tacit for it is basically that which the individual knows and it is lodged inside his/her head, towards organizational/social knowledge that is more or less objectified or codified. Although in its objectivity, it is assumed that it may acquire different interpretation and meaning for different persons, “depending on what those individuals might infer from the explicit knowledge.”8 With this as the basic framework of knowledge management, it affords us the notion that this particular field basically necessitate the recognition of the specialization and the knowledge acquired and possessed by the individual in the organization so that it can create a new and more productive knowledge. Moreover, it technically removes knowledge for the realm of abstraction since it envisions a pool of experts who are not just willing to toy and create new ideas either via scientific method or quantitative/qualitative analysis. But, you have here intellectuals who sees at the same time that as they pursue knowledge, they also become sharers of knowledge that they themselves may gain. This, in effect, presents the sentiment that specialists who are considered as the elite and the experts in their own various fields are thrust to go beyond just the social function of their knowledge. The expert is ethically necessitated to impart his knowledge to others and if possible make his newly created knowledge part of the common knowledge hold onto by the society. This more over, poses a continual challenge to all members of the organization, regardless of its structure and composition, to be in such a state wherein “everyone is in nonstop process of personal and organizational self-renewal”9 because that is the only way new knowledge can be created, can be produced. In this particular kind scenario, we can more or less perceive the idea that although the inception of knowledge management can be attributed to various companies’ effort in putting order to the voluminous and fast influx of information coming from the networking of individuals, departments, management in an organization, it has now move beyond the limits of its organizational boundaries. And it is starting to be appreciated as one of the viable alternative methodology in the acquisition of knowledge. or even perhaps it can be seen as one of potential partner of the scientific method. Knowledge management, thus, not only removes the quest of knowledge in the realm of abstraction or the field of laboratories. But rather, knowledge management shows to humanity that it is not only companies that technically benefit from the exchanges and transfers of information and knowledge happening in between companies among nations. It is for all of us. And the creation of knowledge is no longer resting in one or two hands but instead it is the responsibility of all the experts who can contribute to the field. More over, it give us the notion that there is no such thing as one knowledge for everybody but what it shows is continual effort on the part of everyone to uplift knowledge via knowledge management as humanity moves towards in fulfilling its vision and hope for all humanity – the good life. However, not all things are as rosy as this picture may be. With the organization as the root cause of the creation and origin of knowledge management, it sometimes limits itself to the development solely of the organization. And it is for this reason that some companies like Siemens and LiftCO and other multinational and trans-national companies with specific departments or divisions that deals with knowledge management. Since, in the business environment knowledge is always appreciated as power that can be utilized primarily to the benefit of the company itself. There is nothing wrong with this. In fact the very notion of innovation has continuously driven various companies in challenging its people to come up with new ideas. But the thing is this, knowledge is still being pursued not really because there is a sublime and novel reason in pursuing it, but because it is the only sure fire and way for a company to be able to survive in the highly competitive modern world. And in fact, some are even arguing that “knowledge should not be seen as valuable in itself but as adding value only where it is created and applied for specific tasks and purposes.”10 Though sounding like a mad voice in the dark, if knowledge is valuable only when it is perceived to be of purpose, does it not miss the entire point of the entire gamut of knowledge management for knowledge management what is considered of primordial importance is the idea of information and knowledge sharing. Since, it is within the framework of knowledge management that “ Information sharing is critical because intellectual assets, unlike physical assets, increase in value and use. Properly stimulated knowledge and intellect grow exponentially together.”11 And if knowledge and information sharing is critical, would not the idea that knowledge without purpose is invaluable maybe one of the reasons that will not encourage its possessors to go out and share his/ her knowledge for the possessor of knowledge knows that his/ her knowledge is both valuable in it self and is valuable to the society and organization regardless of whether or not it is addressing a particular or specific tasks. The point, in effect, that is being raised is the notion that information highway, networking, sharing of information, whether relevant or irrelevant as of the moment, are of the stock of knowledge which are deemed important. It is under the five basic knowledge management activities namely “ identify, make explicit, distribute, apply and store”12 which shows that knowledge is valuable regardless of purpose. But can knowledge management rise above the demands of the times? KNOWLEDEGE MANAGEMENT AND BEYOND At the turn of 20th century when the structure of mass production follows the concept that there are skilled and specialized workers who do not know anything beyond the rudiments of their tasks. Aside form that they are not expected to think by themselves but are instead expected to wait from the managers any orders or innovations regarding their work. More over, it appears that the very structure of the organization is rigid and does not make any allowances from the people below the managerial positions, it being hierarchical. And this structure has been succinctly observed in all manufacturing plants of Ford. But as flaws in mass production-fordism are not sparse but many, a new breed of organization has risen. On the other side of the world, in Japan, the makers of Toyota13 have created a new organizational structure. It all started in Nagoya Japan. The conceptualization, application and development of it is owed to Eiji Toyoda, owner of Toyota Motor Company and Taiichi Ohno his production genius. After they have created a faster and more economical way of die-changing techniques, a new type or manner of setting the organization has come into for – the lean production. Lean production presents the idea that in order to optimize all the factors in coming up and creating or producing a worldwide reaching and successful company , one need be lagging behind nor be working from the periphery. The lean production system of the Toyodas has shown us that in the production, nobody is inessential but that everybody is essential. And that the rate of improvement is basically lying in the hands of all the members of the team who are tasked in the creation of work. Being such, Toyoda via lean production has technically decentralized the control of production. They have removed the idea that all decisions must be coming from the top, that there is only one voice dominating all the voices in the company. The lean production system empowers all the workers since everybody basically has say on the production. Enthusiasm, respect and creativity appear as the common sentiments of all persons involve in the production under lean system. This is made possible because the customers rights are recognized and as such their wants are technically addressed and satisfied. The creativity of the workers are encouraged to the extent that all working under a team is now considered a not a s somebody who ranks lower that you are but is no seen and appreciated as a co- worker, co developer in the project. The suppliers on the other hand are made to feel that they too are part of the family. Competitions among the possible suppliers are basically controlled if not altogether turned into nil since it is seen as non-workable alternative. As such, even in the supplier side, lean production integrates the idea of the suppliers do that they too will get the feeling that they have a hand on the production that they are not dispensable part of the company. The management on the other side, is no longer appreciated as the controlling hand or the visible hand that h encases things, or made things to be. The management is now acknowledged as the conduit that connects like ideas, as the guide that enlightens all decision, and as the harbinger of all the ideas of the employees. And lastly, the owners and stockholders are all made happy because the lowered cost of production that lean production system provides automatically increases their profit. At the end of the day, there is a perception that under the lean production system, a more positive, non-adversarial, non-threatening business environment is being slowly created. This story is presented with the view that with the recognition of the importance of all persons being part of the team who are voluntarily and willingly sharing information, ideas and knowledge that they know because they hold onto the belief that the actual sharing of information and knowledge cuts across differences and needs become one of the primordial strength of knowledge management as it embarks to move beyond the boundaries of profit and power as the penultimate aim of human endeavor. This notion is being upheld on the supposition that the idea that the origin of knowledge management though limited has afforded the field the chance that is uniquely its own – the recognition of the importance of knowledge shared, knowledge made explicit, knowledge combined through the effort of various individuals who shares the same vision and mission. The beauty and persuasiveness is on this very original and noble practice of experts in the field of knowledge management. This particular characteristic of KM is something that should be included in the practice of all institutions who are into research whether it will be in the academe or on the field of hard core sciences or social sciences. This attribute greatly highlights the truism that combined minds of human beings produce better results that enable the world to become a better place for us to live in. It removes the notion that since “professionals have specialized knowledge and have been trained as an elite, they often tend to regard their judgment in other realms as sacrosanct as well.”14 But instead, knowledge management have raised the notion and idea that “to create new knowledge means quite literally to recreate the company and everyone in it in a non-stop process of personal and organizational self-renewal.”15 Being such, the Toyota storys success can be deemed to be resting on the fact that there is no one person who is to be considered as the be all and end all, the sole authority in innovation. Rather, the story showed how knowledge and information really grow exponentially the moment that it is shared across among people. CONCLUSION Although it can be claimed that it can be claimed that knowledge management may have have started not form altruistic motivations but instead have been instantiated because of the need to be as competitive as possible for companies to survive the globalized world. What it ha shown us is that in its very little years of practice, it has already created a paradigm by which scientists of both social and physical sciences are challenge to move outside their ;laboratories, to look beyond the boundaries of theories which are abstracted from reality, to recognize that there are more to learn, no longer coming from the books of authority but from the people who are actual players of the field, ho are experts of themselves. This particular characteristic of knowledge management has opened the vision and possibility of community of scholars no longer driven by individual excellence but of community of scholars who recognizes that their greatness lies on the fact on how each and everyone of them can contribute in the good of the company as a whole,in the good the society as one. As such, knowledge management is affords us the tool with which scholars learn that the world is not a book to be read and understood alone. But it is a great book that understanding of which demands a joint reading, a coming together of brilliant minds. BIBLIOGRAPHY Davenport, Thomas H. and Probst, Gilbert J.B. Knowledge Management Case Book: Best Practises.Germany: John Wiley & Sons. 2002. Mertins, Kai , Heisig, Peter, and Vorveck, Jens. Knowledge management in Europe: Best Practices. London: McGRAW- HILLS Companies, 2002. Newell, Sue, Robertson, Maxine, Scarbrough,Harry and Swan,Jacky. Managing Knowledge Work. New York: Palgrave, 2002. Nonaka, Ikujiro, “The Knowledge Creating Company,” in Harvard Business Review: On Knowledge Management, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1998. Palmer, Adrian and Hartley, Bob. The Business Environment 4th Edition. London: THE McGRAW-HILL Companies, 2002. Quinn, James Brian, Anderson, Philip and Finkelstein, Sydney. “Managing Professional Intellect: Making the Most of the Best,” in Harvard Business Review : On Knowledge Management. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1998. Serban, Andreea M. and Luan, Jing, eds., Knowledge Management: Building a Competitive Advantage in Higher Education, California: Jossey-BASS, 2002. Soros, George. On Globalization .London: Public Affairs Ltd., 2002 Sterh,Nico. Knowledge Societies. London: Sage Publications, 1994. Womack, James P., Jones, Daniel and Roos, Daniel. The Machine that Changed the World: How Japan’s Secret Weapon in the Global Auto Wars will Revolutionize Western Industry. New York: Harper Perennial, 1991. 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