Social Analysis of Business Intelligence - Assignment Example

Title: Report- Applying social analysis to Assignment 1 -Modeling with common KADS Dated: April 30, 2010 Part -a: Introduction: Knowledge Management is one of the important tools for managing knowledge engineering projects for making their plausible solutions. The knowledge management techniques provide engineering mechanism for the analysis and understanding of the complex problem through their proper understanding. The system provides necessary input as to develop artificial intelligence for its further utilization in the system. The knowledge management agents work in a coordinated and well focused manner for the achievement of the desired results. The application of the knowledge management techniques for making workable solutions in the area of seventeen municipalities in Netherlands has shown a number of problems. These problems are relating to the supply of necessary emergency services to the heart patients in the area of study. The members of the working team have observed a number of problems during the implementation of the program. These problems are relating to the social background of the work force, lack of coordination among all the members of the execution team and confused instruction from the top executives and management of the Emergency Medical Service (EMS). The application of knowledge management techniques in the light of the concept of ba as introduced by Japanese philosopher, Kitaro Nishida for the creation of knowledge among the individuals as well as organizations through the utilization of explicit and tacit knowledge and their inter-conversions. The application of information politics and the necessary information by the top management of the EMS may result in the solution of the problems as in favor of the organization. The administration of the EMS needs to evaluate all these problems with all their necessary details for the development of a workable solution for the problems. The solution of the problems with the utilization of explicit knowledge as a collective wisdom will ensure existence of the organization as a workable organization in the field of emergency services. The business organizations have invested significantly for the acquisition of necessary knowledge and the utilization of the spaces as identified in the concept of ba like physical, virtual and mental spaces will help in the process of knowledge creation process. The process will lead into the creation of advanced knowledge through the utilization of four stages in the knowledge creation process. These four stages move in a spiraling arrangement starting from the initial stage of socialization which involves the sharing of the tacit knowledge between individuals for the transfer of the knowledge as a joint activity as for example sharing of time among the members of the human community. The second stage in the process of knowledge creation is the externalization stage which needs expression of the tacit knowledge and its translation for understanding by the others. The third stage in the series is the combination stage which results in the conversion of the explicit knowledge into more complex form of the explicit knowledge. The stage involves the key issues like communication among the members of the society, diffusion of the acquired knowledge and systemization of the created knowledge. The knowledge is understood by the individuals as in the shape of digital signals for its understanding and comprehension. The final stage in the process is the internalization stage which deals with newly created knowledge as the explicit knowledge into the tacit knowledge of the organization. The EMS in Netherlands deals with the delivery of emergency services to the heart patients in the area of study. The organization deliver the services through a combination of physical and human services and the utilization of the acquired knowledge as tacit knowledge of ba will help in the delivery of the services as per designed objectives of the organization. The utilization of the relevant information will facilitate the working of the organization as information is an input in the shape of a telephone call from the heart patient in the area of study. The frequent flow of information as a reliable input will help in the reduction of the delays as have been identified in the first assignment. The flow of information among all the members of the working team at the emergency management center will facilitate their working and the need of the General Practitioners (GPs) at the center will not be a big issue. The administration needs to develop a mechanism for receiving, understanding and responding as a reaction to the emergency calls. Promotion of the communication skills among the technical staff at the emergency center will help in the achievement of the targets of the EMS centre. The process will help in the creation of new explicit knowledge with the interaction of the individual's tacit knowledge for its utilization in running the affairs of the EMS as per its objectives. EMS has identified the problem that is to reduce the delays for timely provision of emergency services in professional manner through necessary changes in the business strategy of the organization. The organization will therefore in a position to deliver the services as per needs of the heart patients in the area. The achievement of the organization will automatically result in the shape of reduced morbidity and mortality rates especially for the heart patients. The model will prove to be a successful model in the shape of a product of professional medical knowledge, technical knowledge of the technical staff for receiving telephone calls, technical inputs and service provision by the ambulance driver and all other relevant staff. The application of business plans has facilitated EMS to promote the cause of the organization in the field of emergency services. The process has involved the utilization of social theory with the social analysis of all the potential agents for the implementation of business strategy of the organization. The movement of information as input and business tools has served as a success factor for running the affairs of the organization as have been indicated by James March in Decisions and organizations (information politics –chapter 5). Four models have been indicated in the information politics for governing the information as Federalism, Feudalism, Monarchy and Anarchy. All of these models have their unique features and the organizations have applied all of these models for their own benefit. The social analysis of the business strategy of the EMS has produced a workable arrangement for the supply of emergency services to heart patients in the area of the study. The analysis based on the stages of knowledge management cycle like generation of knowledge, sharing of knowledge, structuring of knowledge, utilization of the knowledge and auditing of the knowledge for its judicious use within the system. The generation of knowledge has interacted in the shape of the explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge among the members of the EMS. Personal observations: The following personal observation have been recorded while undertaking part 1 of the assignment and all these issues could be solved with the application of social theories and social analysis with the utilization of explicit knowledge of the organization and with free movement of the information within the organization. These observations are as under: a). The flow of information lack transparency as the top executives are the custodian of the explicit knowledge within the organization and are reluctant to release information among all the members of the organization. b). the organization is highly bureaucratic in style and involves a number of tiers for the execution of the business of the organization for timely delivery of the services to all the calling patients, and finally c). The technical staff at the dispatch centers lack sufficient professional knowledge fro handling emergency calls relating to the heart diseases. Part b: The concept of ba: Japanese philosopher Kitaro Nishada has introduced the concept of ba as a mechanism for the creation of knowledge. The same concept has been elaborated by Shimizu. The word ba is equivalent to the English word "place" which provides a platform for the creation of knowledge within the society. The creation of knowledge demands space for its execution and ba has identified three spaces or their combinations as the spaces for the purpose. These are physical, virtual, and mental space or in combination for the expansion of knowledge. The individual realize himself/ herself as element of the system where the individual works for the creation of knowledge. The knowledge as intangible thing resides in ba and its identity without ba is just like information as a tangible thing. There are two types of knowledge as indicated by ba as explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge and both of these knowledge interact with each other for the benefit of the end users. The characteristics of the two types are as under: Explicit knowledge: The knowledge can be expressed in the form of words, numbers, scientific formulae, data, manuals and other similar specifications, Tacit knowledge: The knowledge is of personal nature as feelings, ideals and concepts, having two dimensions as technical dimension with informal skills and the crafts and cognitive dimensions with concepts and beliefs which help in shaping the specific dimension of the world. These two of knowledge interact in the form of SECI model that is socialization, externalization, combination and internalization where individuals, groups and organizations for expressing, and conversion of knowledge for its utilization in the activities of the organization. Information politics: Information politics is written by James March in the decisions and organizations which have elaborate the significance of information politics for handling the issues of an organization. The flow of information provides necessary inputs and outputs for running the affairs of organization. There are four models for governing information as Federalism, Feudalism, monarchy and anarchy. Application of a specific model depends upon the choice of the top executive and the model has the capacity to influence the affairs of the organization with the timely utilization of the relevant information. Monarchy and Anarchy models are at the opposite continuum poles with the qualities of central control and less central control, respectively. Federalism and Feudalism are in the middle position of the continuum and influence the flow of information on their selection. The application of the concepts as indicated in ba and the politics of information has the capacity as have been experienced during the undertaking of the part 1 of the assignment through the utilization of knowledge and free flow of information without political and economic considerations within the organization. Implications of internal and external information sources: Free flow of information has the capacity to eliminate any type implication as from the internal and external sources with the application of explicit and tacit knowledge. The same has been demonstrated in the business model as applied by EMS. Conclusion: Knowledge management has helped the policy makers to apply social analysis and social theories for the betterment of the organizations and business entities. The utilization of explicit knowledge will support the outflow of tacit knowledge as have already expressed in the ba concept for knowledge creation. The utilization of information as free flow of information in the models like Federalism and Feudalism will help to utilize information as input as has been explained by James March through the information politics in the decisions and organizations1. Reference: 1. The concept of "ba": Building a foundation for knowledge creation Ikujiro Nonaka; Noboru Konno California Management Review; Spring 1998; 40, 3; ABI/INFORM Global pg. 40 2. Harrington, Austin (2005). Modern Social Theory: An Introduction. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199255702.  Read More