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Module 2 - Part 1 Knowledge Management in Organizations

The document discusses challenges in knowledge management within organizations, including issues with organizational culture, structure, and knowledge transfer. Effective knowledge management requires a knowledge-sharing culture based on trust. Organizational structure must align with strategies and support tacit knowledge sharing and learning. Knowledge transfer faces challenges such as tensions between workers' ownership of knowledge and its use by organizations, and issues with power dynamics, knowledge hoarding, trust, culture, and motivation.

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Tesoro Dominic Jan C.
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16 views4 pages

Module 2 - Part 1 Knowledge Management in Organizations

The document discusses challenges in knowledge management within organizations, including issues with organizational culture, structure, and knowledge transfer. Effective knowledge management requires a knowledge-sharing culture based on trust. Organizational structure must align with strategies and support tacit knowledge sharing and learning. Knowledge transfer faces challenges such as tensions between workers' ownership of knowledge and its use by organizations, and issues with power dynamics, knowledge hoarding, trust, culture, and motivation.

Uploaded by

Tesoro Dominic Jan C.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Knowledge Management in Organizations

Challenges in Organizational Culture, Structure and Knowledge Transfer

KM and Organizational Culture

 KM should be supported in a knowledge-sharing culture, and trust is its most important


component.

 Dianne Ford (2001) summarized trust into interpersonal, group, organizational and
institutional targets

References:
 Uriarte, F., Introduction to Knowledge Management (ASEAN Foundation
 Ruggles, III, R., Knowledge Management Tools, Butterworth – Heinemman (1997)
Knowledge Management and Organizational Structure

(Another issue regarding effective KM is organizational structure).

Knowledge Management and Organizational Structure

1. Major issues in organizational structure are interaction and strength on tacit knowledge.

2. Technology is only an enabler.

3. Organizational structure should align with the strategies and fit in a trust and open culture
environment.

4. Organizational structure should result in organization learning.

Challenges in Knowledge Transfer

 Knowledge can be conceptualized as belonging to an employee rather than their employer


because the knowledge is fundamentally workers’ asset that they possess.

 Tension between workers and the organization that they work for may inhibit the
willingness of workers to share their knowledge. (Hislop)

 Tension relates not only to who “owns” an employees’ knowledge but how and for what
purpose such knowledge is used.

 Being replaced by new employees can diminish ones ability to perform and hold power.

References:
 Uriarte, F., Introduction to Knowledge Management (ASEAN Foundation
 Ruggles, III, R., Knowledge Management Tools, Butterworth – Heinemman (1997)
Challenges in Knowledge Transfer

1. Power

 “The power exercised on the body is conceived not as property, but as strategy… this
power is exercised rather than possessed; it’s not the privilege, acquired or preserved,
of the dominant class, but the overall affect of its strategic positions −an effect that is
manifested and sometimes extended by the position of those who are dominated.”
(Foucault)

 power is not only a discrete resource that social actors can utilize but it is something
that is produced and reproduced within and through dynamics of evolving relationships
(power is embedded in person)

2. Knowledge Sharing and Hoarding

 Knowledge sharing can be time consuming and that there is a risk that individuals are
“giving away” a source of individual power and status

 Another potential limitation for workers’ attitude towards knowledge sharing is affected
by over-rational view of how people think and act.

3. Commitment and Trust

 communicating & clarifying expectations will explain workers what is wanted from them
and why decisions are made

 employee participation in decision-making process provides premises for


psychological ownership where person feels that their effort and ideas are recognized

 Interpersonal trust shapes people’s attitudes in knowledge sharing process since


generally proven the lower level of trust a person has in someone else, the less willing
they will be to share knowledge with them (Hislop).

4. Culture

 Practice-based theory already made an assumption that cultural background affects


person’s ability to gain and understand knowledge.

 willingness to share knowledge is shaped and influenced by people’s national cultural


characteristics

References:
 Uriarte, F., Introduction to Knowledge Management (ASEAN Foundation
 Ruggles, III, R., Knowledge Management Tools, Butterworth – Heinemman (1997)
5. Motivation and Incentives

 knowledge sharing should be intrinsically rewarded (individual pays and team


rewards)

 type of incentive could also increase the possibility that people are more like to share
their knowledge among team members

 No matter which approach organization uses, it is important to have an equitable


reward or incentive system. (Rhodes)

 … employees must also have a strong motivation to learn. (Wei-Lei)

References:
 Uriarte, F., Introduction to Knowledge Management (ASEAN Foundation
 Ruggles, III, R., Knowledge Management Tools, Butterworth – Heinemman (1997)

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