Abstract
Despite the current upsurge of the knowledge management discipline (KM) and the benefits that this discipline offers organizations, there are still substantial deficiencies in this field. In this respect, the KM schemes of most organizations are ad hoc initiatives, set up to meet a specific internal need. Similarly, many organizations have taken a mistaken view of KM, deploying a software tool, and expecting employees to be motivated more or less by design to share knowledge. In actual fact, however, KM has to be undertaken by means of an all-embracing process through which the knowledge that is in the organization is discovered and used correctly. However, those organizations that are aware of the need to enact such a process to effectively incorporate KM into their business activities come up against what is really the most important and worrying obstacle: there is no commonly accepted approach to guide the deployment of a knowledge management system (KMS) in an organization (Rubenstein-Montano, Liebowitz, Buchwalter, McCaw, Newman, & Rebeck, 2001). This state of affairs is due to the fact that there are a great many proposals for setting up this class of systems; none of which, however, are detailed enough to be directly applicable.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Technology: Class of tools used in a project.
Knowledge Map: A knowledge map categorizes an organization’s expertise into searchable catalogs.
Knowledge Management: Discipline that intends to provide, at its most suitable level, the accurate information and knowledge for the right people, whenever they may be needed and at their best convenience.
Knowledge Management System: Organizational network connecting people with information and communication technologies, with the purpose of improving the processes of sharing and distributing the organizational knowledge.
Knowledge: Pragmatic level of information that provides the capability of dealing with a problem or making a decision.
Mechanism: Technique, technology, or tool useful for developing a knowledge management system.
Collaborative Knowledge: Knowledge derived from collaborative efforts.
Technique: Standardized procedure for reaching sub-aims into a project.
Tool: Instrument or resource that allows the accomplishment of the techniques or increases its efficiency.