Lessons from the Private Sector: A Framework to be Adopted in the Public Sector

Introduction

This research was carried out between 2009 and 2011 in two medical device companies in the private sector in Ireland. It is hoped that insights and lessons from this study can be used in the application of the proposed framework in the public sector. The debate persists as to the manageability and measurability of a concept such as knowledge − whether all forms of knowledge (tacit/implicit/explicit) can be managed and of the compatibility of the terms knowledge, measurement and management. Studies seem to focus on general conceptual principles of Knowledge Management (KM) and KM initiatives (Spender and Scherer, 2007; Hahn and Subramani, 2000). They offer few insights in the area of knowledge assessment as a means to try to assess knowledge gaps or to explain KM phenomena. A narrow focus on performing outputs deprives inquiry of self-reflection and critical scrutiny (Zining and Sheffield, 2006). Moreover, KM literature has focused on internal sources of knowledge generation and has not sufficiently taken into account the measurement of this stock internally or externally as a way of learning an organization’s knowledge intensity. The literature, therefore, lacks a holistic view of the concept of organizational knowledge indicators and the management of them. As McAdam and McCreedy (1999) state, “given the change and emergent nature of the field over the past two to three years, it is now an appropriate time to try to have a more in-depth enquiry into KM discourse to attempt to clarify how KM can be more beneficially researched and applied to organizations” (p. 92). The motivation for this research rests on exploring more effective ways of assessing and managing knowledge at organizational level. This will be achieved by using KM to derive a conceptual framework and operationalize it using two exploratory case studies in the private sector. These lessons can be applied to the public sector because the goals for KM are similar. Common challenges and concerns that affect public sectors worldwide are identified as: driving efficiencies across all public services; improving accountability; making informed decisions; enhancing partnerships with stakeholders; capturing the knowledge of an aging workforce; and improving overall performance (Arora, 2011). The key objectives of the chapter are as follows: To explore various knowledge indicators at organizational level; present a knowledge assessment framework with accompanying research probes; and discuss avenues for future research.