Knowledge Management Education: A Framework towards the Development of a Comprehensive Degree Program André Saito [email_address] Tunç Medeni [email_address] Marcelo Machado [email_address] Katsuhiro Umemoto [email_address] KSS 2004 The 5 th International Symposium on Knowledge and Systems Sciences November 10-12, 2004, Ishikawa, Japan Ver 2.2 – 2004-11-09 School of Knowledge Science Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

KSS 2004 The 5 th International Symposium on Knowledge and Systems Sciences

November 10-12, 2004, Ishikawa, Japan

Background Emergence of the knowledge society Knowledge as economic resource Explosion of publications, activities, institutions, products Establishment of KM as an academic discipline Knowledge workers vs. “ knowledge managers ” KM: from practice to research to education Diversity of perspectives in KM Many contributing fields : economics, management science, computer science, systems science, etc. Roughly two main approaches : people -oriented and technology -oriented

Emergence of the knowledge society

Knowledge as economic resource

Explosion of publications, activities, institutions, products

Establishment of KM as an academic discipline

Knowledge workers vs. “ knowledge managers ”

KM: from practice to research to education

Diversity of perspectives in KM

Many contributing fields : economics, management science, computer science, systems science, etc.

Roughly two main approaches : people -oriented and technology -oriented

Goal To build a framework that facilitated the development of KM programs and courses. The framework should: Present a comprehensive perspective to KM e.g. integrating the main contributing fields, and the people - and the technology -oriented approaches Serve the educational needs of a wide audience e.g. senior executives, middle managers and entry-level professionals. Allow programs/courses with different structures and formats e.g. graduate degree programs, short diploma programs, individual courses.

To build a framework that facilitated the development of KM programs and courses. The framework should:

Present a comprehensive perspective to KM

e.g. integrating the main contributing fields, and the people - and the technology -oriented approaches

Serve the educational needs of a wide audience

e.g. senior executives, middle managers and entry-level professionals.

Allow programs/courses with different structures and formats

e.g. graduate degree programs, short diploma programs, individual courses.

Methodology Survey of existing KM programs Content analysis of course descriptions Design of the framework Verification of the framework by analyzing existing courses and programs

Survey of existing KM programs

Content analysis of course descriptions

Design of the framework

Verification of the framework by analyzing existing courses and programs

Findings Survey of KM programs Regularly offered 29 Not regular 7 Not available 17 Master’s 23 Certificate/ Diploma 4 Doctoral 2 Focus on 23 KM master’s programs: Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering 9 Library and Information Science, Communication 8 Management, Public Policy, Economics 6 Initial list of 53 KM programs 29 programs offered regularly

Findings Analysis of courses’ descriptions Standardizing the names of the courses Knowledge Management Foundations Knowledge Management Technologies Organization of Information Organizational Learning Information Storage and Retrieval Competitive Intelligence Management of Information Organizations Communities of Practice Most frequent courses (in 21 programs) :

Standardizing the names of the courses

Knowledge Management Foundations

Knowledge Management Technologies

Organization of Information

Organizational Learning

Information Storage and Retrieval

Competitive Intelligence

Management of Information Organizations

Communities of Practice

Most frequent courses (in 21 programs) :

Findings Analysis of courses’ descriptions (cont.) Listing and categorizing topics Business Context People Organization Information Knowledge Technology Competitive intelligence Business value of KM Competitive advantage Knowledge strategy The information society Information economics Knowledge work Ethics and legal issues Power and leadership Communities of practice Team management KM roles Organizational behavior Change management Organizational learning Organization of information Information retrieval Information policy Information architecture Types of knowledge Knowledge life-cycle Knowledge processes Knowledge representation Corporate portals Document management Decision support systems IT infrastructure Etc.

Listing and categorizing topics

Business

Context

People

Organization

Information

Knowledge

Technology

Competitive intelligence

Business value of KM

Competitive advantage

Knowledge strategy

The information society

Information economics

Knowledge work

Ethics and legal issues

Power and leadership

Communities of practice

Team management

KM roles

Organizational behavior

Change management

Organizational learning

Organization of information

Information retrieval

Information policy

Information architecture

Types of knowledge

Knowledge life-cycle

Knowledge processes

Knowledge representation

Corporate portals

Document management

Decision support systems

IT infrastructure

Etc.

Developing the framework The Contents part List of topics, grouped into four perspectives Technology Knowledge repositories Corporate portals Knowledge discovery, data mining Decision support systems Artificial intelligence Collaborative environments Etc. Organization Organizational learning Communities of practice Power and leadership Organizational behavior and culture Change management Knowledge professionals Etc. Knowledge Types of knowledge Organization of knowledge Knowledge life-cycle Knowledge processes/ activities Knowledge architecture Taxonomies Etc. Business Knowledge economy/ society Innovation, competitive advantage Knowledge strategy Competitive intelligence Inter-organizational KM Intellectual capital Etc.

List of topics, grouped into four perspectives

Technology

Knowledge repositories

Corporate portals

Knowledge discovery, data mining

Decision support systems

Artificial intelligence

Collaborative environments

Etc.

Organization

Organizational learning

Communities of practice

Power and leadership

Organizational behavior and culture

Change management

Knowledge professionals

Etc.

Knowledge

Types of knowledge

Organization of knowledge

Knowledge life-cycle

Knowledge processes/ activities

Knowledge architecture

Taxonomies

Etc.

Business

Knowledge economy/ society

Innovation, competitive advantage

Knowledge strategy

Competitive intelligence

Inter-organizational KM

Intellectual capital

Etc.

Developing the framework The Proficiency Levels part Three levels of expected proficiency 1. Awareness : getting acquainted , recalling topics 2. Comprehension : understanding , dealing with topics 3. Application : applying topics actively in real situations B T O K Awareness Comprehension Application

Three levels of expected proficiency

1. Awareness : getting acquainted , recalling topics

2. Comprehension : understanding , dealing with topics

3. Application : applying topics actively in real situations

Developing the framework The Profile chart Contents and Proficiency Levels combine to show the Profile of a program or course. Competitive Intelligence (B 2 K 2 T 1 O 1 ) Leadership and Management (B 1 K 1 T 0 O 2 ) T O K B T O K B

Contents and Proficiency Levels combine to show the Profile of a program or course.

Implications Analyzing existing programs Individual courses can be analyzed and combined to assess segments of a program or the whole program Common core Required courses : Knowledge Management Organizational Analysis and Design Management Information Systems Knowledge Technologies Information Policy Organization of Knowledge Capstone Course/ Practicum Specialization Required courses : Database Management Information Systems Analysis & Design Electives : Information Storage and Retrieval Searching Electronic Databases Metadata for Internet Resources Internet Fundamentals and Design Example: MSc. in KM, specializing in Information Systems

Individual courses can be analyzed and combined to assess segments of a program or the whole program

Common core

Required courses :

Knowledge Management

Organizational Analysis and Design

Management Information Systems

Knowledge Technologies

Information Policy

Organization of Knowledge

Capstone Course/ Practicum

Specialization

Required courses :

Database Management

Information Systems Analysis & Design

Electives :

Information Storage and Retrieval

Searching Electronic Databases

Metadata for Internet Resources

Internet Fundamentals and Design

Implications Analyzing existing programs (cont.) Common core Specialization Program as a whole Common core Specialization T O K B T O K B T O K B T O K B T O K B T O K B T O K B T O K B T O K B T O K B T O K B T O K B T O K B T O K B T O K B T O K B

Implications Developing programs and courses 1. Define general profile according to learning needs of intended audience 2. Design individual courses, assigning topics according to general profile Profile of the program as a whole Profiles of individual courses KM Foundations Knowledge Strategy Change Management Knowledge Technologies T O K B T O K B T O K B T O K B T O K B

1. Define general profile according to learning needs of intended audience

2. Design individual courses, assigning topics according to general profile

Summary Proposed framework for developing knowledge management programs Contents : Business, Knowledge, Technology, and Organization perspectives Proficiency Levels : awareness, comprehension, or application of content Profile chart The framework can be used for: Assessing existing courses and programs Developing new programs and courses according to learning needs

Proposed framework for developing knowledge management programs

Contents : Business, Knowledge, Technology, and Organization perspectives

Proficiency Levels : awareness, comprehension, or application of content

Profile chart

The framework can be used for:

Assessing existing courses and programs

Developing new programs and courses according to learning needs