1. Knowledge management systems face challenges due to how knowledge is embodied, threats to identity, different learning styles, incommensurability between disciplines, and power dynamics. 2. Effective knowledge management requires addressing these issues through an interactive process that aligns incentives and culture while navigating power and influence from internal and external forces. 3. The goal is a sharing model where all participants continuously work to develop a shared understanding and jointly contribute to new knowledge.

1. !e Road go" ever on and on
Do# from $ door where it began.
Now far ahead $ Road has gone,
And I mu% fo&ow, if I can,
Pursuing it wi' ea(r feet,
Until it joins some lar(r way
Where many pa's and errands meet.
And whi'er 'en? I cannot say.
First
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2. summary from last class... and our goal
for the beginning of today’s.
Technology rules The powerful rule
! Information technologies have
! Information technologies have stable properties
stable properties
! These properties have activated
! These properties have unavoidable effects across society and
effects across society and organizations
organizations
! Those in power (incl. managers)
! Information technology affects all decide:
organizations equally " which properties to activate
" by choosing the technology mix
Interactive approach
Each information technology has dynamic
properties determined by how people use it
It is people’s use of IT, and not IT itself
which shapes society and organizations
Those in power can shape interpretive
schemes, but not technology use directly
IT is a resource for improvisation

3. SECOND
analysis Implementation
Biz strategy
Biz strategy
Org’l strategy IS strategy Org’l strategy IS strategy
analysis
Biz strategy
IT does not provide
competitive advantage
Org’l strategy IS strategy directly, but it is of
strategic consequence
IT matters strategically
Market pull: Punctuated
change
Organizational push:
Continuous change

4. The ISS Triangle, really
Biz strategy
Org’l strategy IS strategy
analysis Implementation
Biz strategy
Biz strategy
Org’l strategy IS strategy Org’l strategy IS strategy
IS strategy --> Biz strategy
Implementation
Biz strategy
Systems
thinking
Outliars
simple
measurements
Surfacing
secrets
Org’l strategy IS strategy

5. IS strategy --> Org strategy
ID work Continuous
(anticipatory) (avoid shame) Visibility Automatic IS
COMPLIANCE
(adjusted Rationale for
Reporting strategy
(façade) adjustment
Opportunity to Need to enforce Effortful
represent reporting reporting
compliance
IS strategy --> Org strategy, really
ID work Continuous
(avoid shame) Visibility Automatic IS
(anticipatory) Reporting strategy
COMPLIANCE
(façade)
Opportunity to Need to enforce Effortful
represent reporting reporting
compliance

6. third
challenges &
opportunities managerial
practices
employees’
practices
Process of change
Alignment &
Cultural contents
incentives
:-(
:-)
Power & influence Cultural process
External Internal

7. Onwards
Internal
Pressures of use
External
Outcomes of use
KMS

8. KMS is seen as a strategic tool
Failing at KMS is of strategic
consequence

9. However, managers don’t have a clue!

10. Organization Value Approach Technology Results
Reduce operating Communities of Standardized $2 billion
Chevron Practice (COPs), Microsoft reduction in
costs
facilitate transfer platform, annual operating
of Best Practices Plumtree portal costs
(1991 vs. 1998)
Faster revenue
Cap Gemini growth, lower COPs, central KM 10-fold increase in
Microsoft
Ernst & costs managers, content
platform and revenue with
management 5-fold increase in
Young Exchange
employees
Technical COPs, Web enabled Increased
Schlumberger Knowledge in the intranet & production from
hands of extranet 1500 to 6000 bbl/
employees and day for customer
customers
Organization Value Approach Technology Results
Bring creative, COPs, Steering Enterprise portal Reduced customer
Best Buy new solutions to Committee, Skill-based people request time,
market faster, Design teams finder increased sales
Shorten the KM Program Community sites productivity
learning curve, Office
Lower costs
Revenue growth, COPs, knowledge Lotus Notes,
IBM Global managers,
400% increase in
industry Raven, Domino service revenue,
Services leadership Intellectual time savings of
Capital $24M in 1997
Management
System
HP Revenue growth, COPs, knowledge Focused on people 70+ COPs speed
customer demand maps and process adoption of
solutions consulting
approaches

11. Knowledge Management Approaches
Interaction
Communities
of practice
Self service
Codification
- Resources Required +
Knowledge Management Approaches
Interaction Intranets
Portals to key info
Search
Yellow Pages
Self service
Codification
- Resources Required +

12. Best Buy: Self-service
Enterprise Portal
Integrated Search Engine
Knowledge Repository
Personalization
Skills-Based People
Finder
Personal Information
Location Information
Skills & Competencies

13. Knowledge Management Approaches
K. Sharing
Interaction
Learning
Communities Communities
CoPs of practice
Codification
- Resources Required +

14. Best Buy
Community Sites Application
Community Sites
95% re-usable format
Extensive usability testing
Redundant infrastructure
Database/ parameter driven
Nested Communities

15. “My KM is
spelled with 6
letters, and they
are...”

16. Why?
Harnessing knowledge is difficult
1. e-KMS is hard on the brain
2. Identity work hampers knowledge sharing
3. People have different learning styles
4. Different knowledges are incomensurable
5. Power is at stake in knowledge
1. Knowledge is embodied
Mind = Brain + material artifacts

17. 2. Knowledge work is
threatening to ID
Identity work is the dominant motivator
Participating in knowledge production is a
threat to identity
Only when identity is safe do people engage in
knowledge creation and sharing

18. Challenges in KW / IW
Fear of incompetence
Witholding of contribution (OTTPI)
Marrying theories and tools
Sustaining group dynamics
3. People have different
learning styles
Learning style is a function of:
Neural constitution
Learning trajectory
Social context
Mismatch between KMS and learning
style significantly hampers learning

19. What kind of KMS do you need?
4. The problem of incomensurability
Knowledge work is multi-disciplinary, but different
disciplines work under different paradigms
A!Paradigm!includes:
A set of metaphysical assumptions
Particular theories of the subject matter
!Examples of solved problems
Apparatus and experimental procedures
Paradigms change through revolution and conversion (not
evolution an persuasion)

20. Problem of Incommensurability:
Outcomes
Experts in an old paradigm may not be able to
communicate with those in a new
Participants from different disciplinary cultures
may not be able to communicate with each other
# Making it impossible to work towards a common
goal
5. Power dynamics in knowledge
creation and sharing
1. Imperialism
2. Trading
3. Sharing models

21. Imperialism
! A (technological, ideological, or political) elite
! has the overall problem representation
! black boxes others into specific roles whose purpose those
persons do not need to understand.
! communication downward (orders) & upward
(evidence of obedience)--no trade
Trading
Trade mediated primarily by interactional expert
To facilitate trading zones, these experts have
to be reflective, able to analyze their own role
within the zone
Trade mediated primarily by creole, creating
interactional experise among multiple
participants

22. Sharing models
Shared mental model:
! All participants need to share a common
representation of the system and its goals.
! Dynamic representations, so sharing needs to be
continuous.
" Flowing to the work & avoid groupthink
! Joint contribution to development of a new expertise
The user imperative
1. e-KMS is hard on the brain
2. Identity work hampers knowledge sharing
3. People have different learning styles
4. Different knowledges are incomensurable
5. Power is at stake in knowledge
What to do?

23. Process of change
Alignment &
Cultural contents
incentives
:-(
:-)
Power & influence Cultural process
External Internal