The Importance Of Data, Knowledge, And Knowledge Management

Definitions and Examples of Data and Knowledge

1.Define and extensively explain each of the following, giving examples whenever possible (preferably genuine examples):

• Data, Information and knowledge.

Data represent the values of subject in regard to quantitative or qualitative variable. Both information and data are mostly used interchangeably. Data refers to information converted to a form that can be easily process in the organization (Donate, Mario, and Jesús 2015). Information refers to data that is timely and accurate, organized and specific for a purpose, put within a context that provides its relevance and meaning, and can decrease uncertainty and increase understanding process.

Knowledge is awareness, familiarity, or understanding of something or someone, such as information, facts, skills, or description, which is obtained through education or experience by perceiving, learning, or discovering (Geisler, Eliezer, and Nilmini 2015).

• Tacit and Explicit Knowledge.

Tacit knowledge is that type of information that is subliminally comprehended and connected, hard to understandable, created through direct involvement and activity and typically shared through exceedingly intuitive discussion, narrating and shared encounters. This hence implies tacit knowledge is that learning that dwells in individuals’ minds. In an association set-up, abilities and capabilities, encounters, connections inside and outside the association, singular convictions and qualities and thoughts are models of Tacit knowledge. Then again, Explicit knowledge is the learning that is arranged, explained, reported and put something aside for some time later and turns out to be anything but difficult to share. It is that learning that can be archived, classified transmitted to others as data and outlined to others for instance through exhibits and clarifications and different types of sharing.

Explicit knowledge is systematized, recorded and accessible, and is held in books, diary articles, databases, in corporate intranets and licensed innovation portfolios. Explicit knowledge is information contained in archives or different types of capacity other than the human mind. Explicit knowledge may in this manner be put away or installed in offices, techniques, philosophies, items, procedures, administrations and frameworks. The two kinds of learning can be created because of collaborations or developments. Associations utilize both implied and unequivocal information to react to novel circumstances and developing difficulties.

• People Management.

This comprises of the task of management, recruitment, as well as providing ongoing direction and support for employees of any institution. He/she is expected to motivate, lead, inspire, encourage and train.

• Total Quality Management (TQM).

TQM help in describing the long term success of the organization through customer satisfaction. In this management approach all members in the institution participate in improving products, processes, services, as well as the culture in which the members work. It is also a management approach that combines all the workers that are in the organization for the continual improvement of the performance.  It uses data, effective communications, and strategy to bring in the quality discipline into activities and culture of the organization.  

• Knowledge repository.

Four Ways in which Knowledge can be Converted

This is an online databank that systematically organizes, categorizes, capture knowledge based information. This online database are mostly private databases that help in managing proprietary and enterprise information, but there are also the existence of public repositories that are used in managing public domain intelligence. They are also known as Digital Object Repositories, Digital Learning Repositories as well as Electronic Performance Support System.

2.Answer the following questions and defend your responses showing your “critical thinking” and “analytical skills”  

• Can knowledge be converted from one type to another?

Yes knowledge can be converted. Knowledge can be possible be converted in four ways. The four ways in which knowledge can be converted include: socialization, Combination, externalization, and internalization (Grover, Raghav, and Thomas 2016).

• Write your ideas on the concept of “Sharing knowledge” mentioning when it is beneficial and when it is not.

Sharing knowledge is an activity whereby knowledge such as skill, information, or expertise is exchange among friends, people, communities, families, and organization.  The collective knowledge of any organization can be enormous and it only has value when it is shared. It enable faster and better decision making and fasten problem solving in the organization. The problem with sharing knowledge is that the process of implementing and choosing information to be shared is difficult process (Sohal, Divyata et al. 2018).

• Are tacit and explicit knowledge related?

Explicit and tacit are related. This is because a specific content may either be tacit for an individual and explicit for another. The implicit knowledge and tacit knowledge are in most cases used as synonyms.

• Why do we manage knowledge?

We manage knowledge in order to make it easier in finding individuals who hold the information or to make it easier finding the real information (Hislop et al. 2018). A well manage information can also improve both the efficiency of the organization as well as the business process. A well manage information in the organization can also promote innovation as well as cultural change. This is because it will encourage and enables the sharing of collaboration, ideas as well as access of new information (Becerra, Irma, and Rajiv 2014). We manage knowledge for the purpose of stimulating cultural changes and innovation required for the evolvement of the organization as well as for the changing of the business need.  

• How can people and cultures affect an organizations ability of managing knowledge?

Culture affect the ability of managing knowledge in that Culture have an effect on the employees intention especially in the processes that involve transfer, creation, application and transfer of information. On the other hand a tightly controlled culture mostly displays negative effect (Geisler, Eliezer, and Nilmini 2015). People that are within the organization for example the employees can either mishandle or use the knowledge correctly  for the better performance of the organization.

• How can an organizations structure affect its ability to manage knowledge?

Organization structure can greatly interfere with the ability of managing knowledge in that since the process of knowledge management relies on the organization structure. The structure of the organization determine the extent and manner to which power, responsibilities, and roles are controlled, coordinated, and delegated, as well as how information flows In the organization especially between different levels of management (North, Klaus, and Gita 2018).

• What is the role of the human resource management department in any organization towards knowledge management?

Managers act as the leader of any business. They are responsible for all the issues in the organization. They have to take the necessary decision at the required time. Human resources have the responsibility of managing the knowledge asset in the organization (Barley et.al, 2018).

• How can knowledge management be used to ensure customer satisfaction?

Organization can manage knowledge in such a way that the decisions that the management makes are capable of improving the quality of the products that they are providing to their customers. This will bring satisfaction to their customers  

• Explain the ways knowledge can be created.

Yes knowledge can be created. This is because if someone read another person sentence for example if a person discover new thing, or connect different ideas into a concept, then knowledge has been created. This is because the value of knowledge has actually allowed idea or concept to be formed. We can also create knowledge through research example of such is the knowledge of molecular basis of inheritance created by Watson and Crick.

• There are many knowledge management thinkers, you have studies three of them in class, and who are they? What are their different perspectives about knowledge management?

Example of knowledge management thinkers include: David Gurteen, Vala Afshar and Euan Semple

References

Barley, William C., Jeffrey W. Treem, and Timothy Kuhn. “Valuing multiple trajectories of knowledge: A critical review and agenda for knowledge management research.” Academy of Management Annals 12.1 (2018): 278-317.

Becerra-Fernandez, Irma, and Rajiv Sabherwal. Knowledge management: Systems and processes. Routledge, 2014.

Donate, Mario J., and Jesús D. Sánchez de Pablo. “The role of knowledge-oriented leadership in knowledge management practices and innovation.” Journal of Business Research 68.2 (2015): 360-370.

Geisler, Eliezer, and Nilmini Wickramasinghe. Principles of Knowledge Management: Theory, Practice, and Cases: Theory, Practice, and Cases. Routledge, 2015.

Grover, Raghav, and Thomas M. Froese. “Knowledge management in construction using a SocioBIM platform: A case study of AYO smart home project.” Procedia Engineering145 (2016): 1283-1290.

Hislop, Donald, Rachelle Bosua, and Remko Helms. Knowledge management in organizations: A critical introduction. Oxford University Press, 2018.

North, Klaus, and Gita Kumta. Knowledge management: Value creation through organizational learning. Springer, 2018.

Sohal, Divyata, et al. “Sustainable Knowledge Management: The Role of Knowledge Management Audits.” Refer 34.1 (2018): 22-25.