Knowledge is a broad and abstract notion, in past few years there has been a growing importance in treating knowledge as a significant organizational resource. Consistent with the interest in organizational knowledge and organizational knowledge management, Information system researchers have begun to promoting a type of information systems which is referred as knowledge management system. (KMS).(Alavi & Leidner 2001).
From Wikipedia KMS can be defined as it is a system which manages the knowledge in the organizations, supporting, creation, capture, storage of information. The objective of KMS is to support creation, transfer, and application of knowledge in the organization.
Why we need IT in KMS:
In olden days the knowledge is transferred and shared to one other by the system called as culture, the knowledge is stored as stories and rituals. Theses are passed from the generations to the generations. As the generations developed and the knowledge thrust is increased the sharing of knowledge and the process is needed faster for that IT is used for the fast access and to store more data for a long time. Now technology become as the primary enabler of KMS.
Role of IT in KMS:
Information Technology plays a major role in knowledge management. As IT can support KMS but it depends how these IT tools are used in the system. The success of IT in KMS depends on the people who uses it and for what type of knowledge they are using it and for why they are using those tools either for business objectives or organization development. For example accompany uses video conference as an IT tool for discussing the progress and the problems with the clients this technology can be used only when there is need for it and the people capable and understand to that new technology.(Tellen 2000).
Organizations can attain maturity in KMS only through the healthy mutual coexistence of technology, people and process. The role of IT in organization is to support the KMS by building a free environment within the organization. The best way to apply information technology to knowledge management is probably a combination of two reasons, one is knowing the limits of information technology, and fact that any IT will not develop or support much, if it is not accompanied by a global culture change to wards the knowledge values. Other reason is the availability of information technology that have been expressly designed with knowledge management.(Borgoff & Pareschi 1997).
Information technology made many companies to imagine a new world of gathering knowledge. E-mail and the internet have made possible for professionals to draw on the latest thinking of their peers not considering where they are located.(McDermott 2000).
Model for an IT supported KMS in an organization:
Source: UNESCAP Seminar on knowledge Management, 2005.
This model is partly taken from the UNESCAP seminar on knowledge management, in this model of KMS the technology is using as the one of the part for the development. The technology acts as the mediator form the knowledge generation to the knowledge communication, the technology helps in the capturing the knowledge and storing and retrieving.
Conclusion:
As It can’t assure the complete development of knowledge in KMS until the organizations don’t know how to use these technologies effectively, the changes and the developments in the out environment force the organizations to adopt IT in their knowledge management systems. The right way of IT implementation in the knowledge management system gives great results for the organizations.
References:
(Borghoff & Pareschi 1997) “ Journel of universal computing science”, vol. 3, no. 8(1997),835-842 appeared 28/8/97.
(Dermott 2000) “ knowledge and communities” Retrived from http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=VG0G3clyi0QC&oi=fnd&pg=PA21&dq=information+technology+in+knowledge+management&ots=w3IXyH6jjm&sig=5iodwfcWeCVU6Jo1VRUKZ1XoNfA.
(Alavi & Leidner 2001) review of “knowledge management and knowledge management systems: conceptual foundations and research issues retrived from http://www.jstor.org/pss/3250961
(Tellen 2000) “intranets as knowledge management systems” retrived from http://www.iorg.com/papers/knowledge.html
(UNESCAP 2005) A seminar on knowledge management. Unlocking our knowledge to optimize our work in asia and pacific.
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Good introduction to the concept,in your third paragraph, you have mentioned video conferencing as a new technology. I do not think this is the case. I have noticed that besides video conferencing, you did not give any other examples of IT that can be used in KMS.
ReplyDeleteFrom my understanding of your last paragraph You claim that external factors to the organisation force an organisation to implement IT in their KMS. I do not believe that this is true as IT is one of the components of a KMS (Meso 2000) and should be present in any KMS regardless of an organisations external environment.
Meso .P., Smith .R., (2000) “A resource-based view of organizational knowledge management systems”, Journal of knowledge management, Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 224-234
ya totaly agree with funsho it was a good concept but you have mentoined video conferencing as new technology. and also it would have been good if you had supported your articles with example
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