© 2002 center for effective organizations, university of southern california the fabric of...

© 2002 Center for Effective Organizations, University of Southern California

The Fabric of Knowledge Management:

Designing KM for Diverse Outcomes

Susan MohrmanCenter for Effective OrganizationsMarshall School of BusinessUniversity of Southern California

© 2002 Center for Effective Organizations, University of Southern California SM31L

Knowledge Comes From Sensemaking

Knowledge Comes From Sensemaking

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENTCreating the context for effectively acquiring, leveraging, generating, applying and deriving value from knowledge.

KNOWLEDGE Information combined with experience, context, interpretation and reflection (Davenport).

ORGANIZATIONAL KNOWLEDGE Information that is relevant to purpose, actionable, and at least in part is based on experience and interactions (Dorothy Leonard Barton).

© 2002 Center for Effective Organizations, University of Southern California SM1J

Organizational Knowledge is:Organizational Knowledge is:Organizational Knowledge

is:Organizational Knowledge

is: Both explicit and tacit

Explicit knowledge can be formalized and codified, embodied in standard process, documented and taught

Tacit knowledge is unconscious and cannot easily be transmitted by formal description- requires interaction and modeling to be transmitted

Both individual and collective Embodied in individual expertise Embodied in communities of practice Embodied in collectives of expertises that work

collaboratively

© 2002 Center for Effective Organizations, University of Southern California SM27M

Creating Knowledge MapsCreating Knowledge Maps

What knowledge is critical to your company’s operating performance?

What knowledge differentiates it from competitors?

How and where is that knowledge created or attained?

Where is it applied?

Is there value in sharing it? (can it be leveraged?)

How does it travel from one part of the organization to another? (how is it leveraged?)

© 2002 Center for Effective Organizations, University of Southern California SM60L

ExternalKnowledge

Internal / External

Customers

Importing

Generating & Applying

Leveraging

Feedback

Feedback

Unit A

Unit B

Knowledge ManagementKnowledge ManagementKnowledge ManagementKnowledge Management

© 2002 Center for Effective Organizations, University of Southern California SM44M

Creating New Knowledge(Applying and Generating

Knowledge)

Creating New Knowledge(Applying and Generating

Knowledge)

CreativeCombination New Knowledge

Knowledge Base 1

Knowledge Base 2

Knowledge Base 3

© 2002 Center for Effective Organizations, University of Southern California SM30M

Continuous Process Improvement

Continuous Process Improvement

Embedin

Process

Innovate&

Improve

© 2002 Center for Effective Organizations, University of Southern California SM36M

Saturated Interdependency* of Knowledge Work

Saturated Interdependency* of Knowledge Work

Reciprocal Interdependency

Sequential Interdependency

* Term comes from Pava, 1983.

© 2002 Center for Effective Organizations, University of Southern California SM35M

Process-Based GroupingsProcess-Based Groupings

Outputto Customer

Inputs/Raw Materials/Information

© 2002 Center for Effective Organizations, University of Southern California SM37M

Global TeamsGlobal Teams

= Team A= Team B= Shared R + D

HQ

HQ

© 2002 Center for Effective Organizations, University of Southern California SM33M

Knowledge NetworksKnowledge Networks

Integrating Councils

Management TeamUnit 1

Integrating Teams

Team TeamTeam

Executive Team

Shared Services

Integrating Teams

Team TeamTeam

Management TeamUnit 2

Knowledge Network

© 2002 Center for Effective Organizations, University of Southern California SM40M

Knowledge ProcessesKnowledge Processes

Focusing on Performance of the System

Applying Standard Processes (Using Embedded Knowledge)

Sharing, Combining Knowledge

Trying New Approaches 

© 2002 Center for Effective Organizations, University of Southern California SM45M

Generating & Applying

Knowledge

System Performance

Focus

Connecting Knowledge

Trying New Approaches

Systematic Processes

© 2002 Center for Effective Organizations, University of Southern California SM46M

Process & Methods

Improvement

System Performance

Focus

Systematic Processes

Trying New Approaches

Generating & Applying

Knowledge

© 2002 Center for Effective Organizations, University of Southern California SM47M

Process & Methods

Improvement

System Performance

Focus

Systematic Processes

Trying New Approaches

Generating & Applying

Knowledge

Connecting Knowledge

© 2002 Center for Effective Organizations, University of Southern California SM48M

IT Quality

Direction & Performance Information

Developmental Emphasis

System Performance

Focus

Systematic Processes

Connecting Knowledge

Trying New

Approaches

Generating & Applying

Knowledge

Process & Methods

Improvement

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

© 2002 Center for Effective Organizations, University of Southern California SM49M

CONTEXTKNOWLEDGE

RELATEDPROCESSES

KNOWLEDGEOUTCOMES EFFECTIVENESS

Focuses Attention

Embodies & Conveys

Shared MeaningAbout Purpose

Connects Expertise

Disseminates Codified

Knowledge

DevelopsNeeded

Expertise

ExtendSense-makingAndLearning

Creating andApplying

Knowledge:

-to products

-to methodsand processes

Clarity

Delivering on Strategy

ForValue Creation

Conceptual Model of OrganizationKnowledge System

Conceptual Model of OrganizationKnowledge System