distributed knowledge management

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Distributed Knowledge Management. A systemic approach 43

Distributed Knowledge ManagementA Systemic Approach

MATTEO BONIFACIO, and PAOLO BOUQUETDepartment of Information and Communication Technologies, ni!ersity of Trento

"ia Somari!e #$, I%&'#$$ Trento, Italy

1. INTRODUCTION

Knowledge, in its diffeent fo!s, is in"easingl# e"ognised as a "$"ial

asset in !oden oganisations% Knowledge Manage!ent &KM' efes to t(e

)o"ess of "eating, "odif#ing and disse!inating *nowledge wit(in "o!)le+

oganisations, s$"( as lage "o!)anies, $niesities, and oganisations fo

so"ial and "iil sei"es% KM atta"ted a lot of attention and inest!ents in

t(e last ten #eas% -owee, t(e et$n fo! t(ese inest!ents is .$ite

!odest, and !an# !anages and anal#sts ae stating to !anifest t(ei

disill$sion%

Most )o/e"ts of KM ai! at "eating lage, (o!ogeneo$s *nowledge

e)ositoies, in w(i"( "o)oate *nowledge is !ade e+)li"it, "olle"ted,e)esented and oganised, a""oding to a single 0 s$))osedl# s(aed 1

"on"e)t$al s"(e!a% T(ese s"(e!as, "alled fo e+a!)le *nowledge !a)s, ae

!eant to e)esent s(aed "on"e)t$alisations of "o)oate *nowledge, and to

ena2le "o!!$ni"ation and *nowledge s(aing a"oss t(e entie oganisation%

T(e t#)i"al goal of t(ese )o/e"ts is to "eate a so1"alled Ente)ise

Knowledge Potal &EKP', na!el# a "o!)$te12ased s#ste! t(at )oides a

$ni.$e a""ess )oint to "o)oate *nowledge%

In t(e )a)e, we ag$e t(at t(is a))oa"( efle"ts an o2/e"tiisti"

e)iste!olog# and a "entalised )aadig! of !anageial "ontol% Indeed, on

t(e one (and, it )es$))oses t(at all "onte+t$al, s$2/e"tie, and so"ial

as)e"ts of *nowledge "an 2e eli!inated in fao$ of an o2/e"tie and geneal"odifi"ation, and t(at t(is a2sta"t and geneal *nowledge "an 2e s(aed and


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44 Matteo (onifacio et al.

e$sed inde)endentl# fo! t(e indiid$al o "o!!$nit# in w(i"( it was

"eated% On t(e ot(e (and, t(is ass$!)tion is "o(eent wit( taditional

oganisational !odels and )aadig!s of "ontol, as *nowledge is "entall#

!anaged &!anages oganise t(e )o"ess of *nowledge e+ta"tion in analog#

in analog# to w(at t(e# do wit( o)eational wo*' wit( no loss of "ontol

&on"e it is !ade e+)li"it, *nowledge is no longe owned 2# indiid$als, and

2e"o!es )o)et# of t(e oganisation'%e s(ow t(at t(is a))oa"( is in"o!)ati2le wit( t(e nat$e of

*nowledge, and t(at t(is wa# of !anaging *nowledge e+)lains, at least

)atiall#, w(# !ost KM s#ste!s ae deseted 2# $ses% e )o)ose a

s#ste!i" a))oa"(, e )o)ose a s#ste!i" a))oa"(, in w(i"( t(ee is no

atte!)t to ed$"e "o)oate *nowledge to a single, o2/e"tie e)esentation%

$2/e"tiit# and so"ialit# ae ta*en as ied$"i2le as)e"ts of *nowledge, 2$t

t(is is iewed as a )otential so$"e of al$e and i"(ness, at(e t(an as a

)o2le! to oe"o!e% Instead of 2$ilding a single, o2/e"tie *nowledge

!a), an oganisation is t(o$g(t of as a 5"onstellation6 of a$tono!o$s, lo"al

*nowledge !a)s )od$"ed 2# indiid$als, "o!!$nities, tea!s in t(ei dail#

wo*% In t(is es)e"t, KM 2e"o!es t(e )o2le! of "oodinating t(ese!$lti)le so$"es of *nowledge in a disti2$ted &t(at is, non "entalised' wa#%

In t(e last )at of t(e )a)e, we also s*et"( a (ig( leel a"(ite"t$e w(i"(

"an s$))ot t(is disti2$ted a))oa"( to KM fo! a te"(nologi"al )oint of

iew%

2. (IMPICIT! "##UMPTION# IN CURR$NT KM

#%#T$M#

In t(e last ten #eas, !an# "o!)anies (ae 2een t#ing to design and

deelo) s#ste!s to "a)italise oganisational *nowledge% If we anal#se t(es#ste!s t(at (ae 2een i!)le!ented, we "an see t(at, een if diffeent

te"(nologies, tools and !et(odologies wee ado)ted, t(e# (ae a "o!!on

(ig(1leel a"(ite"t$e and s(ae so!e i!)otant feat$es7

0 t(e installation of "o)oate1wide intanets in ode to ens$e )(#si"al and

s#nta"ti"al a""essi2ilit# to info!ation &i%e%, "onne"tiit# and s(aed

fo!ats'8

0 t(e design of a "o)oate lang$age and of *nowledge !a)s, w(i"( ae

$sed to e)esent "o)oate *nowledge in a standad and "o!!on wa#

and to "eate se!anti"all# (o!ogeneo$s and $2i.$ito$sl# a""essi2le

e)ositoies8

0 t(e "eation9s$))ot of info!al "o!!$nities t(at e)esent t(e )la"e

w(ee 5aw6 *nowledge is )od$"ed t(o$g( s)ontaneo$s and e!eging


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Distributed Knowledge Management. A systemic approach 4:

so"ial intea"tion of "o!)an# )ees% In )a"ti"e, t(ese "o!!$nities ae

!ateialised as 5it$al "o!!$nities6 t(o$g( t(e ado)tion of "o!)$te

s$))oted "oo)eatie tools, s$"( as go$)wae a))li"ations8

0 t(e "eation of a new ole, t(e Knowledge Manage, w(ose goal is to

s$))ot and fa"ilitate t(e intea"tion a"oss "o!!$nities8

0 t(e design of "onti2$tion )o"esses w(i"( ena2le "o!!$nit# !e!2es to

e+)li"it t(ei ta"it *nowledge t(o$g( t(e "odifi"ation in t(e "o)oatelang$age8

0 t(e "onst$"tion of EKP, w(i"( )oides a si!)le intefa"e t(o$g( w(i"(

)eo)le "an "onti2$te to t(e *nowledge 2ase, so"ialise, etiee

info!ation%

T(ese feat$es ae 2ased on so!e geneal ass$!)tions% In )ati"$la, we

stess two of t(e!7

0 fo! a st$"t$al stand)oint7 t(o$g( s)ead t(o$g(o$t t(e oganisation,

so!eti!es een at a i!)li"it leel &Nona*a, ;


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4= Matteo (onifacio et al.

On t(e one (and, so"ial as)e"ts ae still "onsideed t(o$g( a -awt(on1

li*e a))oa"( &Ma#o, ;


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t(e e)iste!ologi"al iew 2e"o!es $nealisti", t(en t(e elations(i) 2etween

KM and t(e taditional !anageial )a"ti"es 2e"o!es )o2le!ati"%

2. T)e role o* te')nolog+

Te"(nolog# )la#s a "$"ial ole in KM% Man# t(eoies ag$e t(at

te"(nolog# "annot 2e "onsideed a ne$tal !atte wit( es)e"t to

oganisational st$"t$es &see, fo e+a!)le, &Oli*ows*i and Das(, ;ation "an 2e ed, des"i2ed and !odelled%

T(eefoe we "an /$dge w(et(e a te"(nolog# is "onsistent o in"onsistent,

"a)a2le of s(a)ing o 2eing s(a)ed 2# an ogani>ational fo! onl# at an

a"(ite"t$al leel%

If now we "onside KM s#ste!s fo! an a"(ite"t$al stand)oint, we "an

o2see t(at t(ee is a dis"e)an"# 2etween so"ial fo! and te"(nologi"al

a"(ite"t$e% On t(e one (and, !ost oganisational and so"iologi"al st$dies

s(ow t(at, as fa as *nowledge is "on"ened, t(e so"ial fo! of !ost !oden

oganisations is si!ila to a "onstellation of "o!!$nities, ea"( wit( its own

lang$ages, )o"esses, tools, )a"ti"es8 in s(ot, is a disti2$ted s#ste! of

lo"al 5*nowledges6 &see left (and side of Fig$e ;'8 on t(e ot(e (and, !ost

KM s#ste!s e+(i2it a "o!)letel# diffeent a"(ite"t$e, in w(i"( *nowledge

is 5alienated6 fo! its oiginal lo"$s &t(e "o!!$nit#', and oganised in a

"entalised *nowledge 2ase &KB', w(i"( is t(en $sed to feed t(e EKP &see

ig(t (and side of Fig$e ;'% T(is )o"ess is so!eti!es s$))oted 2#

softwae tools, li*e te+t !ines o "ontent !anage!ent tools, w(i"( allow

*nowledge !anages to "o$)le t(e *nowledge !a) wit( e+isting and

in"o!ing do"$!ents% Of "o$se, t(ee ae aiations of t(is geneal

a"(ite"t$e% Fo e+a!)le, so!e s#ste!s allow fo!s of )esonalisation8 at#)i"al e+a!)le is t(e $se of )esonal assistants, w(ose goal is to s$))ot t(e


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4 Matteo (onifacio et al.

single $se &o go$)' to a""ess in a )esonalised wa# to t(e "o)oate

*nowledge &a well1*nown e+a!)le is t(e intod$"tion of )esonal agents in

t(e engine of A$tono!#'% -owee, fo! o$ )es)e"tie, t(is does not

"(ange t(e a"(ite"t$e in a signifi"ant wa#, and t(e )o"ess t(at leads to t(e

"eation of t(e "o)oate KB is 2asi"all# t(e sa!e%

)igure #% o"ial fo! s% te"(nologi"al a"(ite"t$e in t(e taditional a))oa"(es to KM%

T(eefoe, if te"(nolog# is not ne$tal &2ot( fo! a "ognitie and an

oganisational )es)e"tie', t(en ado)ting a diffeent, non o2/e"tiisti"

e)iste!olog# e.$ies not onl# to et(in* t(e !anageial f$n"tion, 2$t also

to i!agine new te"(nologi"al a"(ite"t$es t(at "an s$))ot a diffeent

a))oa"( to KM%

. " DI,,$R$NT $PI#T$MOO-% ,OR KM

Most a$t(os w(o stessed t(e s$2/e"tie nat$e of *nowledge ag$ed

also t(at !eanings ae not e+tenall# gien8 at(e, indiid$als gie !eaning

to sit$ations t(o$g( s$2/e"tie inte)etation% Inte)etation is s$2/e"tie,

sin"e it o""$s a""oding to so!e 5intenal6 inte)etation s"(e!a , not

die"tl# a""essi2le to ot(e indiid$als% T(ese s"(e!as (ae 2een "alled, fo

e+a!)le, !ental s)a"es &Fa$"onnie, ;


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