knowledge management in projects
DESCRIPTION
A review of current research and literature covering knowledge management methods and practices in projectsTRANSCRIPT
Knowledge Management in
ProjectsE r i c D . B r o w nM a r c h 2 5 2 0 1 0
Overview
Describe Literature Review & Areas of future research in Knowledge Management for Projects
Provide an overview of types of knowledge in projects
Provide quick review of methods for sharing knowledge in projects
What is a project?
A project is:
Temporary
Definite Start / End Dates
Specific Purpose (i.e., accomplish something)
“Official” Definition
The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) by the Project Management Institute (PMI) defines a project as:
a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result. The temporary nature of projects indicates a definite beginning and end.
It’s a project world
All organizations today are project-based with some companies being 100% project-based
How do we share knowledge between projects and project teams?
What type of knowledge is generated during projects?
KM in Projects
Very little focus on Knowledge Management in projects
Focus for project managers is time, budget and scope.
Disterer (2002) argues that traditional project management is overly concerned with efficiency and effectiveness
KM in Projects (cont)
Leseure & Brookes (2004):
“Knowledge is generated within one project and then lost. Failure to transfer this knowledge…leads to wasted activity and impaired project performance”
Kasvi, Vartiainen, & Hailikari (2003):
“knowledge management practices were weak and unsystematic”
Types of Knowledge
Two general types of knowledge
Explicit - the ‘know-what’
Tacit - the ‘know-how’
Explicit Knowledge
Explicit knowledge is the ‘know-what’ of an organization
Explicit knowledge is ‘visible’ knowledge
Explicit knowledge has been defined by Polanyi (1967) as:
knowledge that can be communicated using formalized language
Tacit Knowledge
Tacit Knowledge is the ‘know-how’ of an organization.
Tacit Knowledge is the ‘invisible’ knowledge
According to Takeuchi (1998) tacit knowledge is:
deeply rooted in an individuals actions and experiences as well as in the ideals, values or emotions that the person embraces
KM in Projects
Reich (2007) defines KM in projects as:
“Knowledge management in the context of a project is the application of principles and processes designed to make relevant knowledge available to the project team.”
Reich outlines 4 types of knowledge in projects
Project Knowledge
Process Knowledge
Domain Knowledge
Institutional Knowledge
Cultural Knowledge
Technical Knowledge
Behavioral Knowledge
Types of Knowledge in Projects
Cultural Knowledge
knowledge about the organizational culture as well as cultural backgrounds of the project team members
Mostly hidden from view - difficult to capture/share?
Types of Knowledge in Projects
Domain Knowledge
knowledge about the industry, technology, processes, current situation, business and products
Example: the software development cycle
Types of Knowledge in Projects
Institutional Knowledge
knowledge that a project team or member has about the organization
structure, reporting, etc
Types of Knowledge in Projects
Process Knowledge
knowledge about the the project (tasks, methodologies, timelines, structure, etc) and process
Example: project plans, etc
Transferring knowledge in
projects
Process Knowledge
Domain Knowledge
Institutional Knowledge
Cultural Knowledge
Technical Knowledge
Behavioral Knowledge
Sharing knowledge
Reich’s four types of knowledge can be split into 2 categories:
Behavioral - why / who
Technical - how / when / what
Methods for Sharing
Sole & Wilson (2002) have researched this area showing that some methods are better for different types of knowledge
A few samples of methods for sharing knowledge:MentoringStoriesSimulationModelingCodified ResourcesSymbolic Objects
Sole, D., & Wilson, D. G. (2002). Storytelling in Organizations: The power and traps of using stories to share knowledge in organizations. Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Sharing Behavioral Knowledge
Behavioral Knowledge
Storytelling
Modeling
Simulation
Behavioral Knowledge is more tacit
Sharing Technical Knowledge
Technical Knowledge -
Codified Resources - documents, plans, etc
Symbolic Objects
Technical Knowledge is more explicit
Future Research
How can project knowledge best be captured and transferred?
What changes can be made to project management methodologies to ensure KM is captured & shared?
Can systems & processes be built to allow both categories of knowledge (Behavioral & Technical) to be captured & shared?
Future Research / Roadmap
Future roadmap:
Currently completing literature review of Project Knowledge Management & methods of capturing/sharing
Research different capturing methods
Research different sharing methods
Thank you
If you have any questions, contact me:
http://ericbrown.com
972-890-4058
twitter: @ericdbrown
In addition to the slides, you can find a pre-recorded version of this presentation on my website at:
http://ericbrown.com/PKMR-1