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KM as a process Approach

Knowledge Utilization

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The 1960s saw the emergence of “knowledge utilization” as a field of study

The study of knowledge utilization emerged because of knowledge explosion and the expectation that knowledge should be useful to humankind .

This process called also, using knowledge; knowledge retrieval ; implementation & exploitation of knowledge and responsiveness to knowledge

Emerging of K. Utilization

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The most important aspect of the knowledge - based theory of the firm is that the source of competitive advantages resides in the application of the knowledge rather than in the knowledge itself

Unless this final step of applying knowledge is achieved, all the preceding process of km are in vain.

Why KU is important?

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All KM activities mostly depends on how knowledge has been efficiently used.

On the other hand no firm can survive in the long run unless the knowledge it creates is exploited.

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Three model have been developed for knowledge utilization:

The Problem Solver Model The Research, Development and Diffusion

Model The Social Interaction Model

Knowledge Utilization Models

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Problem Solver Model

2. Articulated as a problem

3. Search for solutions

4. Choice of solution

5. Application of solution

1 Felt need 2 Need reduction

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This model centralizes the user: the need of a client (stated, implied or assumed) is the starting point for an analysis of knowledge utilization

The model follows a need reduction cycle

Problem Solver Model

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Centralizes the researcher: the research is the starting point for an analysis of knowledge utilization

Research represents a set of facts and theories about the nature of the universe, which can be made useful to society through a process of development

Research, Development and Diffusion Model

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Research, Development and Diffusion Model

Basic Researc

h

Planned dissemina

tion activities

Production &

packaging

Development & testing

Applied Researc

h

The User

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Centralizes the diffusion aspect: the movement of messages and innovations

from person to person and from system to system

Emphasizes factors such as personal contact, opinion leaders, social integration, power etc.

Social Interaction Model

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Knowledge utilization cannot be examined as a single discrete event in one point in time

It is a process consisting of several events, e.g.:

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K U is a process

Information is retrieved/received

Information is understood

Information is tested for validity/reliability

Information is tested against one’s own intuition and assumptions

Information is applied

Information pickup

Information Application

Information Processing

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The relationship between KM processes and organizational learning is attracted much attention of many authors

companies that are not able to embrace both of OL and KM process at organizational level simply will disappear

actually ,using knowledge can be defined as “learning process”

Knowledge Utilization as a Learning process:

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" The question about the relationship between OL and KM like the question about the egg and the chicken, impossible to answer "

KM & OL relationship

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Since OL occurs for increasing an organization's capability to take effective action ,and km is determined as an organizational capability which increase firm's ability to renew and develop its knowledge resources through some activities.

The output of the learning process is a new knowledge , which is considered as the input of the knowledge utilization process, so we can recognize that OL will support all km processes (creation – sharing – storage - implementation).

KM & OL relationship

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On the other hand, hence the organization will be a learning organization only if such knowledge is applied and systemized used to benefit the entire organization,

as a result the inherent feature between KM & LO is the utilization of knowledge .

the aim of OL is the continuous development of new knowledge through applying the knowledge in new ways, new polices, new product..etc which may lead to create a new k,

So the km is affected by and effects the OL in all process

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However , the most important synergy is on the k. utilization process in which the management must apply the same learning process

as a result k. utilization (learning) can be considered as the intersection between KM and OL as the following figure shows .

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Organizational learning

k. utilization

Knowledge Management

Organizational learning & KM relationship

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“New” is expressed subjectively and in relative terms – if something is perceived as new or considered for the first time by a potential adopter, regardless of how old it is, it is seen as an innovation

The characteristics of an innovation play a role in its adoption.

Innovation (The result of knowledge utilization )

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Adoption = decision to make full use of an innovation

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Having relative advantage, i.e. being better than the idea, practice or object that it supersedes

-Being compatible to the values, experiences and needs of potential adopters

-Lacking complexity, i.e. not being too difficult to understand and use

Characteristics of innovations that

are more rapidly adopted :

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Being trial-able, i.e. can be experimented on a limited basis before full-scale implementation

-Having results that are observable or visible to others, this may increase their decision to adopt

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One of the most important objective of knowledge utilization is creating value, so the effective use of knowledge must lead to changes in behavior, in practices, in policies and /or the development of new ideas, processes, practices and polices

Knowledge Utilization in Practice

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Pfeffer and Sutton (1999) noticed that each year hundred of business school in the United States graduate more than 80,000 MBAs and conduct numerous research studies on business topic in many countries around the world, yet the translation of this research and management education into practice proceeds slowly and fitfully.

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Each year billions of dollars are spent on management consultant by organizations seeking advice (one estimate was $ 43 billion) but that advice is seldom implemented.

And each year more than $ 60 billion on training, particularly on subjects such as TQM, customer service, organizational service, etc, however the result of these training is often ineffective in changing the organizational practices.

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So they recognized that organizations suffer from a gap between what they know and what they do, which termed as

"a knowing - doing gap“The reason of this gap is mainly related to

the misapplying of what organizations know in practice

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to improve the knowledge application process and bridge this gap organizations must do some actions such as;

First : support learning by doing " which involve applying knowledge to a new scenario and gaining contextual learning from that application

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Second because there is no knowing without

mistakes, learning from knowledge application must involve post - analysis and critical evaluation

Third organizations must facilitate some factors

that may help in improving km processes at all and k application process in specific, we called them km infrastructure.

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In this chapter, we have reviewed existing literature related to the knowledge management process, we started with listing the mains km activities

Second we discuss how it is can be viewed as a dynamic capability of the organization,

Thin we explained in details three of the most important km process, in relation to organization’s ability to achieve and sustain competitive advantages.

KM Processes Summary and Conclusions

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Firstknowledge management is not a discrete,

or an independent process, it consists of a dynamic and continuous set of processes and practices embedded in individuals as well as in groups within organization.

KM process Facts

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Second however a variety of the authors' views of km processes, the most important processes for organizations to build and sustain competitive advantages are; k. creation- k. dissemination – k. utilization

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Third Empirically there is no a common or

standard way of addressing knowledge process,

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Fourth There is a theoretical debate among

authors on the relation between km processes and the OL .

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FifthThe output of the effective KU is the

innovation

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The End