Results of a recent study highlight the low priority many
organisations give to harnessing corporate knowledge
Results published today from a study by management school Roffey
Park Institute highlight the low priority many organisations are
giving to the challenge of harnessing corporate knowledge, writes
Paul Donovan
The study found that knowledge management is linked to key
results areas in only 45% of participating organisations and just
23%, have an executive officer with overall responsibility for the
subject.
Of the organisations surveyed, only 15% have a chief knowledge
officer.
Christina Evans, an associate of Roffey Park Institute and
author of the report, Developing a Knowledge Creating Culture,
identifies the need to prioritise staff ahead of systems, to create
an environment that encourages knowledge sharing.
"There is a tendency to address knowledge management via
systems, processes and people when in reality those priorities need
to be reversed," she says.
"Whenever knowledge management is mentioned, people jump into
the technology side, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. The
priorities need to be people, processes and systems, in that
order."
Research found that some companies were aiming to create more
informal spaces, so that people can meet, swap ideas and generally
interact.
"Knowledge creation is a social process and thus it requires
'social spaces' where individuals can meet in a relaxed environment
to exchange ideas, insights and share problems," says Evans.
At document company Xerox, the senior management team regularly
hold round-table discussions with employees at all levels to
exchange information and ideas about where the business is
going.
"There needs to be human interaction and the development of
relationships based on trust for knowledge sharing to take place,"
Evans explains.
The study found that a commitment from the top is required in
order to create a successful management strategy, while the process
for implementation must be strictly bottom-up.
The commitment from the top translates into senior management at
board level considering the issue to be important enough to be
prioritised. Evans believes that to create such knowledge culture
there is a need for chief knowledge officers, knowledge sponsors,
knowledge editors and librarians.
The bottom-up implementation means, as in the case of Xerox, an
inclusive process that brings a buy-in at every level of the
organisation, and which rewards employees at all levels for their
contribution to the knowledge management process.
The report states, that initially creating a small catalyst team
that draws people in with a variety of backgrounds from different
business areas can start the bottom-up process.
In order for knowledge management to be accepted and
prioritised, the study identifies the need to createa separate
culture.
- Roffey Park's Knowledge Management report is available from
today, 1 June. To purchase a copy, tel: 01293-851644.