Knowledge management

Knowledge management Differences between information management and knowledge management There exist several differences between information management and knowledge management. Information management denotes the ways in which organizations plan, collect, organize, use, control and disseminate information. Organizations also use these ways to identify and fully exploit the value of the said information. On the other hand, knowledge management is a way in which organizations, teams and individuals collectively and systematically create, share, and apply knowledge in order to achieve their objectives effectively. Information management views information as an object, explicit and factual that is managed through automated systems. Conversely, knowledge management views knowledge as a tacit concept that is resident in individuals and organizations.
Information management seeks to enhance internal processes and ensure the quality of business operations whilst knowledge management seeks to facilitate knowledge-rich relations and support ongoing innovation and development. Most Information Management Systems are based on business processes that are clearly defined, relatively stable and involve similar objects such as applications, invoices, and orders. Examples of such business processes include production processes, logistics, and administration. On the other hand, knowledge management systems are dynamic and difficult to predict because different times and situations need different knowledge. The people involved in knowledge management do not need information. Rather, they look for background information, argumentations, conclusions, methods, opinions, analyses and best practices.
Knowledge management strategy is primarily in the domain of human resource director, IT director, and HR director
Knowledge management strategy is primarily the domain of human resource director and its significance to the director explains this. The strategy helps formalize, store, share, distribute, and coordinate an organization’s knowledge assets all of which are functions that touch on the work of the human resource director. The director is able to modify the culture of an organization in such a way that the organization’s values and norms seamlessly connect with the knowledge management strategy. Human resource director is able to promote a climate of trust and commitment in an organization in order to make it easy to manage knowledge. This director has the capacity to organize an organization’s employees in to networks, teams, and communities of practice in order to enhance sharing of knowledge.
The strategy also helps human resource director to influence an organization to adopt policies that encourage the hiring and retention of employees who contribute to the creation and sharing of knowledge. It is within the mandate of the human resource director to advise on ways of motivating employees and reward them for sharing knowledge and the strategy is significant. In addition, a human resource director is able to organize symposia, seminars, conferences, and workshops all of which can help in the successful implementation of knowledge management strategy. In collaboration with IT director, the human resource director develops systems that capture and codify both explicit and tacit knowledge which are essential elements of a knowledge management strategy.
Human resource director also designs processes that encourage individual and organizational learning that generates and assists in dissemination of knowledge, a scope that entails knowledge management. In order to ensure the overall success of a knowledge management strategy, the human resource director invites the leadership input of other senior managers. Human resource director is able to implement a knowledge management strategy in such a way that it enhances an organization’s use of knowledge as a competitive advantage.
Reference
Ponzi, L., & Koenig, M. (2002). Knowledge Management: Another Management Fad? Information Research, 8(1): 23 – 27.