KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT - NEED OF THE HOUR Introduction 1.

Management in modern context means optimum utilization of available resources to achieve a pre determined result. It is a human-driven process of pursuing goals and creating conditions of success to achieve these goals. Because not all goals are created equal and not all conditions are optimal, there are sound and poor management practices. However, the fundamental notion of management is to establish and execute a process, which is intended to achieve results. Among various resources of management, one of the important resources is knowledge. 2. Knowledge is the full utilization of information and data, coupled with the potential of people's skills, competencies, ideas, intuitions, commitments and motivations. A holistic view considers knowledge to be present in ideas, judgments, talents, root causes, relationships, perspectives and concepts. Knowledge is stored in the individual brain or encoded in organizational processes, documents, products, services, facilities and systems. Knowledge is action, focused innovation, pooled expertise, special relationships and alliances. It provides the ability to respond to novel situations. 3. Given the importance of knowledge in virtually all areas of daily and commercial life, knowledge as assets are to be applied or exploited, nurtured, preserved and used to the largest extent possible by both individuals and organizations. For knowledge to be of value it must be focused, current, tested and shared. In other words, knowledge must be carefully and explicitly managed in all affected areas to ensure that the basic objectives for existence are attained to the greatest extent possible. Effective and active knowledge management requires new perspectives and techniques and touches on almost all facets of an organization. Organizations worldwide are gradually discovering that good management of individual or group knowledge is a major component of their sustaining strategy. Organizations must continuously adapt to arrive at effective solutions to unfamiliar and complex situations. Free flow of information both from the individual to the organization and vice-versa is the key to mining information for quick and timely decision making. To do so, organizational activities are faced with the need to encourage the collation and exchange of ideas, skills and know how to manage their intellectual capital. Knowledge Management 4. Understanding Knowledge Management. To understand the concept of knowledge management and its related components; we need to understand what knowledge is all about. Let us consider following observations:(a) (b) (c) (d) A collection of data is not information. A collection of information is not knowledge. A collection of knowledge is not wisdom. A collection of wisdom is not truth.

The idea is that data, information, knowledge and wisdom are more than simply collections. Rather, the whole represents more than the sum of its parts and has a synergy of its own. 5. We begin with data, which is just a meaningless point in space and time, without reference to either space or time. It is like an event out of context, a letter out of context, a word out of context. The key concept here is out of context. And, since it is out of context, it is without a meaningful relation to anything else. The implication is that when there is no context, there is little or no meaning. So, we create context but, more often than not, that context is somewhat akin to conjecture, yet it fabricates meaning. 6. A collection of data for which there is no relation between the pieces of data is not information. The pieces of data may represent information, yet whether or not it is information depends on the understanding of the one perceiving the data. Information is quite simply an understanding of the relationships between pieces of data, or between pieces of data and other information. While information entails an understanding of the relations between data, it generally does not provide a foundation for why the data is what it is, nor an indication as to how the data is likely to change over time. Information has a tendency to be relatively static in time and linear in nature. Information is a relationship between data and, quite simply, is what it is, with great dependence on context for its meaning and with little implication for the future. 7. Beyond relation there is pattern, where pattern is more than simply a relation of relations. Pattern embodies both a consistency and completeness of relations which, to an extent, creates its own context. When a pattern relation exists amidst the data and information, the pattern has the potential to represent knowledge. It only becomes knowledge, however, when one is able to realize and understand the patterns and their implications. The patterns representing knowledge have a tendency to be more selfcontextualizing. That is, the pattern tends, to a great extent, to create its own context rather than being context dependent to the same extent that information is. A pattern which represents knowledge also provides, when the pattern is understood, a high level of reliability or predictability as to how the pattern will evolve over time, for patterns are seldom static. Patterns which represent knowledge have completeness to them that information simply does not contain. 8. Wisdom arises when one understands the foundational principles responsible for the patterns representing knowledge being what they are. And wisdom, even more so than knowledge, tends to create its own context. These foundational principles are universal and completely context independent. So, in summary the following associations can reasonably be made:(a) Information relates to description, definition, or perspective (what, who, when, where). (b) (c) Knowledge comprises strategy, practice, method, or approach (how). Wisdom embodies principle, insight, moral, or archetype (why).

9. Every organization has a wealth of knowledge. This knowledge may exist as explicit knowledge in the form of data bank, repositories, MIS etc. and this explicit knowledge is available to all those who have access within the organization. Besides, there is individual knowledge existing in the form of tacit knowledge that may reach full potential only if

converted in to organizational knowledge. In knowledge management, both explicit and tacit knowledge are harnessed to the maximum for enhancing the overall competitive nature of an organization. The spirit of knowledge management lies in knowing individually what we know collectively (making available explicit knowledge), knowing collectively what we know individually and making it reusable and knowing what we do not know and learning it. 10. In order to make use of these capabilities, it requires identification of the knowledge to be captured and reused as a matter of priority, the culture that needs to be built in to the system, skills to be developed and the goals and the targets of the process. This requires a comprehensive knowledge management process that allows access to organizational knowledge, expertise and solutions that are available as a solution; a system that permits cross-pollination of ideas that encompasses an organizations core business. The knowledge management system should encourage sharing of best practices, which in turn form communities of excellence. The organization should ultimately strive to evolve into a learning organization. This can be achieved through a systematic approach towards identifying in house talent and developing them into a long term asset. 11. Knowledge Management Defined. Knowledge Management caters to the critical issues of organizational adaptation, survival and competence in face of increasingly discontinuous environmental change. Essentially, it embodies organizational processes that seek synergistic combination of data and information processing capacity of information technologies, and the creative and innovative capacity of human beings. 12. The value of Knowledge Management relates directly to the effectiveness with which the managed knowledge enables the members of the organization to deal with current situations and effectively envision and create their future. Without on-demand access to managed knowledge, every situation is addressed based on what the individual or group brings to the situation with them. With on-demand access to managed knowledge, every situation is addressed with the sum total of everything anyone in the organization has ever learned about a situation of a similar nature. 13. Knowledge management focuses on 'doing the right thing' instead of 'doing things right.' Knowledge management is a framework within which the organization views all its processes as knowledge processes. In this view, all processes involve creation, dissemination, renewal, and application of knowledge toward organizational sustenance and survival. 14. This concept embodies a transition from the recently popular concept of 'information value chain' to a 'knowledge value chain.' The information value chain considers technological systems as key components guiding the organizational activity, while treating humans as relatively passive processors that implement 'best practices' archived in information databases. In contrast, the knowledge value chain treats human systems as key components that engage in continuous assessment of information archived in the technological systems. In this view, 'best practices' are not implemented without active inquiry by the human actors. Human actors engage in an active process of sense making to continuously assess the effectiveness of 'best practices.' The underlying premise is that 'best practices' of yesterday may not be taken for granted as 'best practices' of today or tomorrow. Hence, double loop learning, unlearning and relearning processes need to be designed into the organizational processes.

15. Knowledge management is necessary for an organization like ours because what worked yesterday may or may not work tomorrow. The assumptions about the optimal organization structure, the control and coordination systems, the motivation and incentive schemes, and so forth do not remain static through out. To remain aligned with the dynamically changing needs of the operational environment, we need to continuously assess our internal theories of practices and strategies for ongoing effectiveness. That is the only viable means for ensuring that today's 'core competencies' do not become 'core rigidities' of tomorrow. 16. The Present Practice. In our organization, the databases, information required for all decisions are well formulated in some form or other. Various Publications, Orders, Instructions, References, Software Systems are existing to help in decision making and running the organization smoothly. There are well defined standard operating procedures laid down to give guidance in decision making in all possible situations. There are regular exercises conducted to practice this procedures in action or otherwise. Personnel are trained at regular interval in their career span to keep abreast of the latest rules, regulations and practices. Logistics becomes an effective tool only when these databases of information in the form of instruction or otherwise are well utilized and interpreted to meet the organizational goal. Roadmap for Knowledge Management Practice 17. The data in an organizational context represents facts or values of results, and relations between data and other relations have the capacity to represent information. Patterns of relations of data and information and other patterns have the capacity to represent knowledge. For the representation to be of any utility it must be understood, and when understood the representation is information or knowledge to the one that understands. Yet, what is the real value of information and knowledge, and what does it mean to manage it? The data, information, knowledge and wisdom in our organization are still data only. There has to be a rationalized system and relationships need to be established between them. Knowledge Management will promote an integrated approach to identify, capture, retrieve, share and evaluate the knowledge assets. These knowledge assets may include databases, documents, policies, procedures, as well as the uncaptured tacit expertise and experience stored in individual's heads. 18. The Process. In order to store, share and use the database of information, there should be a clearly defined process that helps us to not only store information in a common location but also easily locate and retrieve it. Unless a process is defined, capturing information becomes a very difficult task. Take an example where one of us has accomplished a milestone after a hard fought battle. Information such as how the mission was accomplished, some of the key players who tilted the balance in favour and the reason behind this, how similar missions can be accomplished in future and so on need to be captured. If we do not have a well laid out plan, this information will be totally lost to the organization. 19. Our organization can initiate actions towards network development by establishing processes that ensure productive inter-personnel interactions. These include creating maintaining and enriching knowledge forums, collecting and formalizing best practices, and deploying best practices across the organization. 20. We have been trying to push for adoption of computer technologies for storing our knowledge in computerized databases and programming logic in order to manage them.

Our in house developed soft wares such as ILMS, SLMS and IPADS are testimony to it. Best practices, benchmarks, and rules tend to define the assumptions that are embedded not only in information databases, but also in the organization's strategy, reward systems, and resource allocation systems. Such inputs-oriented mechanistic and static representations of knowledge though simplify the processes but do not provide any hint as to how these inputs would affect our performance. Nor do they suggest how to deal with associated emotions and specific contexts that characterize tacit knowledge. 21. Recent thrust of some organizational knowledge management initiatives in the form of computerization on archiving 'best practices' and 'what we know' to guide future decisions and actions is also based on a relatively predictable view of the on going practices. Not surprisingly, this model of knowledge management guided by prespecification and pre-determination of organizational logic with primary emphasis on optimizing the user of existing knowledge (defined in best practices, computational logic, data warehouses, etc.) has primarily focused on knowledge re-use over creation of new knowledge. However the endeavour should be to have an information system that will maintain the data history, experience and expertise that we hold now. The information systems themselves, not the people; can become the stable structure of the organization. People will be free to come and go, but the value of their experience will be incorporated in the systems that help them and their successors run the business. 22. Organizational Control and MIS. The most important issue for organizations is to ensure that they focus on the synergy of data and information processing capacity of information technologies, and the creative and innovative capacity of their human members. Advanced information technologies can increasingly accomplish 'programmable' tasks traditionally done by humans. If a procedure can be programmed, it can be delegated to information technology in one form or another. The information and control systems in organizations are intended to achieve the 'programming' for optimization and efficiency. However, checks and balances need to be built into the organizational processes to ensure that such 'programs' are continuously updated in alignment with the dynamically changing external environment. 23. Organizational control is imperative in any knowledge management system to ensure pre-determined meanings, pre-defined actions, and pre-specified outcomes. Consistency is imperative for ensuring homogeneity of processing of same information in the same manner to ensure same outcomes and is achieved by minimizing criticism and questioning of the status quo. This may, however, take its toll by suppressing innovation and creativity. Even despite organizational control that demands absolute conformance, personnels attention, motivation, and, commitment may moderate or intervene in its influence. Control is often based on rules and hence difficult to maintain in a world where competitive survival often depends upon questioning existing assumptions. Given an environment characterized by radical and discontinuous change, the survival of the organization would hinge on ongoing assessment of assumptions underlying the organizational effectiveness as well as ensuring that the definition of strategic organizational logic is aligned with the changing geo-political environment. 24. Organizational controls tend to seek compliance with pre-defined goals that need to be achieved using pre-determined best practices and standard operating procedures. Such organizational controls tend to ensure conformity by enforcing task definition, measurement and control, yet they may inhibit creativity and initiative. Enforcement of such controls is essentially a negative activity since it defines what cannot be done and reinforces a process of single loop learning with its primary emphasis on error avoidance.

However it needs to be encouraged keeping the dynamically changing environmental needs. Design of new information architectures thus needs to take into consideration ambiguity, inconsistency, multiple perspectives, and impermanency of existing information. Such architectures need to be designed along the principles of flexible and adaptive information systems that facilitate exploitation of previous experiences while ensuring that memory of the past doesnt hinder ongoing experimentation and adaptation for the discontinuous future. 25. The Management. For knowledge management, to succeed, at least during the initial stage a lot of hand holding is required. A lot of commitment is required from people at the top. Unless top management does some pushing, the whole effort may turn out to be a failure. For initiative such as knowledge management, it will take some time for results to show. So the question that the top management needs to ask before venturing into implementation of knowledge management is how long will it take and would they wait? And are we really serious about this initiative? Such introspection will definitely lead to serious effort being put into cultivating the culture of knowledge sharing. Also, grass root involvement alone is typically not enough to sustain a knowledge network. If processes are to function smoothly, management must formally allocate adequate and qualified resources to them. Unstinted support and involvement from all levels of management, their full commitment to knowledge management initiative in terms of their continuous effort to breakdown cultural and behavioral barriers are all key factors for success. 26. In the world of re-everything, automation of functions, rationalization of workflows, and redesign of organograms, a simple knowledge management system will be inadequate. Rather, we will need to develop adaptive capacity for redefining our organizational value propositions keeping the organizational goal intact that will add greatest value to the whole organizational structure. Ongoing sustenance and optimum operational performance would depend on the ability to continuously redefine and adapt organizational goals, purposes, and the organization's way of doing things. The critical challenge will lie in the ability to redesign and reinvent our organizational activities, processes and strategies for realizing more demanding operational situations, customer value propositions, while harvesting the knowledge flows embedded in the current setup. As Bill Gates pointed out, Technology itself is available to everyone. So, its how you use these tools inside the company thats going to provide the competitive differentiation. 27. A key challenge for managers in the forthcoming turbulent environment will be cultivating commitment of personnel to the organizational vision. As it becomes increasingly difficult to specify long-term goals and objectives, such commitment would facilitate real-time strategizing in accord with the organizational vision and its real time implementation on the frontlines. Managers would need to take autonomous roles of selfleadership and self-regulation as they would be best positioned to sense the dynamic changes in their immediate environment. Compliance will lose its effectiveness as the managerial tool of control as managers removed from the frontlines would have less and less knowledge about the changing dynamics for efficient decision-making. Managers would need to facilitate the confidence of all personnel in acting on incomplete information, trusting their own judgments, and taking decisive actions for capturing increasingly shorter windows of opportunity. 28. We should also be careful when it comes to technology. Too much stress on technology may not lead to a successful knowledge management implementation. Technology is a means for knowledge management to be successful but not an end by

itself. The most important factor in the success of any knowledge management initiative is the acceptance of the whole idea by the people involved. 29. The People. It is well known that about 70 to 80 per cent of all the knowledge in the world is held in human minds. The rest could be found in repositories or libraries. Thus, all form of knowledge begins and ends with people. The key to success of any knowledge management initiative, therefore, lies in getting the entire organization to adopt a culture of sharing knowledge and expertise and to instill the practice of a learning organization. Convincing people to share knowledge is a herculean task considering that it involves changing the whole way one looks at present circumstances. It involves a change in the way one thinks, an attitudinal change about sharing knowledge and most importantly the enlightenment required to understand that hoarding knowledge does more harm to you than good. 30. The human sensors that are interacting continuously on the front lines with the external environment have a rich understanding of the complexity of the phenomena and the changes that are occurring therein. Such sensors can help the organization synchronize its programmed routines with the external reality of the prevailing environment. Hence, organizational processes need to implement knowledge management in reinforcing linkage between the archived organizational 'best practices' and the actions taken by organizational members based on that information. This is where human creativity and innovation comes into the picture. 31. Often, individuals may not willingly share information with their departmental peers, supervisors or with other departments, because they believe that what they know provides them with an inherent advantage in bargaining and negotiation. Despite the availability of most sophisticated knowledge sharing technologies, such human concerns may often result in sharing of partial, inaccurate, or ambiguous information. Even more critical than the absence of information is the propensity of sharing inaccurate or ambiguous information because of competing interests that may not yield true integration of information flows despite very sophisticated integration of enabling information technologies. Integrated information flows depend upon motivation of people to share accurate information on a timely basis across intra-enterprise and inter-enterprise information value chains. Motivation of personnel, departments, sections and sub-sections to share accurate and timely information is based on trust, despite the potential of use of information in unanticipated ways. This in turn depends upon the overriding inter-enterprise and intra-enterprise information sharing cultures. 32. Constrains of Knowledge Management. Knowledge management systems can fail because of two broad reasons. (a) Knowledge management systems are often defined in terms of inputs such as data, information technology, best practices, etc., that by themselves may be inadequate for effective organizational performance. For these inputs to result in optimum organizational performance, the influence of intervening and moderating variables such as attention, motivation, commitment, creativity, and innovation, has to be better understood and accounted for in design of business models. (b) The efficacy of inputs and how they are strategically deployed are important issues often left unquestioned as 'expected' performance outcomes are achieved, but the value of such performance outcomes may be eroded by the dynamic shifts in the tactical and strategic environments.

Conclusion. 33. Under present day circumstances, management of intellectual capital is still in its initial stage. Any efforts that attempt towards achieving the goal of a learning organization need a climate of trust and patient from the management. It is always better to consider the processes in place, with management commitment, before embarking on a knowledge management initiative but it is always a must to people first because any success or failure is finely balanced based on the level of acceptance by the people within the organization. 34. It is always better to know that knowledge management initiatives that begin with management directives often end there; and grass root level networks that start without management support from all levels within an organization that will ultimately make an organization a true knowledge organization.