APPROACHES TO KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT THE PROCESS APPROACH
9.5 APPROACHES TO KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT THE PROCESS APPROACH
There are two fundamental approaches to knowledge management: the process approach and the practice approach (see Table 9.1).The process approach attempts to
codify organizational knowledge through formalized controls, processes, and tech-
C H A P T E R 9 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
TABLE 9.1 Process and Practice Approaches to Knowledge Management.
Process Approach
Practice Approach
Type of Knowledge Supported
Explicit knowledge—codified in rules,
Mostly tacit knowledge—unarticulated
tools, and processes ( D e L o n g and
knowledge not easily captured or codi-
Fahey, 2000)
fied (Leonard and Sensiper, 1998)
Means of Transmission
Formal controls, procedures, and
Informal social groups that engage in
standard operating procedures with
storytelling and improvisation
heavy emphasis on information
(Wenger and Snyder, 2000)
technologies to support knowledge creation, codification, and transfer of knowledge (Ruggles, 1998)
Benefits
Provides structure to harness generated
Provides an environment to generate
ideas and knowledge (Brown and
and transfer high-value tacit knowl-
Duguid, 2000)
edge (Brown and Duguid, 2000;
Achieves scale in knowledge reuse
Wenger and Snyder, 2000)
(Hansen et al., 1999)
Provides spark for fresh ideas and
responsiveness to changing environ- ment (Brown and Duguid, 2000)
Disadvantages
Fails to tap into tacit knowledge. May
Can result in inefficiency. Abundance of
limit innovation and forces partici-
ideas with no structure to implement
pants into fixed patterns of thinking
them.
Role of Information Technology Heavy investment in IT to connect
Moderate investment in IT to facilitate
people with reusable codified
conversations and transfer of tacit
knowledge (Hansen et al., 1999)
knowledge (Hansen et al., 1999)
Source: Adapted from Alavi, Kayworth, and Leidner (2003).
implement explicit policies governing how knowledge is to be collected, stored, and disseminated throughout the organization. The process approach frequently involves the use of information technologies, such as intranets, data warehousing, knowledge repositories, decision support tools, and groupware (Ruggles, 1998), to enhance the quality and speed of knowledge creation and distribution in the organizations. The main criticisms of the process approach are that it fails to capture much of the tacit knowledge embedded in firms and forces individuals into fixed patterns of thinking
(Brown and Duguid, 2000; DeLong and Fahey, 2000; Von Grogh, 2000). This approach is favored by firms that sell relatively standardized products that fill common needs. Most of the valuable knowledge in these firms is fairly explicit because of the stan- dardized nature of the products and services. For example, a kazoo manufacturer has minimal product changes or service needs over the years, and yet there is steady demand and a need to produce the item. In these cases, the knowledge is typically sta- tic in nature.
Even large firms that utilize tacit knowledge, such as Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, have invested heavily to ensure that the process approach works efficiently. The 250 people at Cap Gemini Ernst & Young's Center for Business Knowledge manage an
electronic repository and help consultants find and use information. Specialists write reports and analyses that many teams can use. And each of Cap Gemini Ernst & Young's more than 40 practice areas has a staff member who helps codify and store documents. The resulting area databases are linked through a network (Hansen et al.,
1999). Naturally, people-to-documents is not the only way consultants in firms like Cap Gemini Ernst & Young and Accenture share knowledge; they talk with one another as
well. But they do place a high degree of emphasis on the codification strategy (Hansen
523 P A R T 111 ' COLLABORATION, COMMUNICATION, ENTERPRISE DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS, AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT