Knowledge Management: A Project Management Approach

Due to its similarities with information management in some areas and business management in other aspects, Knowledge Management can become confused as information systems by some and human resource management (HRM) by others. In reality, it has roots to a wide variety of disciplines such as philosophy, economics, cognitive science, management, organisational science, knowledge engineering, artificial intelligence, information science, sociology and politics. As a result, there are as many definitions of the concept as there are disciplines. Peter Drucker (1993) used the term “knowledge economy” to describe the current period in history where knowledge is a key asset. The popularity of knowledge management in the past five years among academics and practitioners is due to the argument that it is no longer industrial technologies or craft skills that drive competitive advantage but rather knowledge is key to survival and success. The uniqueness of knowledge management comes from its interdisciplinary nature, although conventional academic divisions in traditional subject areas do not help. If KM was human resources management, current HR strategies such as Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) would have been enough. Similarly, if KM was information systems, current information management tools and processes would have been sufficient. The reality though, is that different information systems and business strategies have been found wanting. Numerous examples of investments made in business strategies and information management strategies, in a number of sectors have yielded little or no results. Knowledge management rather than being HRM or IM instead, is synergistic in that it facilitates boundary crossing and enables individuals to see beyond the narrow margins of their own areas and recognise the value of debate and dialogue in problem solving. Carrillo et.al (2003) successfully linked KM with business performance therefore making a strong case for organisations to adopt a KM strategy. Knowledge management has become a tool for strategic management in organisations due to the advantages it could deliver. The need for the management of knowledge in the present time cannot be over-emphasised. Managing knowledge in an organisation involves acquiring and leveraging knowledge and utilising, where possible, technologies to harvest and manage the knowledge produced during a task. Currently, KM projects in organisations are becoming common. It is fashionable for organisations to have a project dedicated to managing their knowledge regardless of how efficient or sustainable such KM programmes could prove in leveraging the organisations resources. Examples of KM projects are the Skandia Navigator Project placing emphasis on intellectual capital, the Japanese experience observed by Nonaka and Taekuchi (1995), the IBM KM project, and the British Airways KM project. These KM examples show that organisations are taking KM seriously. They also adopt it as a strategy for maximising organisational resources and achieving competitive advantage. Davenport and Prusak (1998) amplified the views of Edvinsson, Malone, Nonaka and Takeuchi by reiterating that how organisations manage what they know would be responsible for their sustainability in the increasingly competitive global market. A number of these KM initiatives use the community and social capital approach. The varieties of knowledge initiatives, experiments and projects across the globe has led to a phenomenal growth in KM body of knowledge. Researches looking into ways KM could be utilised in the process of innovation and improving already existing processes are on the increase. Moreover, one unique feature characterising KM is that a significant number of KM applications like the ones mentioned above have been applied in the organisational process giving a hint that the need for quality, efficiency and a faster time to market cycle may be the major drivers for KM applications.