Beyond the state-of-the-art of Knowledge Management I-KNOW '04
J.UCS Special Issue
Klaus Tochtermann (Know-Center, Graz, Austria)
ktochter@know-center.at
Abstract: In a world of dynamic and discontinuous change,
organizations are constantly seeking ways to adapt themselves to new
conditions so that they are prepared to survive and flourish in an
increasingly competitive environment. In such a dynamic landscape,
organizations are re-examining the ways they treat their knowledge
assets and they are identifying new ways in which they can exploit
them more effectively in the future. Therefore, efficient management
of knowledge has attracted increasing attention.
This special issue makes available the eight best contributions
evaluated by the international expert committee of I-KNOW `04, the 4th
International Conference on Knowledge Management
(http://www.i-know.at). The purpose of this issue is to provide
readers orientation towards novel ideas for knowledge management
research and next-generation knowledge management solutions. The
contributions underpin a clear trend for today's and more important
for tomorrow's knowledge management research. That is the
interdisciplinary and holistic character of knowledge management
covering human resource management, organizational development and
information technologies, alike. With this in background, the eight
contributions of this special issue fall in two categories. The first
category on knowledge audit, knowledge transfer & flows and knowledge
integration has its focus on organizational and cultural aspects of
knowledge management. The second category on semantic-based approaches
and semantic technologies places the emphasis on more technological
aspects of knowledge management.
Knowledge audit, knowledge transfer & flows and knowledge integration
S.Y. Choy, W.B. Lee, C.F. Cheung from The Hong Kong Polytechnic
University, (Hong Kong) entitled their paper A Systematic Approach for
Knowledge Audit Analysis: Integration of Knowledge Inventory, Mapping
and Knowledge Flow Analysis. The authors argue, that knowledge audit
(i.e. a knowledge management "maturity" analysis for organizations),
is an important foundation for the successful implementation of
knowledge management interventions. The paper introduces a three-stage
method consisting of a pre-audit preparation, an in-audit process and
a post-audit analysis. This method has been successfully applied in a
case study with the engineering division of the Hong Kong DragonAir
Limited.
Martin J. Eppler from University of Lugano (Switzerland) presents in his
paper Facilitating Knowledge Communication through Joint Interactive
Visualization how interactive visualization tools offer potential for
the improvement of knowledge communication. Martin Eppler introduces three
tools: (1) a synergy map, (2) an on track visual protocol tool and (3)
a parameter ruler supporting different aspects of collaborative
communication and cognition tasks. Based on experiences made in
corporate knowledge-intensive communication situations the benefits
and needs for further improvements of theses tools are discussed.
Tobias Müller-Prothmann from the Free University Berlin (Germany)
and Ina Finke from Fraunhofer IPK Berlin (Germany) entitled their
paper SELaKT - Social Network Analysis as a Method for Expert
Localisation and Sustainable Knowledge Transfer. SELaKT is a method
which builds upon latest results in network analysis and adapts them
to corporate knowledge transfer. The paper presents the application of
the SELaKT method. The achieved results, i.e. social relationships in
form of structural patterns and positional models, are interpreted in
the context of corporate knowledge management. Finally, based upon the
interpretation, knowledge management interventions can be
recommended. These interventions include improvements for knowledge
communication, creation of successful knowledge environments, or
sustainable knowledge transfer (e.g. workshops, CoPs).
Jon Landeta Rodriguez, Arturo Rodriguez Castellanos and Stanislav
Y. Ranguelov from University of the Basque Country (Spain) report in
their paper Knowledge Management Analysis of the Research &
Development & Transference Process at HEROs: a Public University Case
about a new approach for knowledge management which covers the entire
knowledge transfer and knowledge flow from scientific and technical
knowledge in universities to organizations outside universities. The
approach consists of three steps requiring different methodologies:
step 1 deals with a knowledge analysis to identify and categorizes
different types of knowledge; step 2 investigates the current
practices for knowledge management and in particular for knowledge
administration in universities; and finally step 3 analyses and
estimates risks of recommended improvements.
Niksa Alfirevic from the University of Split (Croatia) and Domagoj
Racic from the University of Zagreb (Croatia) address Knowledge
Integration as a Source of Competitive Advantage in Large Croatian
Enterprises. Their contribution discusses knowledge integration as a
potential source of competitive advantage. The research has attempted
to empirically evaluate the level to which knowledge management and
human resource development are integrated in a company's
strategy. This evaluation has been conducted with a representative
sample of large Croatian companies.
Semantic-based approaches and semantic technologies
Simona Collucci, Tommaso Di Noia, Eugenio Di Sciascio, Marina
Mongiello, Giacomo Piscitelli from the Politecnico di Bari (Italy) and
Francesco M. Donini from University of Tuscia (Italy) focus in their paper
Semantic-based Approach to Task Assignment of Individual Profiles on
the problem of skill matching in organizations, that is on how to
assign the right human competencies to different tasks in an
organization. The concepts have been implemented in a skill matching
system which uses curricula vitae and project descriptions as
inputs. Based upon this input and a given ontology, provided and
required individual profiles are extracted. Finally, these profiles
are compared with open tasks to find the best match. Technically, the
approach relies on weighted bipartite graphs with semantic-based
assignments of arcs weights.
Mark Hefke from the Research Center for Information Technologies at
the University of Karlsruhe (Germany) developed A Framework for the
successful Introduction of KM Using CBR and Semantic Web
Technologies. Based upon a holistic approach to cover organizational,
cultural and technological aspects when introducing knowledge
management, the framework makes suggestions based on cased-based
reasoning techniques and semantic web technologies. The main
components of the framework are (a) a case base with best practices,
(b) a self-auditing component to help organisations to describe their
profile and knowledge goals, (c) a case retrieval processes to
retrieve cases which are similar to an organization's profile, (d) a
recommendation process offering recommendations for knowledge
management interventions and finally (e) a feedback loop to extend the
case base by successful knowledge management interventions.
Simone Stumpf and Janet McDonnell from University College London (United
Kingdom) report about An Investigation into Sharing Metadata: "I'm not
thinking what you are thinking". Metadata and ontologies have
increasingly been seen as important features in knowledge
management. This paper deals with metadata elicitation based on
content descriptions from human domain specialists and with the
sharing of the metadata. The objective of a case study conducted with
security specialists from nine organizations in the retail sector was
to investigate how these specialists can learn from each other using a
metadata framework and how this can be supported by tools and
processes.
I hope that this special issue provides the reader with a
comprehensive overview of contributions which represent a true
advancement beyond the state-of-the-art of knowledge management.
Graz, Austria
June 2004
Klaus Tochtermann, Know-Center, Graz
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