Knowledge Management In Business

Need help with a research paper? What follows is a sample of a term paper on Knowledge Management in Business that our writers have created. Knowledge management in business term papers describe methods of knowledge transfer that they observed in a particular organizational environment. The authors point out that the wide array of theoretically-based scholarship pertaining to knowledge management and knowledge transfer in the last decade has resulted in a considerable degree of confusion for managers who seek an approach to informational flow that is readily applicable. In answer to this gap in the extant published literature on the subject, the authors develop a structural model for knowledge transfer within an organization, which they developed after observing the way that a particular firm handled informational flow. The method proposed by the authors is based on an analogy of "publish-subscribe," in which extant knowledge is made available and accessed on an as-needed basis, following a flow chart that accounts for the particular organization structure of a firm.

Likewise, a knowledge management in business term paper focuses on developing a readily applicable model for knowledge transfer within an organization. Affirming that the current business climate places an unprecedented emphasis on knowledge in the leveraging of competitive advantage and market share, the term paper surveys the development of knowledge management by making a qualitative review of key publications on the subject, outlining the major elements of knowledge management and knowledge transfer that have been identified by previous researchers. Then, the term paper synthesizes the concepts outlined in the literature review, discussing ways that theory can be applied in facilitating the transfer of knowledge within an organizational environment. A research paper asserts the considerable importance of effective knowledge management, while emphasizing that superficial gestures towards the facilitation of knowledge transfer within an organization will not effectively engender a corporate culture that genuinely values its intellectual capital.

Knowledge management essentially refers to the maintenance of knowledge within an organization. "In a nutshell, knowledge management is a discipline designed to harvest, re-use and extend an organization's knowledge". Additionally, "knowledge management is the art or science of collecting organizational data and, by recognizing and understanding relationships and patterns, turning it into usable, accessible information and valuable knowledge". The information may involve previous work products or data that may be utilized in future products. One example of knowledge management is in the legal profession. Lawyers maintain extensive files and data banks regarding previous work and past cases so that they may be readily available for future work. Unfortunately, reports suggest that the cost of such maintenance far exceeds its value. This type of system can act as a type of an intranet. Many utilizing this kind of system report that there is little profit. However, the true value may be difficult to ascertain.

Thus, other organizations may be better equipped in determining the value of knowledge management and as a result have a different view of this technique. Fox (2002) reports that Boeing Commercial Airlines uses knowledge management. This system enables the answering of questions from clients and customers. It was estimated that such a system paid for itself within a year and a half by reducing the time engineers were required to answer questions. "The goal of the new knowledge management system is to create an electronic repository of solutions to customer questions.

Wagner (2002) suggests that the notion of managers simply managing people is outdated. Instead, managers now need to manage information. Some individuals suggest that all workers are "knowledge workers." These employees are defined as "those who create knowledge, such as product development engineers, or whose use of knowledge is a dominant aspect of their work, such as financial auditors". There is little to distinguish between those who create and those who use knowledge.

In the future, there are several trends that the knowledge manager will consist of:

1. From overseeing work to doing it, too.
2. From organizing hierarchies to organizing communities.
3. From imposing work designs and methods to understanding them.
4. From hiring and firing workers to recruiting and retaining them.
5. From building manual skills to building knowledge skills.
6. From evaluating visible job performance to assessing invisible knowledge achievements.
7. From ignoring culture to building a knowledge-friendly culture.
8. From supporting the bureaucracy to fending it off.