This blog initiated an exploration of defining the job
responsibilities, skills, and abilities of Knowledge Managers, with a
particular emphasis on investigating the concept of "interdisciplinary
knowledge" as a necessary requirement for practicing Knowledge Management
within an organization.
The reason for this research lies in the persistent "knowledge divide" that often exists between the realms of business and information technology within organizations. It appears to be a perpetual challenge to foster effective communication and understanding between these two organizational disciplines, particularly when confronted with specific complex use cases.
At first, I held the belief that the roles of the
Business Analyst, Business Process Analyst, Systems Analyst, and various other
functions were designed to bridge this gap. While they do serve this purpose to
some extent, I personally think there's still an element missing in the
equation. Facilitating mutual understanding among all these functions can prove
to be a formidable challenge.
I allocated one hour to explore connections related to this issue.
The following sources piqued my interest:
- The Strategy of
Constructing an Interdisciplinary Knowledge Center [1]
- Towards
indicating interdisciplinarity: Characterizing interdisciplinary knowledge
flow. [2]
- Identifying key
success factors in the quest for interdisciplinary knowledge [3]
- A structured
literature review of scientometric research of the knowledge management discipline:
a 2021 update [4]
After reviewing Alexander Serenko's scientometric research on structured literature in Knowledge Management (available at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alexander-Serenko), one of his implications points to an increasing divide between Knowledge Management academics and practitioners. As a solution to this gap, Serenko (2013) [5] recommends the introduction of knowledge brokers who can gather, summarize, and present academic knowledge in a practical and accessible format to active KM Practitioners.
In reference to a prior blog post I authored, titled
"Solidly Verified Knowledge" and accessible at
https://knowledgemanagement.co.za/blog/knowledgespecialist/, it underscores the
importance of having a Knowledge Specialist within every organization. The
fundamental premise of this model asserts that each organization should
establish a meaningful connection with a higher education institution.
Trust me when I tell you that the Book of Knowledge is
an extensive resource within higher education institutions, remaining
inaccessible to the general public.
I asked ChatGPT the following:
But what, exactly, does this entail, and how can it be
put into action? The answer is quite simple: by asking questions.
By engaging with researchers and allowing them the
necessary time to generate and respond to findings, organizations can compile a
repository of solidly verified knowledge. One of the key advantages of this
approach is that the answers obtained remain unbiased, offering invaluable
insights for informed decision-making. This process exemplifies the practice of
interdisciplinary knowledge, a task that falls under the purview of Knowledge
Management Enablement.
Subsequently, the Knowledge Specialist assumes the
role of deciphering this wealth of information and effectively conveying it to
both the Business and IT sectors in a manner that is comprehensible to both
domains. Moreover, the Knowledge Specialist plays a pivotal role in guiding
both parties on a journey towards decision-making, where tacit knowledge
management becomes a significant factor.
One common misconception about Knowledge Management is
the belief that its primary purpose is Content Management. Often, this
misconception leads to a rapid shift toward focusing on the selection of tools
for content management, such as document management systems, wikis, or data
catalogs. The real challenge, however, lies not in the technology itself but in
the effective management of knowledge. To gain a better understanding, it's
advisable to explore concepts like Knowledge Audits and Strategies. Personally,
I find "Knowledge Surveys" to be a more inviting term. Unlike
"Audit," which may suggest a scrutiny of compliance,
"Survey" tends to make people feel more at ease and less intruded
upon.
In essence, the Knowledge Specialist acts as the
linchpin between academia and practical application, facilitating the flow of
knowledge, and aiding in the decision-making process. This dynamic interaction
between academia and business is where the true value of interdisciplinary
knowledge comes to fruition.
Back to Knowledge Management Job Specifications.
In my opinion, the following should be a required function
for any Knowledge Management Practitioner:
·
Facilitating
meaningful interactions between Business and IT, fostering the practice of
interdisciplinary knowledge management within the organization, and promoting
mutual understanding between the two domains.
· Collaborating with researchers from Higher Education to access impartial insights on specific subjects.
References:
[1] Xiaohui Zou, Shunpeng Zou2, Xiaoqun Wang (2020) "The Strategy of Constructing an Interdisciplinary Knowledge Center."
[2] Hongyu Zhou, Raf Guns, Tim C. E. Engels (2023) "Towards indicating interdisciplinarity: Characterizing interdisciplinary knowledge flow."
[3] Dr Catherine Lyall, Mrs Ann Bruce, Dr Wendy Marsden, Dr Laura Meagher (2011) "Identifying key success factors in the quest for interdisciplinary knowledge"
[4] Alexander Serenko (2021) "A structured literature review of scientometric research of the knowledge management discipline: a 2021 update"
[5] Serenko, A. (2013), “Meta-analysis of scientometric research of knowledge management: discovering
the identity of the discipline”, Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 17 No. 5