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Source: Published press interviews, analyses and virtual community dialog of Dr. Yogesh Malhotra.
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Saturday, July 05, 2008

What isn't Knowledge Management?

We are observing increasing confusion about the term 'Knowledge Management.' Many company conversations refer to the term in various contexts. Trade press articles are frequently using the term and interpreting it in diverse ways. Given the divergence of views, could you please advise "What Isn't Knowledge Management?"

Your concerns are valid and important. You have very rightly suggested that there is increasing confusion about the term Knowledge Management.

In the earlier discussions on the Knowledge Management Think Tank, we had noted that the term is being increasingly used in the Information Systems, HRM, Strategy and other business disciplines. However, different connotations of the term seem to be emerging from the biases inherent in the diversity and incongruity of the underlying disciplinary bases. For instance, we are increasingly observing librarians, technologists, economists, behaviorists, and strategists relating to the term [in one or more of its current flavors] given the focus of their specialization or expertise. The confusion seems to have been further aggravated by the plethora of articles written by the reporting style that is often characterized by summarizing and reporting the statements of diverse disciplinary experts without explicitly observing the underlying diversity of disciplines.

The commercial projections around the concept of Knowledge Management have further added to the 'bandwagon effect.' You have hit the nail on the head by asking the following question: "And if KM becomes "hot," does it become the politically-correct buzzword for projects only remotely involving the management of intellectual assets?" Your point is validated by queries I receive from practitioners and consultants across the world whose key concern is: "What is the next hot buzzword?" Or of new publications in this area, the protagonists of some of which have clearly stated their emphasis on the "return on the investment" rather than the legitimacy or accuracy of the claims that a certain product or service does indeed represent "KM."

The story excerpted from LAN Times echoes many other stories that have been published over the last 2-3 years in the information technology related publications. Obviously, there is no clear agreement over what is KM. However, it seems that the prevailing confusion also represents a ripe time for many "sellers" to make a killing while the time is right.

Most of the confusion around the term thus emerges from the diversity of disciplinary bases and related practice areas and the hype related to the so-called KM "silver bullets." Given this situation, your wariness seems judicious, particularly when it is backed by the notion of the "broader, deeper value of KM."

To summarize the responses to your question, here are some thoughts.

1) Is there any concern in the KM community about how KM is being MISunderstood?

Yes, there is increasing concern particularly in the community of the buyers and users of the so-called KM solutions because they often don't recognize whether their dollars are spent on KM initiatives or the 'snake oil solutions.'

2) How does the clarity and consistency of KM definitions and concepts affect its practice or implementation?

Given the points discussed earlier, the clarity and consistency of KM definition may be a difficult proposition at least at this point of time. It is uncertain if there is [or even if there should be] one commonly accepted definition of KM. In my view, the essence of the performance of many such KM solutions and initiatives is tied to their actual 'implementation' and 'utilization.' In other words, the effectiveness of the "best designed" solutions would be untested for KM before 'rubber meets the road.' That is where I see the distinction between the 'old' KM and Information Management paradigm and the 'new' KM paradigm. The new KM paradigm's key focus is on organizational strategy, while it builds upon the advances in information technology and the creative and innovative capabilities latent in humans.

3) What kinds of criteria can be used to gauge the degree to which a project or business initiative belongs in the knowledge management domain? Is this even worth asking?

You have [figuratively speaking] provoked a million-dollar question. Here are some pointers for determining when the project or business initiative belongs in the knowledge management domain.

a) Does it address the strategic notion of organizational survival and competence within a radically changing and unpredictable organizational environment?

b) Does it go beyond providing for 'old' KM and Information Management needs? In other words, what is interesting or new or valuable [in terms of your organization's performance requirements] that sets it apart from what has been generally termed data management, information management, or AI-focused 'old' KM initiatives?

c) Does it take into consideration the human-centric notion of "knowledge" as it relates to context of action and to [in]action that leads to performance?

d) Does it provide for the integration of the creative capabilities of humans needed for innovative breakthroughs with the optimization based, efficiency-enhancing capabilities of advanced information technologies?

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