The value that knowledge flow and management provides to a firm is significant in establishing its competitive advantage as well as its innovative capabilities. Firms no more need to restrict their knowledge sharing to intra-firm rather move towards inter-firm. So, the goal is to maximize the benefits of internal and external knowledge. There are two approaches to achieve these goals namely technology driven and culture driven.
Technology driven approach supports better technology and communication facilities to be incorporated in order to maximize proper channels in communications. They exclaim "Buy our state-of-art knowledge storage system and you will never again lose knowledge that is vital to the company!”
Culture driven approach or sociologists supports the fact that a learning culture comprising of knowledge sharing values, environment as well as knowledge management would provide more of a softer approach to flow of knowledge and hence better utilization of the same.
Technology driven approach supports better technology and communication facilities to be incorporated in order to maximize proper channels in communications. They exclaim "Buy our state-of-art knowledge storage system and you will never again lose knowledge that is vital to the company!”
Culture driven approach or sociologists supports the fact that a learning culture comprising of knowledge sharing values, environment as well as knowledge management would provide more of a softer approach to flow of knowledge and hence better utilization of the same.
The question that remains to be answered is whether the technologists are correct or the sociologists are. The answer is difficult and would rather depend on the scenario than only on the firm. To answer this question we first need to understand what the different types of knowledge are:
Explicit knowledge is what can be written down, recorded or transferred easily. Tacit knowledge is what is obtained through experience in the work. So, there arises the difference between “information” and “intelligence”. It has been seen that in marketplace an organization’s real edge is often found in complex, context-sensitive knowledge which is difficult, if not impossible, to codify and store in binary form of ones and zeroes. This core knowledge is found in individuals, communities of interest and their connections. Hence it is very important for organizations to work and ensure the tacit knowledge flow in networks than only the explicit knowledge within the firm.
Thus, knowledge networks focus on joint value creation of all the member organizations moving from not only sharing of knowledge to rather aggregating and creating knowledge. They improvise the capacity of research and communication for all members with the assumption that the whole is greater than the sum of individual parts. The network identifies and implements strategies to engage the decision makers more directly and take the network’s knowledge forward to policies and practices.
The knowledge networks are to be managed by a lead manager and are to be provided proper attention rather than thinking it to be just another project owing to the complexity of the institutional relationships. As these are working networks, they also need management skills for building and maintaining them. They also need structure, work plans, timelines and deliverables.
For all these to happen, proper communication and engagement strategies are very essential as each firm needs to build relationships with which all it needs to inform, influence and work with.
A few such real life examples of networks are:
1. The Canadian International Development Agency and the United Nations Development Program’s works with the internal thematic networks
2. The World Bank’s knowledge for development initiatives, in particular the Global Knowledge Partnership, the Global Development Network and the Global Development Learning Network, each of which has a different project development, management and governance structure, customized to meet the needs of the individual networks.
3. Accenture’s work on strategic alliances in the private sector
There is also a need for continuous evaluation of these networks for proper coordination and development of all the firms involved in this strategic alliance.
References:
1. Heather Creech and Terri Willard, Strategic Intentions, International Institute for Sustainable Management (
http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2001/networks_strategic_intentions.pdf)3. Accenture’s work on strategic alliances in the private sector
There is also a need for continuous evaluation of these networks for proper coordination and development of all the firms involved in this strategic alliance.
References:
1. Heather Creech and Terri Willard, Strategic Intentions, International Institute for Sustainable Management (
2. Valdis Krebs, Knowledge Networks (http://www.orgnet.com/IHRIM.html)
3. http://www.wikipedia.org/
