Approaches to KM
What is an approach to KM?
A great number of authors refer to
approaches to KM when they use the term KM strategy. Approaches refer
to distinct perspectives, conceptualizations, and methodologies that
emerge from particular disciplinary backgrounds, specific
interpretations of what knowledge is and how it can be managed, and
varied backgrounds and agendas of those involved in KM.
--Earl, 2001, KM Strategies: Toward a Taxonomy--Earl
says that KM evolved from many different disciplines, and this makes it
difficult for practitioners to develop a good understanding of the
subject. He uses the term schools to
describe different perspectives, models and frameworks on KM that
evolved over time. Each school has a distinct focus, aim, unit of
analysis, success factors, and a "phylosophy". The describes seven
schools, grouped into three main types: technocratic, economic, and
behavioral. Technocratic schools are based on information of management
technologies, economic ones seek to create revenues from intellectual
capital, and behavioral schools stimulate and orchestrate managers to
create, share and use knowledge.
--Earl, 2001--
The economic schoolis overtly and explicitly concerned with both
protecting and exploiting a firm's knowledge or intellectual assets to
produce revenue streams.
--Gottschalk, 2005--
Intellectual capital accounting tries to bridge the gap between book
and market value of companies. Also, they provide a way to manage
intellectual capital (Roslender & Fincham, 2001). Stewart (1997)
defines intellectual capital as the difference between market value and
book equity, and divides it in human (know-how, capabilities, skills
and expertise), relational (connections with outside people, customer
loyalty, market share, level of backorders), and structural capital
(systems and networks, cultures and values, patens, copyrights,
trademarks). Sveiby (2001)
distinguishes three families of intengible assets: external structure
(relationships with customers and suppliers, reputation), internal one
(patents, concepts, models, computer and administrative systems), and
individual competence (professional staff, experts, R&D people,
factory workers, sales and marketing).
--Maier & Remus, 2001--Process-oriented KM initiatives are aimed to provide employees with task-related knowledge in the organization's operative business processes. Advantages include: value chain orientation, context relevance, accepted management methods (reengineering).
Other authors: Heisig, 2001; Schreiber et al., 2000 (CommonKADS); Allweyer, 1998
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