Knowledge Management at the University of Newcastle Business School - Case Study Example

Running Header: knowledge Management Plan Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Name & Code: Date of Submission: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 2 Objectives 4 Pillars of knowledge management department 6 Organizational issues 6 Quality and support of argument for change 8 Performance indicators 10 Recommendations 10 Implementation plans 13 Conclusion 15 References 17 Introduction Knowledge management is the process of effective learning associated with exploration and sharing of human knowledge such as explicit and tacit that utilize suitable technology and cultural environmental in enhancing the intellectual capital and performance of an organization (Spender & Grant, 1996, p. 8). A knowledge management plan is a document for a particular project, department, or function. It details on what knowledge is required by the project, knowledge to be created by the project, systems, roles, technologies, and teams to be involved within knowledge management. It also outlines actions require to be undertaken to implement the system or project and the people involved (Dede, 2000, p. 7). The purpose of this study is to review and analyze the importance of establishing Knowledge management department in the faculty towards utilizing knowledge to maximum. This is towards improving its importance to the entire business school community. University of Newcastle Business School is an innovative and dynamic research-intensive school. It creates new knowledge and offers innovative degrees while preparing our students for global citizenship. Business School collaborates with external stakeholders and partners in making a difference in students as well as contributing to social, economic, and political progress of Australia and ASIA-Pacific region. We believe in pursuit of knowledge for its own sake while having work environment based on collegiality, transparency, openness, and equity in decision-making and scholarship. We also believe in a diverse and harmonious learning community where there is contest of ideas. We also believe in equity with an assured access to knowledge. In our learning environment, our learning and teaching is student-centred and research-led, with an assurance to the life-long invention of knowledge. Knowledge is valued at Business School where lectures, stakeholders, and students. The knowledge management for Business School is a crucial aspect that requires a lot of care and skills towards ensuring it becomes effective and important to our students and entire community of Newcastle Business School or faculty. Therefore, Business School management should develop a plan to assist students, stakeholders, and entire business school community improves and manages their knowledge to better their lives. There is need to increase the level of innovativeness among the students because it is a crucial aspect in the current business world. Knowledge management is a crucial feature that every student requires to be equipped with towards ensuring good deliverance and high quality outcomes for the benefit of the organization. Objectives The overall objective of the knowledge management plan is to ensure a knowledge management department is set up within our business school or faculty towards improving the levels of knowledge management within the faculty to ensure increased knowledge sharing (Holsapple, 2003). Others include: To promote open sharing of new knowledge among staffs, students, lectures, international and local organizations, and other stakeholders. Increase the amount of knowledge and skills among the skills through enhancing their knowledge management capabilities towards increasing and enhancing their innovative capabilities. To continue nurturing an atmosphere where individual’s knowledge is valued and respected. Analysis and Synthesis Our School of Business uses both explicit and tacit knowledge. However, we see the importance of establishing knowledge as the primary resource for individuals and success of our school of Business. Explicit Knowledge is found within state standards binders, student file folders, our business school booklets, and pamphlets as well as in our website. The tacit knowledge in our school is shared between our lectures. However, due to failure of giving validation to this knowledge, it is lost within little time. In our Business School, knowledge is valued greatly. We have found the need to share knowledge among our staffs, students, stakeholders, partners, and lectures. Our proposal is to assist CEO and administration or management of Newcastle Business School develop a knowledge management department towards the enhancing the knowledge sharing with the Business School. Knowledge is becoming more crucial in the current educational and career world aspects hence the need for our management and administration to put considerable efforts towards its management. We will go through the plan and convince the administration, staff, stakeholders, and management the importance of establishing the plan. The importance setting and establishing the department is to set a range of strategies and practices for the business School in ensuring it identifies, creates, signifies, distributes, and allows adoption of experiences and insights. Such experiences and insights consist of knowledge, embodied in either Business School or individuals practice or processes. Knowledge management will ensure that the organizational objectives such as improved management of knowledge, improved performance due to well managed knowledge, competitive advantage, integration, the sharing of learned lessons, and continuous improvement of knowledge in knowledge management department. The knowledge management efforts by the established department will assist individuals and entire faculty community retains intellectual capital and enable them be capable of adapting to the changing environments. It is a tactical asset and a focus on encouraging knowledge sharing. Pillars of knowledge management department The department will empower the communities on knowledge management practice. This is through collaboration with other stakeholders with adequate resources of knowledge in ensuring effective sharing and generation of knowledge. It will sharpen the knowledge focus in the operations of the faculty as well as adding value to students in their various levels of involvements including in local and international organizations. It will strengthen the external knowledge partnerships; this is towards aligning and leveraging the external knowledge to ensure it becomes beneficial to our entire faculty community. Further enhancement of the learning of staff and students as well as skills development, this is towards creating opportunities for the staff to learn (Murray 2005). Organizational issues Communication has been a major issue within the Business school hence need for addressing it appropriately. Communication plays a great role towards success of any faculty. However, communication can become effective through proper knowledge management hence the need to establish the department of knowledge management. There is no robust process of sharing knowledge between students and lectures as well as other shareholders. There is need for an organization to enhance and embrace the importance of sharing knowledge, this is towards ensuring benefits are shared and becomes beneficial to everyone. This issue as well demands for the establishment of Knowledge Management department. This is towards ensuring knowledge is shared among students, staff, lectures, and other all stakeholders within the faculty. This department will enhance the willingness of every person within the entire community share information among themselves that will boost the innovativeness and increased performance of faculty. Slow built up of a relationship with international organizations among the students willing to learn and attach themselves in those organizations, have been slowed because they have no enough knowledge on how to establish and build this relationship. This has called for the establishment of knowledge management department within School Faculty. This will assist in focusing on international relations with various international business organizations or companies that is crucial for business students in Newcastle. This can be achievable through the establishment of knowledge management department (Markus 2001, p. 60). Collaboration with international research groups and other organizations are crucial towards finding solutions for challenges facing our faculty or school. However, without extensive knowledge to deal and tackle this, it will be hard for it to be achievable. The advancement of human social and economic wellbeing is well achievable through good utilization of knowledge of staff, students, lectures, international organizations, and other stakeholders. Innovation is extremely crucial for any business School and for modern business students. This is because of higher demand of innovations in terms of business and economics that the current society is in dire need of. There is need for improved relations in terms of business, this can only be achieved with effective management of knowledge within our business school. Innovations within our students, lectures, and staff in our Business School will be achieved through proper management of knowledge, this will assist in developing a stable learning platform for our students. It will also assist our students to fit well within international organizations due to their innovative capabilities. However, this will only be realized if a knowledge management school is established and inform students as well as teach them various crucial aspects of knowledge management. It will assist them towards realizing the importance of managing knowledge. It will also guide them on various ways that will be capable of realizing their knowledge potential. Therefore, establishment of knowledge management department will have a great role of enabling students realize and utilize their knowledge (Eric, 2005, p. 92). Quality and support of argument for change Importance of knowledge management department It will assist our students, staff, lectures, and other stakeholders in our business school towards improved decision-making. It will assist in improved strategic planning in our business school community. It will assist our entire community of the business school towards faster development of new technical approaches. It will enable our students, lectures, staff, and other stakeholders towards a faster robust problem solving process. This is crucial especially for the students in the modern business world where problem solving is of great importance. Knowledge management department will play a crucial role of improving our academic services and effectiveness of our academic programs (Thierno 2009, p. 305). Use of information and technology alone are not necessary crucial towards effective decision making in business schools. This calls for the need of knowledge management that is a major key asset. There has been rapid growth and development of technologies and data to useful information requires extensive amount of knowledge in an institution. The establishment of knowledge management department will assist in the acquiring, recognizing, capturing, retrieving, measuring, managing, and the collaboration the knowledge among our students. This will enable us to share the knowledge without losing it. The establishment will enable our business school to understand easily the knowledge management implications as a new model towards the business education and process support. The establishment of Knowledge management department will assist in the creation and dissemination of knowledge among our students and other stakeholders (James 2003, p. 67). In the modern business world, many business organizations are gearing up towards adding knowledge management in their business lines. It is also crucial to those business organizations that have redesigned their business processes and incorporated total quality approach into their practices. This calls for the enhancement of knowledge in our department through establishment of knowledge management department in our faculty. This will play a great role of influencing the required knowledge in our students in ensuring they are able to fit within the current organizations and business world. It will also ensure that our students, staff, lectures, and entire community including management are capable of developing required skills of business innovations towards business operations and sustainability. This is need of empowering our students, staff, lectures, and other stakeholders of our business school with required skills of knowledge management. This will enable them to deliver value towards the business and various international organizations success. Therefore, establishing knowledge management within our faculty will assist our students towards developing skills of managing their knowledge for the betterment of their career life (Ivanka & Gerald, 2008). Performance indicators There shall be various performance indicators to review whether the established knowledge management is beneficial to the students and other stakeholders. The benefits of the department shall be reviewed after every 1 year. Such indicators will include: Feedback from stakeholders, organizations, and lectures Level of innovativeness among the students Trends of business and economics awards from the faculty Use of questionnaires to test the importance of the department Number of students enrolling for the course Recommendations It is recommendable for the faculty management and administration to undertake appropriate measures and steps towards ensuring the knowledge management department becomes successful in its intended purpose of assisting students to realize their knowledge as well as its application in their day-to-day life. This will ensure its purposes of establishment it achieved within the shortest time possible. Figure 1. First steps of Managing Knowledge (Jashapara, 2004) Four steps in getting started in management of knowledge are- Making knowledge visible Building knowledge intensity Developing a knowledge culture Building knowledge infrastructure Adoption of these steps will play a key role towards success of our department that we shall establish (O’Dell & Grayson 1998, p. 60). It is crucial for the administration and management to ensure that knowledge is visible and clear to all concerned students and other stakeholders within our faculty. There is also the need to build a force or strength of knowledge within the faculty. The stronger the knowledge management department will be, the higher the impact and attainability to the intended audiences. Therefore, it is the role of management and administration to ensure it is able to establish a vibrant department that will ensure that knowledge management is felt intensively within the faculty. The management and administration should then ensure it establishes a culture of knowledge management among those who are involved. Established culture of knowledge management will ensure that it becomes easier for our students to adapt the culture. The establishment of culture infrastructure will also crucial towards the quick implementation and adaption of the knowledge management skills among the students. These four major steps will play a crucial role towards the realization of knowledge management among the students. The management and administration should ensure it uses various means of advertisement such as brochures, internet, and various forms of advertisements towards persuading students and other involved stakeholders on the need for utilizing the department for the sake of their wellbeing. According to the plan, faculty will arrange and hold technology and knowledge seminars. Business students and other interested persons will share new knowledge on various internet resources like WebCT where it will be posted by the department for easier access. These will motivate them towards embracing and seeking help from the established department in ensuring their education and career life is greatly improved (Hansen, Nohria & Tierney, 1999, p. 107). It is crucial for the faculty to recruit experts who will drive towards the realization of the knowledge management. These will make sure that knowledge management plan becomes effective and beneficial to the faculty and its members. A committee or a board of knowledge management should be established towards ensuring there is proper and timely establishment of the knowledge management department. This board or committee will ensure all the objectives and expectations of the plan are met in time. It is recommendable for the faculty to outsource knowledge management professionals who will assist in influencing knowledge management into the students. The department will have a major role of inviting professionals in knowledge management seminars and lectures. This will ensure that excellent results are achieved in the shortest time possible. Knowledge management strategy for the department should be established in a simple document. This is to assist in the development of the department goals. A professional communications program on knowledge management should be developed. This is to ease the process of coordination of various activities. Implementation plans 1. In order to achieve expected outcomes of the plan towards establishment of knowledge management plan, implementation plans shall be set. 2. Senior management and administration shall approve and acknowledge the importance of setting up the knowledge management department. The management and administration shall state its support for the plan and its strategies. The staff, students, and other stakeholders shall be encouraged to contribute their knowledge and skills towards the proper set up of the intended knowledge management department. 3. A committee of various professionals or experts on knowledge management shall be set to oversee the implementation process of the entire project. A knowledge management manager shall also be appointed to oversee the overall responsibility on matters relating to knowledge management. 4. The committee shall outline the required resources for the establishment of the department. It shall identify the amount of funds required as well as various sources of the funds. 5. After resourcing the department with all materials or resources required, then suitable and qualified personnel shall be recruited to fill various positions in the established knowledge management department. 6. The committee shall establish and list various units that shall be incorporated into the faculty courses. This is to ensure every student gets a chance of undergoing the training process. 7. The team shall list initial activities of the department. These include seminars and exchange programs as well as advertising activities. 8. The expected professionals and experts names shall be listed down for an appointment process. First phase of knowledge management shall include seminars and other informative or introductory activities to the staff, students, lectures, and all other stakeholders to inform and educate them on the importance of the department and knowledge management. 9. The selected staff shall then be left with the process of continuing the other activities after the implementation process will be over. The entire process of implementation is expected to take five months. Conclusion This Knowledge management plan will be implemented into Newcastle University faculty of Business at the beginning of next academic year. However, the plan is due to change in case there is need to do that. Full participation of students, stakeholders, lectures and other staff in the business school will play a key role towards the implementation of the plan. The implementation of this knowledge management plan will assist in promoting participation, interaction, and learning by various students. It will help in increasing the level of knowledge management and handling among the students. It will assist them towards being more innovative thus becoming a model of innovation in business world. The knowledge management department shall be of great importance to entire community of Newcastle University in general and to Business school in specific. However, the faculty must ensure it meets all the objectives set. This will make sure the purpose of establishing the department. The department should ensure that the implementation of the knowledge management plan is achieved in time. References Dede, B. (2000). Leading knowledge management and learning. Manchester: American Society for Training and Development. Eric, T. (2005). Knowledge management. Journal of knowledge management, 9(1), p. 90-102. Hansen, M., Nohria, N. & Tierney, T. (1999). What is your strategy for managing knowledge? Harvard Business Review, 56(6), p. 106 – 116. Holsapple, W. (2003). Handbook on knowledge Management: knowledge directions. London: Springer. Ivanka, M. & Gerald, B. (2008). Knowledge Management Best Practice Workbook: Roadmap, Transition, Management, Implementation, and Project Plan-Ready to Use Supporting Documents Bringing Theory into Practice. New Haven: Lulu.com. James, J. (2003). Executive’s guide to knowledge management: the last competitive advantage. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Jashapara, A. (2004). Knowledge Management: An Integrated Approach. England: Pearson Education Limited. Markus, M.L. (2001). Toward a Theory of Knowledge Reuse: Types of Knowledge Reuse Situations and Factors in Reuse Success, Journal of Management Information Systems, 18(1), p.57 – 93. Murray, E. J. (2005). Case studies in knowledge management. New York: Idea Group Inc (IGI). O’Dell, C. & Grayson, J. (1998) If Only We Knew What We Know: Identification and Transfer of Internal Best Practices, California Management Review, 40(3), p. 154 – 174. Spender, J.C & Grant, R.M (1996) Knowledge and the Firm Overview. Strategic Management Journal, 17, p.5 – 9. Thierno, T. (2009). Elaborating a knowledge Management Plan: A Multi-actor Decision Process. Communications in computer and information Science, 49(2), p. 305-318. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-04757-2_33. Read More