denotes premium content | Jul 7 2008 Inside Knowledge Magazine /Knowledge Management Magazine Archive
Volume 9 Issue 10
KM and culture
Culture, is central to knowledge management (KM) in so many ways.
In some organisations people share knowledge as if it were second nature, while in others ‘knowledge hoarding’ is the norm. Elsewhere, people in one part of an organisation may share knowledge freely – but keep it from another section or division that they may regard jealously.
In the wider world, there are cultural factors that can make people in some parts of the world more receptive to KM than in others, or maybe it is simply the predominantly western model of KM that jars and which does not take into account cultural differences?
As major organisations become ever-more global and the environment in which they operate becomes ever-more competitive, such factors become more important and need to be considered more closely.
Two forthcoming Inside Knowledge case studies will illustrate the importance of KM and culture – both corporate and national – very clearly.
The first concerns a European manufacturing company seeking to move manufacturing – and some design – to
The second case study will cover the inaugural KM programme of a Middle Eastern telecoms giant. In this case, it was not just the first time that this particular company had embraced KM, but it is the only company in the country – as far as its chief knowledge officer can gauge – to have embraced KM at all.
Either way, these are exciting times and they refute the increasingly widely held view that there is little new in the world of KM. Far from it, but the work that remains to be done is subtle and will involve winning hearts and minds everywhere, as well as considerable cultural understanding on the part of KM supporters and practitioners.
Graeme Burton, Managing Editor
Features
KnowledgeWorks: Stop the clock
Has clock-watching – by employers as well as staff – become a barrier to KM? Jerry Ash investigates.
Feature: The story of AOK
The inside story behind the Association of Knowledgework – by the man who built it, Jerry Ash.
Case report: MindTree
MindTree’s knowledge management strategy was established when the company was still young – and the benefits of starting so early are now clear to see, says Jerry Ash.
Country profile: South Africa
African philosophy ought to lend itself well to knowledge management – and the continent needs it to tackle a growing skills shortage. Ian Corbett investigates.
Regulars
Letter from... Haiti
HOW DO you run a free and fair election in one of the poorest countries in the world, where only half the population can read and write, hundreds of thousands of voters have no formal identification and many people live in remote villages unconnected by roads?
Thought leader: Carol Kinsey Goman
Trust is the belief or confidence that one party has in the reliability, integrity and honesty of another party. It is the expectation that the faith one places in someone else will be honoured.
The knowledge: Mick Cope
If an organisation is to make the most of its knowledge, people have to make a choice. If they choose to learn and share, then knowledge management is easy, says Mick Cope. Sandra Higgison finds out more about his philosophy.
Masterclass: E-learning strategy
Oliver Schwabe presents the second of his in-depth three-part masterclass for creating a high-performance corporate-wide e-learning strategy.
KM University: Stan Garfield
Stan Garfield discusses the key books that have helped form his KM philosophy.
The Gurteen perspective: On perspective
We all see things in different ways. This is determined by our culture, education, life experiences and much more. No one sees the world through the same lens. And no one sees the world through the same lens day to day. Depending on the context we see things differently. We see the world relative to whom we are and where we stand.
Case study: Allen & Overy
Allen & Overy found implementing so-called ‘social software’ a relatively straightforward process – but one that has proved popular and highly profitable. Ruth Ward explains.
