Showing papers by "James D. McKeen published in 2006"

Knowledge Management and Organizational Performance: An Exploratory Survey

Abstract: Ninety organizations were surveyed in an exploratory investigation of the organizational impact of knowledge management (KM). A search of the literature revealed 12 KM practices. Results indicated that these KM practices were directly related to organizational performance which, in turn, was directly related to financial performance. In addition, a different set of KM practices were associated with specific value disciplines (i.e., customer intimacy, product development and operational excellence). Interestingly, a significant gap exists between the KM practices that firms believe to be important and those that turned out to be directly related to organizational performance. The implications of this study are significant for both practitioners and academics. Suggestions are offered for future work in this area.

Making knowledge work: five principles for action-oriented knowledge management

Abstract: Often knowledge management (KM) initiatives are built on an assumption that the relationship between knowledge and action starts with knowledge, that is, we know something and we act upon it. Such an assumption can lead KM initiatives to develop knowledge that is not necessarily useful for the actions that an organization is willing to take. However, if the organization derives knowledge from the actions they are willing to take or they are taking, the knowledge can be much more useful as it will directly facilitate the actions. In this article, we argue that the relationship between knowledge and action is reciprocal and offers two-way learning. As such, KM initiatives are most apt to be successful by considering how to derive knowledge from action as well as how to deliver knowledge. The paper develops five principles for action-oriented KM.

Developments in practice xxi: it in the new world of corporate governance reforms

Abstract: In the past, IT was only marginally affected by regulatory matters. Today, however, IT is in the middle of a whirlwind of corporate governance reforms. New standards for internal controls are affecting almost every aspect of IT work. These, in turn, have significant implications on how IT is managed and on IT costs and productivity. For example, many IT organizations have been so involved in developing and implementing Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) procedures that very little has actually been accomplished for the business itself. This paper explores how new compliance frameworks and governance reforms, mandated by governments and/or industry groups, are changing IT work. It examines what IT managers perceive to be most significant issues these reforms present IT in their particular organizations. This paper is not designed to provide detailed information about IT controls and how to achieve them. Instead, it is intended to be a general introduction to the changing expectations of IT and how these are affecting IT work, structure and governance. It looks at the new effects regulatory issues are having in IT, and then examines the key issues IT managers face in an increasingly regulated environment. Next, it identifies the key areas within IT that are affected and the types of activities that need to be addressed by managers in order to achieve effective controls. Finally some recommended good practices are presented. The authors conclude that there is no question that new laws and regulations governing organizations, their finances and their information are having a huge impact on IT. IT managers are struggling to implement new controls and document existing ones, while still ensuring business as usual and trying to develop the new systems their companies need. The world is requiring IT to become thoroughly professional about what it does. The IT of the future will therefore of necessity be increasingly controlled, standardized and bureaucratized. It remains to be seen whether or not management will be able to use this “new and improved” IT for competitive advantage.

Developments in practice xxii: expertise location and management: hope or hype?

Abstract: The idea that KM can help people in large, often widely geographically dispersed organizations find out who has subject matter expertise or who knows how and where to get at important knowhow is intrinsically appealing to knowledge managers. After all, helping people access the knowledge they need is fundamentally what KM is all about. Early approaches to expertise location and management (ELM) typically built skills repositories, but these have not been successful in accomplishing these objectives. As a result, expertise location and management is now on the steep downward slope of the KM “hype cycle” in most organizations. This paper explores the question of whether ELM is an idea that is evolving and maturing and which will ultimately deliver on its promised value, or whether organizations should simply give up on the idea as being not worth the effort. To explore this issue in more detail and to better understand how organizations are conceptualizing and implementing this specific KM initiative, the authors convened a focus group of practicing KM managers from a variety of organizations. This paper first situates the topic of expertise location -- where it fits in with other KM issues and also how our understanding of this topic has evolved over time. It next describes some of the benefits and challenges of ELM. Following this, it explores several different approaches to these types of initiatives. From these, we derive a number of principles for effective ELM implementations. Finally, we present some practical advice for managers who are considering using ELM in their organizations. The paper concludes that ELM has the potential to be a “killer app” for KM, but only if it can be focused and designed effectively to appropriately integrate technology with human facilitation.

Developments in Practice XXIII: Creating and Evolving a Technology Roadmap

Abstract: The authors convened a focus group of senior IT managers from a variety of different companies/industries to explore current practice in terms of creating and evolving a technology roadmap. Starting with a definition of a technology roadmap, the paper outlines the benefits attributable to a well-crafted roadmap and presents a 7-step model for its creation. According to the focus group, companies without the guidance of a roadmap run the risk of making sub-optimal decisions – technology choices that make sense today but position the company poorly for the future. The focus group also argued that the exercise of developing a technology roadmap is valuable even if the actual roadmap that is developed is subject to frequent change. This paper represents a summary of the focus group discussion.