yes / This paper presents an innovative application of wireless, mobile and ubiquitous technologies to support informal and collaborative learning in Kenyan rural farming communities. Such an approach is achieved by the development of a knowledge management system (KMS) integrated with existing local community communication channels, together with experimental knowledge management (KM) initiatives employing the VeSeL (Village e-Science for Life) distributed resource kits (DRKs). The initiatives support illiterate and semi-literate farming community groups, in learning new agriculture practices, and also enable the use of advanced digital technology to improve their agricultural practices and literacy levels. Results of a recent field trip to Kenya are presented and an application sketch is developed. The process of applying wireless and Internet technologies for the education of local farming communities, using irrigation and water management as the application, concludes the paper. / EPSRC

Ett sätt att tillgängliggöra organisatorisk information och kunskap är att använda ett informationssystem som Knowledge Management System, fortsättningsvis förkortat till KMS eller KM System. Potentiellt kan kontinuerlig användning och särskilt utökad användning av informationssystem bidra till bättre arbetsprestanda, vilket skulle kunna öka produktiviteten och förbättra företags förmåga att konkurrera på marknaden. Syftet med denna kandidatuppsats i informatik är att undersöka de variabler vilka kan få användare att gå från kontinuerlig användning av KMS till utökad användning av KMS. Efter genomförd litteraturstudie har en litteraturbaserad analysmodell utformats. Till studien har en kvantitativ metod valts. Analysmodellen har legat till grund för en enkätundersökning. Enkäten skickades till anställda inom ett finansiellt tjänsteföretag vilka har tillgång till och använder ett KM-system. 28 respondenter besvarade enkäten. Resultatet av enkätunder- sökningen har analyserats deskriptivt samt testats med hjälp av mjukvaran SmartPLS. Studiens viktigaste slutsatser är att subjektiv norm har ett positivt samband till utökad användning och att kontinuerlig användning förmedlar förhållandet mellan utökad användning och dess oberoende variabler. Således kan variablerna subjektiv norm och kontinuerlig användning få användare av KMS att gå från kontinuerlig till utökad användning. Det går inte att påvisa någon modererande effekt mellan användarnas personliga variabler (demografiska data som ålder, utbildningsnivå med mera) och kontinuerlig och utökad användning.

This thesis focuses on pre-conditions for organisations to implement knowledge management systems (KMS). Prior research suggests knowledge management (KM) is a capability and, as such, organisations need to know if they are ready to embark on KM initiatives that develop this capability. The findings of my research contend that measuring readiness is a prerequisite for implementing KMS holistically. I argue that effective KMS integrates the creation, mobilisation and diffusion stages of the knowledge life-cycle. Therefore, a system for gauging organisational readiness for KMS necessitates understanding the organisation’s inclination to create, mobilise and diffuse knowledge. Drawing from Socio-Technical Systems (STS) Theory, this study uses three dimensions, Infrastructure, Knowledge Structure and Knowledge Culture, to gauge each stage of the knowledge life-cycle. This study develops an instrument – the Knowledge Implementation Assessment Tool (KIAT) – to assess an organisation’s readiness for KMS. An organisation’s readiness can be said to increase as the measure on each dimension increases. In addition, this study found that structurally diverse Communities For Performance are needed to leverage Communities Of Practice in delivering direct business results, and that the implementation of KMS must be governed within and by cross-functional business processes. The knowledge-based theory of the firm and the knowledge life-cycle theory provide a conceptual understanding that managing the creation, mobilisation and diffusion of knowledge can yield competitive advantage. Based on these theories, an in-depth case study was conducted in Schlumberger’s technical service delivery process. The study analysed the implementation and the use of InTouch, Schlumberger’s KMS. The case study was conducted using an Abductive research strategy. The Means-End Chain approach and its laddering technique were used to collect and analyse data to establish 35 attributes vital for the implementation of an effective KMS – one that brings beneficial results. These attributes form the basis for creating the readiness assessment instrument – KIAT. A KMS implementation affects the social and technical aspects of an organisation. This study categorised the attributes along the three STS dimensions. The basis of the categorisation was the fit between each attribute and an STS dimension. The result is an assessment instrument to measure organisational readiness. The instrument, KIAT, consists of 50 factors to measure organisational readiness along the three STS dimensions for the creation, mobilisation and diffusion of knowledge. KIAT is operationalised in three organisational cases in different industries and processes. This allowed the instrument to be refined and led to the development of procedures to apply KIAT. The cases suggest that KIAT provides useful insights to discover or confirm KMS readiness where a cross-functional business process is the unit of analysis. The research contributes to research methodology in the KM field, as it is the first to use the Means-End Chain approach into knowledge management research by representing a hierarchy of organisational goals in a knowledge management initiative. For practitioners, my research makes two contributions. One, the KIAT readiness assessment instrument to diagnose their organisational readiness and take informed decisions. Two, the understanding of Communities For Performance. This study points the way for further research. This includes directions to explore the relationship between the levels of readiness and the effectiveness of KMS implementation, the relationship between organisations’ experience and their readiness, and the relationship between the dynamics of the KIAT Factors and organisational learning.

Knowledge Management (KM) helps extend the knowledge of individuals or groups across organisations in ways that directly affect performance. Further, it is a formalised and integrated approach to identify and manage an organisation's knowledge assets. The study is an exploratory investigation of the implementation of IT-based Knowledge Management Systems. It is also a comparative study of the Kuwait and UK public sectors with the specific aim of building a best practice model for KM implementation in conjunction with IT. This includes examination of the relevant literature, a comprehensive analysis of case studies of KM implementation in 91 organisations presented in the literature, in order to arrive at the most critical factors of KM implementation and their degree of criticality, and an exploratory survey of 68 organisations both in the UK and Kuwait relating to their experiences in implementing initiatives such as KM and the role of IT in that process. In view of the intensive and extensive data for interdependence relationships between variables, statistical techniques were used, and in-depth studies of 16 leading organisations, to understand how the KM implementation processes and the critical factors identified were addressed and implemented. This study identifies critical factors of success in KM domain that applicable to Kuwaiti organisations. These factors were categorised under four different headings: (1) Technology, (2) KM processes, (3) Change management, (4) Top management commitment. A generic holistic model for effective KM implementation is proposed.

KM is the process of creating value from the intangible assets of an enterprise. It deals with how best to leverage knowledge internally in the enterprise (in its individual employees, and the knowledge that gets built into its structures and systems) and externally to the customers and stakeholders. As KM initiatives, projects and systems are just beginning to appear in organisations, there is little research and empirical field data to guide the successful development and implementation of such systems or to guide the expectations of the potential benefits of such systems. In addition, about 84 per cent of KM programmes failed or exerted no significant impact on the adopting organisations worldwide due to inability to consider many critical factors that contribute to the success of KM project implementation. Hence, this study is an exploratory investigation into the KM implementation based on an integrated approach. This includes: (1) a comprehensive review of the relevant literature; (2) a comprehensive analysis of secondary case studies of KM implementations in 90 organisations presented in the literature, in order to arrive at the most critical factors of KM implementation and their degree of criticality; (3) exploratory global survey of 92 organisations in 23 countries that have already implemented or are in the process of implementing KM; (4) in-depth case studies of four leading organisations to understand how KM implementation processes and the critical factors identified are being addressed. Based on the empirical findings of the study, 28 critical factors were identified that must be carefully considered in the KM implementation to achieve a successful project. Moreover, the study proposes an integrated model for effective KM implementation which contains essential elements that contribute to project success.

The thesis “A system architecture centred on knowledge management processes” consists of these chapters: 1. Introduction. 2. Knowledge management and knowledge management tools. 3. Analysis of knowledge management systems, their architectures and solutions. 4. A system architecture centred on knowledge management processes. 5. Knowledge management implementations in organizations. 6. General conclusions. The introduction chapter covers relevance, tasks, object, scientific novelty and practical value of the research, and work approbation in international conferences. The first chapter presents knowledge management definitions discussed by many authors in academia and industry. To enter into this subject, knowledge determinations and interpretations widely discussed in literature are analysed. Later, tasks which knowledge management solves in organizations and tools which help to put it into practice are discussed. In the second chapter architectures of knowledge management systems suggested by other researchers in literature are investigated. Thereafter, a classification of them and an investigation of examples of such systems or solutions are made. After the analysis of knowledge management discipline and existing knowledge management system architectures, an architecture for knowledge management systems which is knowledge management processes centred is suggested in the third chapter. Then, specifications of information and communication technologies which could be used... [to full text] / Disertaciją Sistemos architektūra, grindžiamos žinių valdymo procesais sudaro šie skyriai: 1. Įvadas. 2. Žinių valdymas bei žinių valdymo technologijos. 3. Žinių valdymo sistemų ir jų architektūrų analizė. 4. Sistemos architektūra, grindžiamos žinių valdymo procesais. 5. Žinių valdymo sistemos taikymas organizacijose. 6. Bendrosios išvados. Įvadas apima tyrimo aktualumą, mokslinį naujumą, darbo tikslus ir uždavinius, praktinę tyrimo vertę bei aprobavimą tarptautinėse konferencijose ir seminaruose. Pirmame skyriuje „Žinių valdymas ir žinių valdymo technologijos“ pateikiamas žinių valdymo sąvokos apibrėžimas, apie kurį diskutuoja daugelis autorių, dirbančių mokslo ir pramonės srityse. Žinių valdymas pradedamas nagrinėti nuo žinių apibrėžimo ir jo interpretavimo, plačiai aptariamo literatūroje. Tuomet pereinama prie priemonių, padedančių įdiegti žinių valdymą praktikoje. Antrame skyriuje „Žinių valdymo sistemų ir jų architektūrų analizė“ analizuojamos kitų tyrėjų veikaluose siūlomos žinių valdymo sistemų architektūros. Klasifikuojami ir tiriami tokių sistemų arba sprendimų pavyzdžiai, suskirstant juos į komercinius ir atvirojo kodo šaltinius. Išanalizavus egzistuojančias žinių valdymo sistemų architektūras, trečiame skyriuje „Sistemos architektūra, grindžiamos žinių valdymo procesais“ siūloma žinių valdymo sistemos architektūra, sutelkta į žinių valdymo procesus. Tuomet apibūdinamos informacinės ir komunikacinės technologijos, kurias galima taikyti kiekvienam žinių valdymo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

This thesis focuses on pre-conditions for organisations to implement knowledge management systems (KMS). Prior research suggests knowledge management (KM) is a capability and, as such, organisations need to know if they are ready to embark on KM initiatives that develop this capability. The findings of my research contend that measuring readiness is a prerequisite for implementing KMS holistically. I argue that effective KMS integrates the creation, mobilisation and diffusion stages of the knowledge life-cycle. Therefore, a system for gauging organisational readiness for KMS necessitates understanding the organisation’s inclination to create, mobilise and diffuse knowledge. Drawing from Socio-Technical Systems (STS) Theory, this study uses three dimensions, Infrastructure, Knowledge Structure and Knowledge Culture, to gauge each stage of the knowledge life-cycle. This study develops an instrument – the Knowledge Implementation Assessment Tool (KIAT) – to assess an organisation’s readiness for KMS. An organisation’s readiness can be said to increase as the measure on each dimension increases. In addition, this study found that structurally diverse Communities For Performance are needed to leverage Communities Of Practice in delivering direct business results, and that the implementation of KMS must be governed within and by cross-functional business processes. The knowledge-based theory of the firm and the knowledge life-cycle theory provide a conceptual understanding that managing the creation, mobilisation and diffusion of knowledge can yield competitive advantage. Based on these theories, an in-depth case study was conducted in Schlumberger’s technical service delivery process. The study analysed the implementation and the use of InTouch, Schlumberger’s KMS. The case study was conducted using an Abductive research strategy. The Means-End Chain approach and its laddering technique were used to collect and analyse data to establish 35 attributes vital for the implementation of an effective KMS – one that brings beneficial results. These attributes form the basis for creating the readiness assessment instrument – KIAT. A KMS implementation affects the social and technical aspects of an organisation. This study categorised the attributes along the three STS dimensions. The basis of the categorisation was the fit between each attribute and an STS dimension. The result is an assessment instrument to measure organisational readiness. The instrument, KIAT, consists of 50 factors to measure organisational readiness along the three STS dimensions for the creation, mobilisation and diffusion of knowledge. KIAT is operationalised in three organisational cases in different industries and processes. This allowed the instrument to be refined and led to the development of procedures to apply KIAT. The cases suggest that KIAT provides useful insights to discover or confirm KMS readiness where a cross-functional business process is the unit of analysis. The research contributes to research methodology in the KM field, as it is the first to use the Means-End Chain approach into knowledge management research by representing a hierarchy of organisational goals in a knowledge management initiative. For practitioners, my research makes two contributions. One, the KIAT readiness assessment instrument to diagnose their organisational readiness and take informed decisions. Two, the understanding of Communities For Performance. This study points the way for further research. This includes directions to explore the relationship between the levels of readiness and the effectiveness of KMS implementation, the relationship between organisations’ experience and their readiness, and the relationship between the dynamics of the KIAT Factors and organisational learning.

Inom Linköpings kommun finns en decentraliserad organisation för publicering av material på Linköpings kommuns webbplats www.linkoping.se. Inom den ledande gruppen i organisationen har man insett att en wiki skulle kunna underlätta arbetet för medlemmarna i organisationen att dela kunskap med varandra. Studien syftar till att identifiera och verifiera faktorer som ger en framgångsrik wiki. Dessa kan sedan användas som bakgrund vid skapandet av en eventuell wiki för organisationen eller andra organisationer inom Linköpings kommun. Studien består av en litteraturstudie och en fallstudie av fallstudie av LKDATAs (affärsområdet för IT och kommunikation inom Linköpings kommun) dagligen använda och väl fungerande wiki. Litteraturstudien resulterade i sex utvalda framgångsfaktorer: Social kultur, Ledningens inflytande, Renommé, Nytta, Reciprocitet samt Användarvänlighet. Fallstudien genomfördes med hjälp av en enkätundersökning på LKDATA angående de fyra olika delarna inom användning: spenderad tid, frekvens av användning, frekvens av sökning samt frekvens av delning av information på wikin. Av svaren från enkäten gjordes en korrelationsanalys samt en regressionsanalys i SPSS. Analysen visade på svaga men signifikanta korrelationer mellan hur mycket wikin används och framförallt Nytta. Däremot kan inga slutsatser dras ur regressionsanalysen. Den viktigaste faktorn som påverkar användandet på LKDATA verkar dock vara vilken grupp den anställde tillhör och alltså vilka arbetsuppgifter denne har snarare än andra faktorer.

The focus of this thesis is the KMS at a Sandvik design department. Purposed to deal with information overload using user-generated content, it is also intended to enable the employees to share knowledge. Previous research has studied what motivates employees to use technology for knowledge sharing. This study seeks beyond what is motivating and instead asks what it is that creates meaning for the employees in using and contributing to the KMS. Based on what is found to be meaning-making the thesis discusses and highlights design considerations for the KMS. Qualitative methods as well as theories on learning, motivation and meaning-making is used. Six employees were interviewed and the analysis suggests using thematization that what is meaning-making for the employee is linked with the approach towards work tasks. Meaning-making aspects is seen as either instrumental or social. The use of communicative and social features should be considered. / I uppsatsens fokus står en kunskapsdelningsplattform på en av Sandvikskonstruktionsavdelningar. Plattformen ska med användargenererat innehåll underlätta informationssökning samt tillåta användarna att dela kunskap. Tidigare forskning har studerat vad som motiverar anställda att använda datorsystem till att dela kunskap. Denna uppsats söker bortom vad som motiverar och frågar istället vad det är som skapar mening för de anställda i att använda sig av och bidra till denna plattform. Utifrån detta diskuterar och föreslår uppsatsen designförslag till plattformen. Kvalitativa metoder samt teorier om lärande, motivation och meningsskapande används. Sex anställda intervjuades och i den efterföljande analysen som bestod av tematisering framkom det att vad som skapar mening för den anställde går hand i hand med hur denne ser sina arbetsuppgifter. De meningsskapande aspekterna betraktas som antingen instrumentella eller sociala. Användning av kommunikativa och sociala funktioner föreslås till utformningen av plattformen.

Knowledge Management (KM) helps extend the knowledge of individuals or groups across organisations in ways that directly affect performance. Further, it is a formalised and integrated approach to identify and manage an organisation's knowledge assets. The study is an exploratory investigation of the implementation of IT-based Knowledge Management Systems. It is also a comparative study of the Kuwait and UK public sectors with the specific aim of building a best practice model for KM implementation in conjunction with IT. This includes examination of the relevant literature, a comprehensive analysis of case studies of KM implementation in 91 organisations presented in the literature, in order to arrive at the most critical factors of KM implementation and their degree of criticality, and an exploratory survey of 68 organisations both in the UK and Kuwait relating to their experiences in implementing initiatives such as KM and the role of IT in that process. In view of the intensive and extensive data for interdependence relationships between variables, statistical techniques were used, and in-depth studies of 16 leading organisations, to understand how the KM implementation processes and the critical factors identified were addressed and implemented. This study identifies critical factors of success in KM domain that applicable to Kuwaiti organisations. These factors were categorised under four different headings: (1) Technology, (2) KM processes, (3) Change management, (4) Top management commitment. A generic holistic model for effective KM implementation is proposed. / Kuwait Ministry of Interior.