Beruflich Dokumente
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Authority
John Casey
Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW
Abstract Knowledge Management first emerged during the 1980s from major
enterprises developing a concern for a loss of corporate effectiveness that had
resulted from a decline in organisational knowledge. It was generally accepted
that this decline resulted from evolutionary change in the make up of the
workforce. Within public enterprises such as road authorities, the prime causative
factors affecting knowledge-bleed are seen as an increasing rate of retirement,
redefinition of the role of Road Authorities by government, the demise of the
traditional master apprentice model and changing employee mobility attitudes.
The particular challenge in Knowledge Management is the interchange of tacit or
acquired knowledge. Such knowledge, by its nature is internalised and various
techniques are employed to encourage the sharing of it between employees.
Within the Roads & Traffic Authority (NSW) it was felt that management of
technical knowledge should be awarded a separate, more specifically focussed
approach, rather than it being simply included within a general, organisation-wide
initiative. This has permitted management techniques to be tailored towards the
prevailing attitudes of a sophisticated technical community. In determining a
strategy, a timetable of 5 years was proposed to firstly implement knowledge
management tools, and then progressively achieve a sufficient level of cultural
change. Technical Knowledge Management within the RTA has now passed the
two-year mark. While most initiatives are considered to have worked, some
have proven to be difficult to implement. It is now timely to review progress
against planned objectives.
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Introduction
Knowledge Management as a unique discipline first appeared in the 1980s. It
was a response to significant operational changes within major corporations as
they faced increased globalisation and competition, coupled with an aging
workforce. These corporations had initially responded to changing market
conditions by streamlining and downsizing operations as well as taking advantage
of advances in computer technology.
However it was found that the increases in efficiency had a downside a loss of
corporate knowledge. That corporate knowledge had been located within the
minds of their workforce. The corporation had gained efficiency but had lost
know-how. From this sense of loss, a new business practice arose Knowledge
Management. Like all such emerging disciplines, Knowledge Management has
been accompanied by an impressive collection of academics and consultants, all
preaching the new message. As a result, Knowledge Management has enjoyed a
mixed reception, with many early adopters feeling that success lay simply with
choosing the right consultant and adopting leading edge computer technology. By
2011, attitudes have matured and organisations are now integrating knowledge
management into operating processes and linking it to the objectives of the
business. This is the key for if knowledge management is to be beneficial, it
must be embedded into the culture of the organisation and the way the
organisation does business.
This paper focuses on the specific knowledge needs and experiences of a technical
community, in this instance, a Road Authority. It can be argued, of course, that a
technical community is merely a subset within the organisation as a whole, and
this is largely true. However, our experience within the New South Wales Roads
and Traffic Authority has shown that a specific technical (or engineering)
knowledge strategy must be tailored and adapted to suit the needs and
characteristics of a technical community. We anticipate that this approach may
also be taken at an individual function level, with standard implementation
processes.
Within this paper, we are attempting to examine the issues faced and assess the
effectiveness of the knowledge tools. In some respects it is a report card on a
work in progress. At this point we cannot claim either success or failure, nor can
we easily identify the most successful (or least successful) knowledge
management initiatives. We are however, putting in place measures to assess
performance against objectives over time.
The bridge we build (or more correctly, series of bridges) is directed at connecting
people with knowledge and the tools to apply that knowledge. We also have a
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A knowledge background
Ever since a day some thousands of years ago when a primitive human being
observed a fallen tree across a stream and realised that here was a way of linking
together two sides of a divide, the technology of bridge design , construction and
maintenance has progressed and developed into the sophisticated scientific
discipline that exists today.
That development would not have been possible without the transfer of one vital
ingredient knowledge. Person to person knowledge transfer has been an
important civilising tool through the ages. Primitive man passed on the
knowledge of food sources, even knowledge of the medicinal qualities of plants
through direct person to person contact. It was much later, that we humans
developed writing and record keeping, allowing knowledge to become
information.
It is interesting to note that the value of the retention or holding back of
knowledge was discovered at an early stage also. The recognition of patents or
intellectual property seems to have first been recognised around 500BC and the
saying Knowledge is Power was coined in the 1600s. Thus, any discussion
about knowledge must accept that the sharing of knowledge and the holding back
of knowledge will both appear equally valid, depending on viewpoint of the
individual.
Standing here right now, in the 21st Century, very little has changed. While most
of us are better educated than our forebears, we are still reliant on person to person
transfer of knowledge for our extended or acquired awareness. Generally
referred to as Tacit Knowledge, this is the how-to, the why it does it or the
what if of everyday life. Separate from information, tacit knowledge develops
within each of us as we experience life.
It is the identification of the means for sharing and distributing tacit knowledge
between individuals that occupies much of our attention as knowledge managers.
We must also accept that around us are some who will be reluctant to pass on their
store of personal knowledge. That reluctance can be based on opportunity (the
chance to make money) or based on a need for intellectual (or peer) recognition.
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It is important to accept the validity of such motives, as they will always impact
on our ability to convert knowledge to information.
Our purpose in looking back in history is simply to make the point that
knowledge, whether it exists as an awareness of concrete realities or abstract
ideas, is tied to human behaviour. As knowledge managers, we must seek to
modify or enhance behavioural traits. We desire to facilitate the means of
knowledge transfer between members of an organisation. Ideally, wed like to
take knowledge and describe it in text form or draw a plan of it. The moment we
do that, the knowledge becomes information. Information is a commodity that we
can readily publish, distribute and store.
It has been said that Knowledge is what I know Information is what we know.
For better, for worse, much tacit or acquired knowledge will continue to remain an
abstract commodity. Collecting it, saving it and sharing it will always represent
our greatest challenge.
Knowledge Management
Despite the effects of increased globalisation and the growth of expertise within
former third world countries, the more universal concern that has driven the
growth of knowledge management is one that affects every organisation, including
the RTA. That concern is the loss of knowledge stemming from employee
departures and retirements. We need to accept that while some engineers may
continue beyond age 60 in short term consultative roles, the great majority of
retirees never return.
Another concern stems from the decreasing application of the traditional MasterApprentice model. This is at its most obvious in organisations where cadetships
and traineeships opportunities have been reduced. Fortunately, this trend is now
being reversed, as the RTA, no doubt in common with other such entities, is
pursuing more on-the-job training schemes. The important benefit of on-the-job
training is the inter-personal contact where experienced practitioners (masters)
hand down the know-how to the trainee (or apprentice).
On a cautionary note, the seeming trend within organisations to recruit new
graduates is not without its risks. The temptation is to extract maximum leverage
from the newly gained degree or diploma by parachuting graduates into
positions of responsibility. The unintended effect of this practice is a loss of tacit
knowledge as the opportunity for absorption from the master is truncated. The
RTA, no doubt in common with other such organisations, has recognised this
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shortfall and is now actively linking graduates with older mentors. Although it is
not always possible to link up with a mentor having relevant skill set.
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with. Leaving aside patentable inventions, at the very least, the owner of an idea
will desire peer recognition; perhaps through the publication of a paper in a
journal or at a conference. Even given that the intellectual property resides with
the employer, very few idea originators will want their idea becoming common
knowledge without some personal recognition.
In accepting this need for recognition, we need to ensure that credit is
appropriately awarded and ownership recognised. Our goal is a twin one, firstly,
we need to encourage and reward the originator and, secondly we want to be able
to freely distribute the information to potential users.
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People diversity
Within any Road Authority, there exists diversity both within and across
disciplines. Our approach has been to never convey an attitude of exclusivity.
Interest in a particular subject may come from an engineer or a site supervisor.
Interest in a pavement matter can be shown by a bridge engineer.
Perhaps a minor challenge, but one that serves to remind us that knowledge and its
management must not be rigidly compartmentalised, either in form or distribution.
Regional distribution
This is a challenge that relates more to a country-city divide than to differences
in technology practices. City people have no appreciation of the problems we
face in the country or the reverse Country people have no idea of the pressure
we are under in Sydney are typical of the concerns expressed.
Again, a minor challenge; but one that drives a need for equality of inclusion
within our knowledge management initiatives.
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Community sensitivity
Any government entity remains subject to the less than predictable tides, winds
and storms of community reaction. Todays mere technology can become
tomorrows hot news issue.
The challenge here is the acceptance that, as responsible custodians of
information, we cannot allow that information to be coloured by personal opinion.
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Communities of Practice
The multi-disciplined technical environment of a road authority automatically
lends itself to the formation of Communities of Practice. Such communities are
one of the cornerstones of Knowledge Management as, by their nature, they
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Forums
One appealing approach that is attracting plenty of attention is the use of on-line
discussion forums linking people within skills network and with other interested
associates. Forums, whether face to face or on-line, are simply people talking to
people and we recognise that interpersonal discussion, by its very nature,
encourages mutual understanding and social interaction. These elements form the
foundation of effective knowledge exchange.
Within the RTA, the successful form of forum use is advice-seeking where a
(relatively) junior member of the community seeks advice from more senior
members. It has however, been a little more difficult to convince people that
forums have potential for cross discussion of everyday activity, although, at the
time of preparing this paper, there are some encouraging signs appearing in some
forums. One challenge will be developing the various skills networks that
overlap.
As discussed earlier, there remains a risk of robust language as found on many
social forum sites inadvertently creeping into the workplace environment. Our
experience thus far has been that a written code of conduct and peer policing of
acceptable workplace behaviour has prevailed and no decorum issues have been
experienced.
Story telling
A knowledge tool, still to be fully exploited, is story telling. Storytelling, as a
craft, is as old as human habitation. Its effectiveness lies in people relating
experiences and anecdotes, particularly where the story can be recorded. Many
organisations attest to using story telling very successfully.
However, our
experience has been that personal inhibitions are a significant limiting factor and
real success is going to take time. As with some other knowledge tools, we are
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Summary
The preceding recounting of challenges must be seen as a call to arms.
Knowledge management is not made up of ready made, off the shelf, guaranteed
solutions. Even the knowledge management gurus didnt promise a rose garden.
Yet, in many respects, Knowledge Management is like a rose garden. But its a
garden that needs to be tended and cultivated and even occasionally pruned. It is a
garden for the growing of wisdom. Wisdom implies concepts of understanding
and insight. Wisdom cannot be imparted; it has to grow from within. We make
information available and we share knowledge, but the ultimate goal remains the
getting of and applying of, wisdom
Measures of success
Consider this. During the 1980s the big new tool for business was Quality
Management (or TQM or Continual Improvement). Company after company set
up formalised management systems as a response to this next big thing. Yet now,
30 years later, formalised quality management systems exist primarily in
production and construction enterprises only. So, does this mean that Quality
Management was a failure?
Look around any business organisation today and you will see quality
management in action. Documented operating procedures, continual improvement
initiatives, customer satisfaction measures and so on. Quality Management is still
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alive and well, it has simply been seamlessly embedded within organisational
cultures.
At some point in the future, Knowledge Management will likely be integrated
within composite management systems and will become extinct as a distinct
discipline. The gurus and the software peddlers will have moved on to the next
big thing. At that time, a bright young person will ask what was Knowledge
Management? Those in the know will point out a whole raft of everyday practices
and methods that everybody thinks have always been there.
When such an event occurs, our current initiatives will have succeeded.