MANAGING KNOWLEDGE WORKERS Lecture Twelve (Chapter 12, Notes; Chapter 15, Textbook)

Chapter 12: Managing Knowledge Workers 2 KMS Topics Covered  Knowledge Management Systems Life Cycle  Knowledge Creation and Knowledge Architecture  Capturing Tacit Knowledge  Knowledge Codification  System Testing and Development  Knowledge Transfer and Knowledge Sharing  Knowledge Transfer in the E-World  Learning from Data

Chapter 12: Managing Knowledge Workers 3 Managing Knowledge Workers  Definition of Knowledge Worker  Core Competencies  Traditional vs. “Smart” Managers  Major Challenges and Responsibilities  Factors Affecting Knowledge Worker’s Productivity  Work Adjustment Model  Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO)  Responsibilities and Role  Key CKO’s Attributes and Success Factors  Incentives and Motivation

Chapter 12: Managing Knowledge Workers 4 What Is a Knowledge Worker?  Transforms corporate and personal experiences into knowledge through capturing, assessing, applying, sharing, and disseminating it within the organization to solve specific problems or to create value KNOWLEDGE WORKER Transformatio n process Values Personal and corporate experience Organizationa l Culture IT Tools

Chapter 12: Managing Knowledge Workers 5 Core Competencies  Thinking skills — having a vision how the product or the company can be better  Continuous learning — unlearning and relearning in tune with fast- changing conditions  Innovative teams and teamwork — via collaboration, cooperation, and coordination  Creativity — ”dreaming” new ways to advance the firm

Chapter 12: Managing Knowledge Workers 6 Core Competencies (cont’d)  Risk taking and potential success — making joint decisions with calculated risk  Decision action taking — be willing to embrace professional discipline, patience, and determination  Culture of responsibility toward knowledge — loyalty and commitment to one’s manager or leader

Chapter 12: Managing Knowledge Workers 7 Traditional vs. Smart Managers Action-orientedLearning-oriented Spend most time supervising, delegating, controlling and ensuring procedures are complied Focus on organizational learning to ensure operational excellence Mastered the work of the subordinates because they were once workers Expected not to have mastered the work of the subordinates A supervisor and an order giver A facilitator and a teacher

Chapter 12: Managing Knowledge Workers 8 Major Challenges  Get the organization moving towards achieving goals in line with rate of change  Promote active learning to improve knowledge worker’s capacity to create, produce, and respond to change  Provide opportunities for knowledge workers to brainstorm ideas, exchange knowledge, and devise new ways of doing business

Chapter 12: Managing Knowledge Workers 9 Responsibilities of Smart Managers  Managing knowledge workers  Searching out, creating, sharing, and using knowledge regularly  Maintaining work motivation among knowledge workers

Chapter 12: Managing Knowledge Workers 10  Hiring or recruiting bright, knowledge-seeking individuals  Managing collaboration, coordination, and concurrent activities among knowledge workers Responsibilities of Smart Managers (cont’d)

Chapter 12: Managing Knowledge Workers 11 Factors Affecting Knowledge Worker’s Productivity  Time constraint  Knowledge workers performing tasks that the firm did not hire them to do  Work schedule mismatch  De-”motivation” against knowledge worker’s productivity

Chapter 12: Managing Knowledge Workers 12 Work Adjustment Model Correspondence (match) Abilities Vocational needs Job requirements Reinforcers Promote Correspondence (match) Satisfactoriness (satisfied employer) Transfer Fire Retain Remain TENURE Job Satisfaction (satisfied employee) Individua l Job Quit NEW JOB option

Chapter 12: Managing Knowledge Workers 13 Responsibilities of the CKO  Maximize returns on investment in knowledge — people, processes, and technology  Share best practices and reinforce benefits of knowledge sharing among employees  Promote company innovations and commercialization of new ideas  Minimize knowledge loss at all levels of the business

Chapter 12: Managing Knowledge Workers 14 Role of the CKO (In Summary)  Agent of change  Investigator  Linking pin  Listener  Politician

Chapter 12: Managing Knowledge Workers 15 Key CKO Attributes  Teaching and selling  Communicating — speaking the language of the user, mediate, and working with management at all levels  Understanding — e.g., identifying problem areas and determining their impact

Chapter 12: Managing Knowledge Workers 16  Technical Skills  Broad knowledge of business practice and ability to translate technical information at employee level  Making effective use of technical and non- technical elements in KM design  Knowledge of information technology, information systems, and how information is transformed into knowledge Key CKO Attributes (cont’d)

Chapter 12: Managing Knowledge Workers 17 CKO’s Success Factors  Focus less on problems and more on successes and opportunities  Adopt an attitude that views challenges as opportunities  Work on creating tomorrow’s business instead of focusing on yesterday’s problems

Chapter 12: Managing Knowledge Workers 18 Incentives and Motivation  Use monetary awards, bonuses and special prizes for teams or individuals for unique contributions  Flextime allows the team to decide on when to work, when to quit, and so forth  Publicize success throughout the firm