MIS 2000
Class 11
Knowledge Processes &
Knowledge Work Systems
Outline
• Knowledge worker
• Knowledge & Knowledge Types
• Knowledge Life Process
• Knowledge Works Systems
• Organizational culture and knowledge
• Summary
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Knowledge and Occupations
• Knowledge worker is a professional that intensely applies (uses)
domain knowledge at work and/or generates it.
• In contrast,
– clerk mostly processes data (collection, formatting entering
in forms or IS, running IS)
– manager mostly interprets documents (infers information
from documents)
Clerk
Manager
Apply
knowledge on
solving biz
problem
Manipulate/
process data
Produce biz
documents
Professional
Interprets
documents and
analysis to draw
information
Create
analysis,
research
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Knowledge
KNOWLEDGE
• Knowledge refers to understanding what something is, why
something is, and how to do something:
- What: concepts, concepts’ relationships, taxonomies
- Know-how (procedures): How-to do something,
analysis/synthesis, how to generate new knowledge
CONCEPTS,
RELATIONS
PROCEDURES
CAUSEEFFECT
- Why: understanding cause-effect relationships (special relationship)
Knowledge acquisition is
incremental (what comes in
layers, & why is learned with
imperfect accuracy).
Learner may start with know-how
and understand what/why later.
Knowledge is never complete,
or 100% correct, can be
incoherent and controversial
(messy).
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is
Three Knowledge Taxonomies
•
Source view: Theoretical (science, theories) vs.
Experiential knowledge (practical, personal, via doing)
•
Communication view:
Explicit
Tacit
• Can be communicated
• Difficult to communicate
• Definitions, taxonomies, theories,
procedures, cases
• Experiential, analysis & synthesis skills
• Mgt. goal to extract it
• Economic view: Human Capital (in people) vs.
Structural Capital (in things) *
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Knowledge Life Process
• Knowledge life process refers to a sequence of activities from knowledge
generation to discarding.* The process in an infinite loop.
Generate
By professionals &
researchers)
Updating/Discard
Changing & abandoning
obsolete knowledge
Utilizing
Putting knowledge
at work to benefit
Codify, Validate & Store
Creating representations
of knowledge; evaluating;
storing representations
Sharing
Via documents, access to KWS,
instruction & teamwork
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Knowledge Work Systems (KWS)
System
Generate
Codify
& Store
Artificial Neural Network
System (ANNS)
yes
yes
Case Based Reasoning
System (CBRS)
Yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
Expert System
Communication System
Document Management
System
Share
Update
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
KWS in active role in steps of the knowledge process:
- Generate: KWS do self-learning
- Codify: KWS codify or people do it
- Store: classical role for KWS
- Share: when users deploy KWS
- Update: consequence of KWS self-learning
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Artificial Neural Network (ANN) System
• Simulates human brain’s cells and connections
• Connection patterns get created, which allows for
machine learning.
• What is learned simulates human knowledge
represented in form of graphics, numerical figures, text,
etc.
APPLE
COMPUTER
APPLE
COMPUTER
Hidden layer strengthens its
connections with APPLE and
COMPUTER and not between
COMPUTER and FRUIT.
FRUIT
ANN with 3 layers of “neurons”
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KWS: Expert System
User
Interface
Inference Engine:
Creates decision trees out of
rules in K-Base and
user’s input
Knowledge Base (K-Base)
If-then rules
representing
expert knowledge
• Software that codifies the expertise of people in the
form of if-then rules
• Expert knowledge made accessible to non-experts
• Used in account auditing, medical diagnosing,
troubleshooting of machinery, health care (Medical
underwriting system at Blue Cross), financial industry
(CLUES system for loan underwriting), oil & mining
More on expert systems...
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KWS: Case-Based Reasoning System
User
Interface
Case Base
(descriptions of problems,
prob. solving, and solutions
Case-Based Reasoning (CBR): Represents knowledge
as cases – descriptions of problems with solutions (like in
law).
Procedure of using CBR system: *
•
User describes problem in keywords
•
System searches the case base for similar problems;
the closest fitting case = preliminary solution
•
User modifies case with new details and stores it back in
case base (new knowledge acquired, old knowledge
updated)
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KWS: Document Management System
Document Management System = Repository of documents that codify
knowledge is some way, and documents are stored in organized
manner and indexed for easy search.
The simplest kind of KWS
Examples:
•
systems using SharePoint software (also used to support workflow
in groups – another lecture)
•
“knowledge bases” (repositories in the question-answer format)
Content of documenting systems is shared among people authorized to
access them (e.g., consulting firms)
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Organizational Culture and Knowledge
It is important that cultural beliefs and behaviors facilitate
knowledge life process.
Beliefs and behaviors related to knowledge at Accenture:
o
Beliefs & practices on generation & sharing of knowledge:
Knowledge should be continually created through consulting
practice and shared broadly.
o
Beliefs on role of knowledge in organization: knowledge should
contribute directly to profit objectives.
o
What is the purpose KWS*: To enable sorting and efficient
access to knowledge content.
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Knowledge Culture
• Knowledge Culture – a kind of organizational culture that
places knowledge in the centre. Or a culture which supports
most of the knowledge management cycle. May not exist in
every company or can be developed less or more developed.
• May be facilitated by team culture (knowledge sharing through
apprenticeship, knowledge development through synergy).
• Examples: Accenture, 3M, Microsoft, Apple
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Summary
•
Knowledge worker is a professional that intensely applies/generates
knowledge at work.
•
Knowledge refers to understanding what something is, why something is,
and how to do something. Develops gradually and is never perfect.
•
Knowledge kinds: Theoretical & practical; explicit & implicit; memorized &
materialized.
•
Knowledge mgt. process is cyclical and includes generation,
codifying/storing, sharing, utilizing, & updating/discarding.
•
Knowledge works systems (KWS) studied are Artificial Neural Network,
Document Management System, Expert System, & Case-Based Reasoning
System. They support different phases of knowledge process (slide 7).
•
Knowledge culture places knowledge and KWS in the focus (Accenture –
large consulting company).
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