MG 8763 - Summer 2010
Knowledge Management
Course Syllabus
Faculty: Harun Asad
Class room: Westchester Campus
Office room: Westchester Campus
Class time: Saturdays 8:30am - 12:45pm. Starts May 8 and ends June 26. No class 5/29.
Office hours: By appointment
Office phone (cell): 914-299-6193
E-Mail: harunasad@gmail.com
Course Description
Knowledge workers, who are primarily in professional and technical occupations, increasingly
become an important segment of the labour force in the US. The success of innovative
organizations today is often a result of the knowledge and skills applied by their professional and
technical employees. Effective management of such a work force has become one of the most
critical problems faced by organizations in both the private and public sectors. Reflecting this, the
course addresses issues relating to the creation, sharing and application of knowledge in
organizations. In the course, we examine knowledge management from various perspectives,
focusing primarily on the organizational, managerial and technological perspectives
The main topics covered in the course are:
 What is knowledge? What is Knowledge Management?
 Knowledge as a strategic resource
 Knowledge in organizations: sharing knowledge in the organization and between
organization
 Knowledge management processes
 Knowledge management and technology: different approaches and solutions
 Knowledge management assessment and evaluation
 The course is based on a hands-on approach, using real-world case studies and
examples, emphasizing experience, interaction and a combination of theory and practice.
Course Materials
Texts:
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Knowledge Management, Rumizen, Melissie Clemmons Ph.D.
The Knowing Organization Second Edition (2006), Chun Wei Choo, Ph.D.
Case Studies:
XEROX: building, sustaining and monetizing knowledge management (2003) INSEAD case.
ECCH Reference 903-029-1
DaimlerChrysler Knowledge Management Strategy HBS ECCH Reference 9-702-412
Managing Knowledge and Learning at NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Reference
No. 9-603-062; Teaching Note 5-603-095
Buckman Laboratories (A), Harvard Business Publishing, 2003. 800160-PDF-ENG
World Bank and Knowledge Management: The Case of The Urban Services Thematic Group,
Harvard Business Publishing, 2001. 800160-PDF-ENG
American Management Systems: The Knowledge Centers, Harvard Business Publishing, 1998.
697068-PDF-ENG
Articles:
Levinson, Meridith. Knowledge Management Definition and Solutions. CIO Magazine, 2007.
March 07, 2007. pp. 1-4.
O'Dell, Carla and Leavitt, Paige. The Executive’s Role in Knowledge Management. Apr 2004.
Chapter 1: pp. 11-28. (Available at Google books books.google.com)
DeBrun, Caroline. ABCs of Knowledge Management. NHS National Library for Health, United
Kingdom. July 2005. pp. 3-11.
Crager, John; Lemons, Darcy; O’Dell, Carla and Hubert, Cidy. Measuring the Impact of
Knowledge Management - Executive Summary, Consortium Learning Forum, Best-Practice
Report, American Productivity & Quality Center (APQC), Executive Summary. 2003. pp. 6-18.
Wenger, Etienne; McDermott, Richard and Snyder, William M. Cultivating Communities of
Practices: A Guide to Managing Knowledge – Seven Principles for Cultivating Communities of
Practice Article. Harvard Business School, Working Knowledge, pp. 1-8.
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/2855.html
Hasanali, Farida; Hubert, Cindy; Lopez, Kimberly; Newhouse, Bob; O’Dell, Carla, Vestal, Wesley.
APQC, Communities of Practice, A Guide For Your Journey To Knowledge Management Best
Practices. 2002. Chapter 1. (Available at Google books books.google.com)
Haymes, Tom. The Three-E Strategy for Overcoming Resistance to Technological Change.
Educate Quarterly. 2008, pp. 67-69.
Swap et al., Using Mentoring and Storytelling to Transfer Knowledge in the Workplace, Journal of
Management Information Systems 18:1 (2001), pp. 95-114.
Leonard, D. and Sensiper, S., The Role of Tacit Knowledge in Group Innovation, California
Management Review 40:3 (1998), pp. 112-132.
Von Hippel, E., Sticky Information and the Locus of Problem Solving: Implications for Innovation,
Management Science 40:4 (1994), pp. 429-439.
Hargadon, A. and R. Sutton (2000). ‘Building an Innovation Factory’. Harvard Business Review
78 (3) 157-166.
Assignments
Class Participation
Significant class participation is expected and accounts for a portion of final grade.
Case Studies
The class will be divided into groups. Each team will be responsible for presenting case study
summary, analysis and recommendations during class.
Exam
The exam will be in the form of a case study and distributed during class. Students will be
responsible for reading the case study and answering the questions provided.
Group Project
Each group is responsible for developing a KM strategy and plan for a company familiar to the
students (preferably an employer of one or more students). A group presentation is required
during the final class session. Presentations should include an executive summary in addition to
the full presentation, which should be approximately 20-30 minutes in length.
Class Schedule
Session
5/8 Foundations of KM
Assigned
Course teams
Group case studies
Final group project
Due
Readings: Complete Guide
Ch. 1, 3, 4, 5, 7
Levinson
O’Dell and Leavitt
DeBrun
Case study during class
Case study during class
Readings:
Complete Guide Ch. 15, 16,
17, 18
Knowing Organization Ch. 1,
4, 7
Group case study
presentations
Readings:
Complete Guide Ch. 19, 20,
21, 22
Crager
5/15 Exam
5/22 KM and The Organization
Case study during class
Case study during class
6/5 Strategy, Process,
Measurement
NA
6/12 KM Tools, Technologies
and Communities of Practice
NA
Readings:
Complete Guide Ch. 8, 11, 12,
13
Wenger
Hasanali
Haymes
NA
Readings:
Swap
KM platforms demos, U.S.
Army (TBD)
6/19 KM and Innovation
Strategic narratives workshop,
Kaihan Consulting (TBD)
6/26 Final group project
presentations
Leonard
Von Hippel
Hargadon
Final group project
presentations
NA
Grading
Classroom participation 50 points
Exam 150 points
Group case study presentation 150 points
Final group project 150 points
The following grade scale will be used to determine final grades:
Final Average Final Grade
450-500
A
400-450
B
300-400
C
300 or less
F
Your Instructor
Harun Asad
Harun Asad has a deep business and technology background including roles with several well
known companies. Asad is currently Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer for Lodestar Inc., a
strategy and research firm headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey. Previously he held executive
and management positions with Millward Brown, a WPP company, AOL and USA Today.
Throughout his career, Asad has worked with a broad spectrum of leading organizations including
Google, Dell, Microsoft, PepsiCo, McDonald’s, Target, Citibank, Roche and many others.
Mr. Asad serves as the Northeast Regional Director for the Computer Associates IT Case
Competition and is actively involved in the nonprofit sector. Harun has taught or lectured at
several leading universities including NYU Poly, NYU Stern, Fordham School of Business and the
University of Connecticut School of Business. He holds an MBA with distinction from the George
Mason University and a BS in Marketing from The Pennsylvania State University. Harun resides
with his wife and two children in Westchester, New York.
NYU Poly Academic Integrity Code of Conduct

NYU Poly places a great deal of emphasis on upholding the University Academic Integrity
Code, which is an integral part of university life. On the application for admission, students
sign a statement agreeing to conform to and uphold the Academic Integrity Code. Therefore,
students are responsible for understanding the provisions of the code. In the spirit of the
code, a student's word is a declaration of good faith acceptable as truth in all academic
matters. Therefore, attempted cheating, plagiarism, lying, and stealing of academic work and
related materials constitute Honor Code violations. To maintain an academic community
according to these standards, students and faculty must report all alleged violations of the
Academic Integrity Code to the appropriate Committee.

Please refer to the Polytechnic Institute of NYU University Code of Conduct pages on
Academic Integrity for further information.