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Zand, D. (1981). The management of knowledge. In _Information,
organization and power_. (pp. 3-17). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Zand's model of knowledge management starts with advice to managers on
how to be a knowledge manager. This advice sounds a great deal "be a
critical thinker." It's remarkable the impact repackaging has on
ideas. Zand's writing sounds very progressive but isn't it, in a way,
stuff people would already know if they knew how to think. Take, for
example, the "New perspectives" and "Unusual groupings" sections.
These essential say, "Manager, encourage your group to think about
things differently. Give them opportunities to evaluate the known from
different angles to see what new knowledge floats out."
Great. What is it that is so special about these sorts of repackagings
that create management textbooks. This sort of thinking should be
taught in elementary school but is not because granting critical
thinking skills to children apparently makes them difficult. Pshaw! My
mother once said, thinking she was joking, "I can either raise my
children smart or polite."
Elsewhere in the paper:
In such organizations, withholding, diverting, or ridiculing
existing knowledge becomes the greatest source of current error.
Isolating, ostracizaing, or punishing those who present adverse
information and analysis becomes the major source of future error.
Replace "organizations" with "families" or "governments" or "nations"
or "classes" or "universities". See where that gets you.
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Contact:cdent@burningchrome.com
Zand, D. (1981). From knowledge to action. In _Information,
organization and power_. (pp. 19-35). New York: McGraw-Hill.
An extraordinary collection of unsupported generlizations that either
made me giggle or choke, including the following gems:
1)
Knowledge workers...may complain about overwork, but deep down they
would not want it any other way.
Says who?
Hi, I'm a manager, new on the job, heard about this knowledge
management thing. I've got some new recruits in from the university
where they've been teaching them about knowledge discovery. They sure
are a wild bunch. I'm not quite sure how to handle them, they keep
complaining about too much work. What? You say that's normal and they
like that? Okay, great, thanks for the help.
2)
So the production worker seeks relief in spectator entertainment and
mild mental stimulation.
[The knowledge specialist seeks] relief by participating in sports,
physical activities, and mental diversions.
Whoa!
I tell you whut Bubba, after a long hard day at work there's nothing I
like better than to sit in front of the TV, stick my hand down my
pants like that guy on TV, drink me a beer and watch my favorite
football team kick some ass but ever since I got that promotion for
figuring out that we were losing 25% of the widgets because the bolts
came down the line unordered I really can't bring myself to do it.
I've got to out with the boys from the office and play a few hard
games of raquetball down at the club. No, I'm sorry, you can't come,
you're still one of them there production workers. You wouldn't like it
anyway, your type doesn't go for that sort of thing.
These sorts of things make it very difficult for me to see the good
advice that is there in Zand's work. Knowledge conversion is certainly
a very important aspect of the business game (or any game for that
matter).
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McDermott, R. (2000). Why information technology inspired but cannot
deliver knowledge management. In E.L. Lesser, M.A. Fontaine &
J.A. Slusher, _Knowledge and communities_ (p. 21-35). Boston:
Butterworth Heinemann.
"The great trap in knowledge management is using information
management tools and concepts to design knowledge management systems."
"To know a topic of discipline is not just to possess information
about it. It is the very human ability to _use_ that information."
"In running these experiments, the architect is not just looking for
pre-made solutions, but thinking about how those solutions might apply
and letting ideas _seep_ from one framework to the next, so a new,
creative idea can emerge."
"To know a field or a discipline is to be able to think within its
territory."
"Ideas are meaningful only in relation to the community's beliefs."
This article, in some ways, makes a lovely conclusion to the class
because it ties together a great deal of what we've talked about and
puts the focus the work onto people and communities, where it belongs.
We can talk extensively about how to arrange a web site, but that web
site is pointless unless it does something to enhance the experience
of the people using it.
People implementing technologies to enhance peoples lives will
frequently become so wrapped up in the management of the technology
itself that the original goals for installing the technology are
completely lost.
This article also dovetails nicely with my own research for 542 where
I'm trying to persuade that a tool oriented perspective of the
computer is required to effectively make use of augmenting
technologies because such a perspective allows us to take an adaptable
approach to problem solving: with tools, as a craftsperson,
manipulating information to create knowledge.
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