KM and Organisational Factors

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1. KM Implementation Issues

Common problems facing KM projects are described in Boddy et al (2004) where it is noted that problems are likely to be organisational rather than technological.

Boddy et al (2004) cite work by Scarborough and Swan (1997) that identified three common problems:

• assumptions about tacit knowledge
• exploitation versus exploration
• problems of supply and demand

2. Learning Organisation

Three factors involved in creating a learning organisation are:

• Corporate Goals
• Organisational Structures
• Company Culture - can be altered over time through management intervention, the introduction of groupware and intranet technologies and through the encouragement given to knowledge sharing

To create a learning organisation, the adoption of a further strategy relating to organisational structure is required.  Continuous change and discontinuous change that together give an organisation the quality of fluidity.

3. Significance of Management Structures

Up until the 1990's BP included separate regional organisations as well as a large headquarters workforce. Since then, BP has restructured its previously hierarchical structure to a flat, team-based organisation designed to motivate and help employees to learn.

In 1989 BP employed 4,000 employees at headquarters and in regional offices.

By 1997 this figure was down to 350.

Instead, BP is now divided up into ninety business units, each with appreciation of its own role in the business and the contribution that it makes to corporate performance.

There are no further management layers involved other than these teams that report directly to a nine-member executive group.

Since there are no longer departmental hierarchies to act as barriers to knowledge sharing these business units learn from each other as well as independently. It is a structure that allows people to have many face-to-face interactions and to form deep personal relationships, which are critical in a learning organisation. It should go hand-in-hand with the use of IT that encourages interaction without formal structures.

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Reference(s)
	Book		Boddy, D., Boostra, A. & Kennedy, G. (2004) Managing Information Systems: An Organisational Perspective. Financial Times Prentice Hall: United Kingdom (UK), England, Essex, Harlow. [ISBN: 9780273686354]. [Available on: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3SA82hq].
	Book		Botha, A., Kourie, D. & Snyman, R. (2008) Coping with Continuous Change in the Business Environment: Knowledge Management and Knowledge Management Technology. Chandos Publishing: United Kingdom (UK), England, Oxfordshire, Oxford. [ISBN: 9781780632056]. [Available on: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zg6Clk].
	Book		Desouza, K. C. & Paquette, S. (2011) Knowledge Management: An Introduction. Facet Publishing: United Kingdom (UK), England, London. [ISBN: 9781856047357]. [Available on: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3F7gNwp].
	Book		Ichijo, K. & Nonaka, I. (2006) Knowledge Creation and Management: New Challenges for Managers. Oxford University Press: United Kingdom (UK), England, Oxfordshire, Oxford. [ISBN: 9780195159622]. [Available on: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3DaXaRB].

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Reference (or cite) Article
	Kahlon, R. S. (2013) KM & Organisational Factors [Online]. dkode: United Kingdom, England, London. [Published on: 2013-01-26]. [Article ID: RSK666-0000084]. [Available on: dkode | Ravi - https://ravi.dkode.co/2013/01/km-organisational-factors.html].

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