Frada Burstein

Supporting post‐Fordist work practices: A knowledge management framework for supporting knowledge work

This paper examines the role of knowledge management and knowledge management systems for supporting knowledge work. In a work environment, knowledge is always situated in a specific context, so an organization benefits from a knowledge management system when such a system is focused on a specific task. Providing support for knowledge work at the task level complements the work practices of actors performing the task. The paper suggests that knowledge management systems can be implemented as intelligent decision support that establishes a joint cognitive process between the system and the actor performing the task. The proposed approach has been derived from our application of a knowledge management framework to a number of field studies. These applications come from various domains and highlight different aspects of the proposed framework. The focus on task performance, as a driving force for knowledge management, unifies these field studies. The paper identifies the issues that emerge from these studies and describes their contribution to the development of the framework. The paper concludes that by privileging knowledge work, task‐based knowledge management can be an effective knowledge management strategy.

Quality of data model for supporting mobile decision making

This paper describes research towards implementation of a mobile decision support system. Our view is that the mobile decision maker will benefit if provided with a measure of the Quality of the Data (QoD) used in deriving a decision, and how QoD improves or deteriorates while he/she is on the move. We propose a QoD model taking into account static and dynamic properties of the mobile decision context, and use multicriteria decision analysis to represent decision model and derive a QoD measure. A prototype mobile decision support system has been developed to investigate the usefulness of the proposed QoD model.

Knowledge Reuse and Transfer in a Project Management Environment

Abstract This paper analyzes how project management companies manage knowledge. The research focuses on the creation, transfer, reuse and management of that knowledge. We propose a model for knowledge reuse in a project management environment where knowledge is absorbed at a tactical level and flows to a strategic level. This model derives from the: the OODA loop - Observe, Orient, Decide, Act, which focuses on strategic requirements and the Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) cycle, which focuses on the operational or tactical level of projects. Both the OODA Loop and the PDSA Cycle are adaptive learning and decision- making cycles where changes or actions are produced via repeated cycling through that loop. We suggest the ’Act’ step of the PDSA cycle is similar to the ’Orient’ step of the OODA loop because changes or learning is occurring. In this instance the PDSA cycle is renamed the PDSO (Plan-Do-Study-Orient) cycle. Research results indicate that knowledge flows between projects at all steps of (the PDSO Cycle) and OODA Loop. Key findings include a preference for informal over formal networks, the lack of a knowledge management system and the link between knowledge processes and the corporate project methodology. However, an effective knowledge management strategy also requires a strategic fit between social networks, technology, processes and corporate culture.

The Role of Knowledge Management Governance in the Implementation of Strategy

Previous research has examined different understandings of the concept of knowledge management and from this, a multiplicity of approaches to implement strategies have been derived. This paper presents research that examines the role of governance as a framework to ensure the effective delivery of a knowledge management strategy. Knowledge management governance is considered and a conceptual framework developed to appropriately position knowledge management governance within the organization. It draws on the results of research into knowledge management governance practices in a major scientific research facility and those in a confectionary manufacturer. We conclude that the implementation of a knowledge management strategy through such a framework ensures the delivery of anticipated benefits in an authorized and regulated manner.

A dynamic model of knowledge management for higher education development

Knowledge management (KM), an integrated approach used universally in knowledge intensive corporations, can maintain the competitive advantage for an organization in todays fast changing environment. However, many organizations are unable to get the results they expect when they introduce knowledge management into their organizational business processes. This paper suggests a dynamic model of knowledge management for higher education development, based on the analysis of many case studies of knowledge management in knowledge intensive organizations and the Monash task-based KM approach. This has been successfully implemented in recent years. The purpose of this model is to increase knowledge efficiency and to enhance organizational knowledge learning and sharing for discovery and innovation of new knowledge, which differentiates an organization from its competitors. This model includes six knowledge management activities for capturing, storing, sharing, learning, exploring, and exploiting knowledge related to a particular task. Based on the proposed model, this paper also highlights three factors of implementing knowledge management strategies: people, policy, and technology. Each factor has a different impact on the success of KM strategies. This paper proposes that KM is more than just the advantage of technology, intranet and Internet, but includes organizational issues, assumes information resource management together with the cultural change which is important in the KM implementation process. Finally, this paper suggests eighteen essential steps for the process leading to the effective knowledge management in a technological and knowledge intensive age

User Centred Quality Health Information Provision: Benefits and Challenges

Recent research indicates people are increasingly looking to the Internet for health information. Equally however, there is increasing frustration with the sheer volume, lack of relevance and at times dubious quality of information retrieved. The Breast Cancer Knowledge Online project sought to build a user sensitive portal to assist women with breast cancer and their families overcome these problems and to facilitate the retrieval of information which would better meet the individual and changing needs of users. The research outcomes discussed in this paper describe the approach taken to building the metadata-driven portal, the outcome of usability testing of the portal, and the limitations of such an ambitious project.

Understanding of knowledge management roles and responsibilities: a study in the Australian context

Most of the studies in knowledge management (KM) argue for leadership as a vital success factor for any initiative. Top management leadership enables the effective promotion of knowledge sharing by creating an appropriate organisational culture, and making arrangements for corresponding policies and procedures across the organisation to facilitate management of knowledge resources and practices. There is little empirical research reported that has focussed on capturing the awareness and understanding of KM teams’ constitutions and their responsibilities. This study reports on the survey of top managers with respect to KM strategy development and implementation. It is based on a survey data collected from leading Australian companies, and builds on other empirical case studies, which looked at mechanisms of KM strategy development and implementation. The results provide a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities for successful KM strategy development and implementation, and can assist with designing KM teams in organisations.

Consumer empowerment through metadata-based information quality reporting: The Breast Cancer Knowledge Online Portal

An ink jet printing apparatus responsive to an input digital image for producing a halftone image on a receiver, such as a lithographic plate, having halftone dots with each halftone dot being formed by one or more microdots in a screen dot of selectable areas, including an adjustable printhead for delivering different volumes of ink droplets which, when they contact the receiver, forming microdots of different areas according to the selected screen dot size. The apparatus delivers ink to the printhead and is responsive to a selected screen dot size and the digital image to control the printhead to form ink droplets of different volumes to produce a halftone image on the receiver.This article is focused on the changes needed in design to create positive solutions for all involved in design processes. It draws upon the rich discussion and discourse from a conference focused on positive design involving managers, designers, and IT specialists, all focused on overcoming the problem-based focus and decision paradigms to enhance all phases of the design processes to develop sustainable solutions for real issues in a changing world. Therefore, all fields using design, consciously or not, including management, Information Communication Technology (ICT), and designers as well, need to redesign their processes and first rethink their design paradigms on a meta level.

Decision Support through Knowledge Management

This chapter explores the role of knowledge management for decision support. Traditional decision support focused on provision of analytical tools for calculating optimal solution for the decision problems. The modern approach to decision support assumes greater autonomy for the decision maker. The role of the system is in assisting a decision maker in finding relevant information, which the decision maker can convert to actionable knowledge by making sense of the problem situation. This requires the decision support system (DSS) to have an extended functionality for supporting knowledge work, including memory aids, explanation facilities, and some learning capability. DSSs supporting such functionality can be equally termed “knowledge management systems.” This chapter explores how decision support systems and knowledge management evolved in recent years. It identifies complementary features that these two fields furnish in supporting users to improve their abilities as intelligent knowledge workers. It argues that although these areas originated from different philosophical premises, computerized knowledge management has decision support as a core focus; at the same time, decision support systems will benefit if built with knowledge management functionality in mind. We suggest calling such systems “knowledge work support systems” emphasising the major focus of modern technology as a mediator between the user and the cognitive requirements of the task he or she needs to perform. We also explore some design principles for such systems following a design science approach.

A case-based fuzzy multicriteria decision support model for tropical cyclone forecasting

Abstract This paper proposes a multi-stage framework for intelligent decision support. The proposed framework integrates case-based reasoning and fuzzy multicriteria decision making techniques. It potentially leads to more accurate, flexible and efficient retrieval of alternatives that are most similar and most useful to the current decision situation. Additionally, the framework provides intelligent assistance in articulating domain experts preferences through outranking relations. We illustrated the proposed approach in the context of tropical cyclone prediction. Ten years of historical observation data about tropical cyclones was represented within fuzzy multicriteria decision-making problem. We describe a prototype intelligent decision support system, which helps the forecaster in retrieving best-fitted solutions in terms of both usefulness and similarity to the current observed case.