John Girard

Knowledge management modeling in public sector organizations: a case study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the successful use of a knowledge management (KM) model in a public sector organization.Design/methodology/approach – Building on the theoretical foundation of others, this case study demonstrates the value of KM modeling in a science‐based initiative in the Canadian public service.Findings – The Inukshuk KM model, which comprises the five elements of technology, leadership, culture, measurement, and process, provides a holistic approach in public service KM.Practical implications – The proposed model can be employed by other initiatives to facilitate KM planning and implementation.Originality/value – This the first project to consider how KM models may be implemented in a Canadian public service environment.

Where is the knowledge we have lost in managers

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to theorize what relationship exists between knowledge loss and the manager type. Specifically, the purpose of this research is to determine if some types of middle managers report lower levels of information anxiety. A managers knowledge classification was based on the seminal research of Davenport and Prusak, and Nonaka and Takeuchi.Design/methodology/approach – A sample of Canadian Public Service middle managers completed an online survey instrument over a three‐month period in the autumn of 2003. Ninety‐nine usable survey results formed the basis of analysis for the project. To increase how one may generalize the findings, the sample was compared to a recent large random sample of the same population, which determined that the two samples were statistically the same. Segmenting the managers by knowledge transformation tasks (based on Davenport and Prusak) and knowledge exchange methods (based on Nonaka and Takeuchi) permitted the development of two hypotheses based ...

Social knowledge : using social media to know what you know

For the past two decades, executives have struggled to develop effective ways of sharing what their organizations know. Organizational leaders are now seeking ways to share knowledge with both internal and external stakeholders driven by concerns such as downsizing, the impending retirement of baby boomers, terrorism, and a host of other organizational challenges. Social Knowledge: Using Social Media to Know What You Know aims to provide relevant theoretical frameworks, latest empirical research findings, and practitioners best practices in the area. The book is multidisciplinary in nature and considers a wide range of topics, each of which is related to social knowledge. It is written for professionals who want to improve their understanding of the strategic role of social knowledge in business, government, or non-profit sectors.

Knowledge Creation, Productivity, and Collaboration: An Exploratory Examination of University Faculty and Staff

This project focuses on the first part of the knowledge management definition, expressly the process of creating knowledge. It explores the relationship between knowledge creation with the perception of improving productivity and collaboration. Also, the project addresses the preferences toward one or more knowledge creation forms in improving productivity and collaboration.

Measuring Learner’s Subject Specific Knowledge

This was the second phase in a research project designed to compare student achievement in online and face-to-face classes. The aim of this phase was to determine if online and face-to-face students demonstrate different levels of knowledge in six distinct subject areas. For each of the six areas the means for 10 sections of students, collected over a five-year period, were plotted to visually review the results. Following the visual check, a two-sample t-test between proportions, assuming unequal variances, was performed to determine whether there was a significant difference between the samples with respect to the level of assessment scores earned. There was not a significant difference in the means of the online and face-to-face students. However two subjects warrant additional research: first is production where there was a significant difference at the .10 critical alpha level (p=0.085) and second is finance where the means were close to being significant at the .10 critical alpha level (p=0.104).