咨询公司知识管理讲义(英文版)

KnowledgeManagementandtheConsultingIndustry,TheConsultant,Onceuponatimetherewasashepherdtendinghissheepattheedgeofacountryroad.AbrandnewMustangscreechestoahaltnexttohim.Thedriver,ayoungmandressedinanArmanisuit,Cerruttishoes,Oakleyglasses,TAGwristwatchandaBhstiegetsoutandaskstheshepherd,IfIguesshowmanysheepyouhave,willyougivemeoneofthem?Theshepherdlooksattheyoungman,thenlooksatthesprawlingfieldofsheepandsays,Okay.Theyoungmanparksthecar,connectshisnotebookandwirelessmodem,entersaNASAsite,scansthegroundusinghisGPS,opensadatabaseand60Exceltablesfilledwithalgorithms,thenprintsa150pagereportonhishightechminiprinter.Hethenturnstotheshepherdandsays,Youhaveexactly1,586sheephere.Theshepherdanswers:Thatscorrect,youcanhaveyoursheep.Theyoungmantakesoneoftheanimalsandputsitinthebackofhisvehicle.Theshepherdlooksathimandasks:Now,ifIguessyourprofession,willyoupaymebackinkind?Theyoungmananswers:Sure.Theshepherdsays,Youareaconsultant.Exactly!Howdidyouknow?askstheyoungman.Verysimple,answerstheshepherd.First,youcameherewithoutbeingcalled.Second,youchargedmeafeetotellmesomethingIalreadyknew.Third,youdonotunderstandanythingaboutmybusiness.andIdreallyliketohavemydogback.,Whatisconsulting?,TheCollinsEnglishDictionaryrevealsthattoconsultistomakeoneselfavailabletogiveprofessionaladvice,especiallyatscheduledtimesandforafee.Thetermconsultoriginatesinthemedicalprofession.Thereaconsultantisaphysicianwhoisaskedtoconfirmadiagnosis;oritisaphysician(orsurgeon)whoholdsthehighestappointmentinaparticularbranchofmedicineorsurgeryinahospital.Theconsultantisthereforesomeonemostlyaspecialistwhoisaskedtogiveexpertadviceorinformation.,Themanagementconsultant,Themanagementconsultantisaspecialbreedofconsultant.Personificationoftheknowledgeeconomy;Anti-thesistoFordsassembly-lineworker.Symbolisesthefutureofwork:notdirty,notheavy-duty,notmanual,notmonotonous,notde-skilled,notde-humanized,notbadlypaid;butflexible,creative,international,demanding,cross-cultural,well-paid,technologicallyadvanced,fun.Theidoloftodaysworkingworld;itisoneofthemaindriversofthebusinessofbusinesseducationAccenture,PricewaterhouseCoopers(PwC),CapGeminiErnstPleaseseenextslideforDisciplineandAajointconferencecallshouldbeorganisedforKCapturefromsmallprojectsTheKCapturereportisupdatedbythePKCandsenttoGMTKSAllidentifiedBestinClassdocumentsareabstracted(inEnglish)bytheprojectmembersandsubmittedtotheGMTKSwhoisforwardingrelevantdocumentstootherKnowledgeSpecialists(accordingtoKCapturereport)AllKSreviewthesubmitteddocumentsandupdatetheirKnowledgeDomainsaccordinglyTheKnowledgeCapturereportisfinalizedbyallinvolvedKS(underleadershipofGMTKS)andforwardedtothePKCaswellascopiedtothePMandallrelevantKnowledgeChampions,Principles,AtProjectStart,BeforeProjectEnd,FilteringrelevantdocumentsensureshigherqualitycontentintheKnowledgeBase,Relevantprojectdocumentsarecollectedthroughouttheproject,Allprojectmembers(underconsultationwithappropriateKSand/orKC)determinewhetherdocumentshouldbesubmittedoridentifyanynextsteps,No,No,IncludedocumentinBestinClassdocumentpackandsubmittoGMTKS,Yes,No,Yes,Yes,Allprojectmembers(undertheleadershipofPKC)reviewallrelevantdocuments,No,Yes,HowdowevaluetheimportanceofthedocfortheCA,CoE,GMT,PoAorDisc.?,Isdocumentanadditionorbuildtoanexistingdocumentortechnology?,Isdocumentanewapplicationofanexistingtoolortechnology?,Innovative,Key,Basic,ProjectMembersmustselecttheBestinClassprojectdocumentsandabstractthem.Onedayon-siteknowledgecapturesessiontogetherwithKnowledgeSpecialistsissuggestedforlargeprojects.,ThisisthedetailedworkplanforKnowledgeCapturing,0.Setup0.1Technicalinfrastructure-Getorganizedquickly!Chosetheeasiestwaytotransferfilestoyourmachine.Usedisksifnecessary.1.DataMining1.1DataTransfer-copyallfilesintodirectoryA,copythemone-by-onetodirectoryBandrenameaccordingtostandards1.2KeepTrackoffiles-useExcel-sheettoidentifyandcategorizeeveryfile.BeveryexactwiththisXLS-sheet!2.Structuring2.1Projectplan-havetheprojectleadorworkstreamleadsmakeadraftoruseapresentationonthisissue,definetopics-getthemtoidentifyimportantfilesandassignthemtotopics,markfileswithouttopicforlateruse2.2HMTL-structure-usetemplatesasmuchasyoucan,keeptostandards,involveleadswithdesign3.Prototyping3.1Graphics-convertppt-filestojpgs,mapthem,definetopicHTML-filenames-createthetopic-HTMLfiles3.2HTML-templates-addclientlogos,changecolors,butstickwiththestandards!4.Encoding4.1HTML-files-checkXLS-sheetforgaps,haveleadsfilltheminorsetmarks-usemail-mergefeaturefromWord,viewfileandsaveeachfilewithcorrectfilename(tedious,butcritical)5.Refining5.1AbstractsandKeywords-haveauthorswriteupsomekeywordswherenecessary,addpurposeinformationwhenapropriate5.2Test,test,testthestructure,linksandassets6.ProductionasInterConusesthetermtypicallyadetailedresponsetoaclientsRequestforProposalonagivenproject)Whatwefinds(commonissuesinagivenindustryorfunctionwithinanindustry)04TrainingModules:Training-focuseddocumentstoguideInterConandclientteammembersinapplyingmethodologyorinunderstandinganindustryincluding:Competencyoverview/trainingobjectivesDetailedmethodologyapproach;detailsimplementationstepsCriticalsuccessfactorsIssues/challenges,lessonslearnedTools/diagnosticsrequired,05KeyToolsitbecomesavaluablecorporateassetonlyifitisaccessible,anditsvalueincreaseswiththelevelofaccessibility”(ibid.:18)Expertsystems,artificialintelligence,desktopvideoconferencing,hypertextsystemssuchasintranetsandknowledgemaps.Thepurposeofharnessingknowledgeis,ofcourse,clear:toturnknowledgeintoavaluablecorporateasset,whichwillhelptoincreasethecompetitiveadvantageofcompanies.,KnowledgeandIntellectualCapital,“Theformationofthediscourseonintellectualcapitalispredicatedupontheassumptionthatthetraditionaldouble-entrybookkeepingsystemisnotabletoreflectemergingrealities.Itisaninadequatetoolformeasuringthevalueofcorporationswhosevalue,itisclaimed,liesmainlyintheirintangiblecomponents.”(YakhlefandSalzer-Mrling,2000:20)Today,itisarguedthatcompanyassetsnotonlyincludematerialartefacts,propertiesandfinancialassets,butalsoemployeesandorganisationalknowledges,whichexplicitlyresideinpeoplesheadsandaretacitlyembodied.Someknowledgemanagementwritershavethereforecalledforthedevelopmentofnewsystems,thatwouldenableamoreadequatevaluationofcompaniesassets,andprovidetoolsforexploitingexistingtacitandexplicitknowledgebasesmoreeffectively(see,forexample,Brooking,1996;EdvinssonandMalone,1998;Lynn,1998;NahaphietandGhoshal,1998;Roosetal.,1998;Stewart,1998;Zeleny,1989).,TacitKnowledge,Knowsomethingintheoryandpracticalcommonsense(Spender,1996).Inmanyworldlanguagesthisdistinctioncanbemademoreexplicit,e.g.wissenandkennen,savoirandconnatre.know-whatandknow-how.knowingaboutsomethingandknowingthroughdirectexperience(King,1964)orknowledgeaboutandknowledgeofacquaintance(James,1950).Whileexperienceisdirectlyrelatedtoknow-how,know-whatistheresultof“systematicthoughtthateliminatesthesubjectiveandcontextualcontingenciesofexperience”(Spender,1996:49).Blackler(1995):embrained,embodied,encultured,embeddedandencoded.Spender(1996):conscious(explicitindividualknowledge),objectified(explicitorganisationalknowledge),automatic(preconsciousindividualknowledge)andcollective(practical,context-dependentorganisationalknowledge).“Thequintessentialknowledge-creationprocesstakesplacewhentacitknowledgeisconvertedintoexplicitknowledge.Inotherwords,ourhunches,perceptions,mentalmodels,beliefs,andexperiencesareconvertedtosomethingthatcanbecommunicatedandtransmittedinformalandsystematiclanguage.”(NonakaandTakeuchi:1995:230-231,italicsadded),TheKnowledgeCommodity,“ThecommodityreflectsthesocialcharacteristicsofmensownlabourasobjectivecharacteristicsoftheproductsoflabourthemselvesItisnothingbutthedefinitesocialrelationbetweenmenthemselveswhichassumeshere,forthem,thefantasticformofarelationbetweenthings.”(Marx,1976:164-165),CommodityFetishism,“Themysteriouscharacterofthecommodity-formconsiststhereforesimplyinthefactthatthecommodityreflectsthesocialcharacteristicsofmensownlabourasobjectivecharacteristicsoftheproductsoflabourthemselves,asthesocio-naturalpropertiesofthesethings.Henceitalsoreflectsthesocialrelationoftheproducerstothesumtotaloflabourasasocialrelationbetweenobjects,arelationwhichexistsapartfromandoutsidetheproducers.Throughthissubstitution,theproductsoflabourbecomecommodities,sensuousthingswhichareatthesametimesupra-sensibleorsocial.Inthesameway,theimpressionmadebyathingontheopticnerveisperceivednotasasubjectiveexcitationofthatnervebutastheobjectiveformofathingoutsidetheeye.Intheactofseeing,ofcourse,lightisreallytransmittedfromonething,theexternalobject,toanotherthing,theeye.Itisaphysicalrelationbetweenphysicalthings.Asagainstthis,thecommodity-form,andthevalue-relationoftheproductsoflabourwithinwhichitappears,haveabsolutelynoconnectionwiththephysicalnatureofthecommodityandthematerialdinglichrelationsarisingoutofthis.Itisnothingbutthedefinitesocialrelationbetweenmenthemselveswhichassumeshere,forthem,thefantasticformofarelationbetweenthings.Inorder,therefore,tofindananalogywemusttakeflightintothemistyrealmofreligion.Theretheproductsofthehumanbrainappearasautonomousfiguresendowedwithalifeoftheirown,whichenterintorelationsbothwitheachotherandwiththehumanrace.Soitisintheworldofcommoditieswiththeproductsofmenshands.Icallthisthefetishismwhichattachesitselftotheproductsoflabourassoonastheyareproducedascommodities,andisthereforeinseparablefromtheproductionofcommodities.”(Marx,1976:165),KnowledgeManagementandManagementKnowledge,JacksonandCarterwrite:“Managementknowledgeconstitutesarelativelyhomogeneouscanonthatclaimstobeabletoimproveorganizationalefficiency(and,thereby,profit,thoughthelinkisrarelydemonstrable),inparticularthroughtheadoptionofspecifictechniquesfortheuseoflabour.Thegeneralobjectiveofthesetechniquesistoenableunitsoflabourtobemoreproductivethatis,toworkharder”(1998:151)ForJacksonandCarter,managementknowledgeisthus“anideologicallybasedcanon,biasedinfavourofanessentiallycapitalistinterest.Itfunctionsaspartofthetechno-mediatichegemonythatsustainsthisdominantdiscourse”(1998:152).,References,Swanetal.(1999)Knowledgemanagementandinnovation:networksandnetworking,JournalofKnowledgeManagement,3(4):262-275.Davenport,ThomasH.andLaurencePrusak(1998)WorkingKnowledge:HowOrganizationsManageWhatTheyKnow.Boston:HarvardBusinessSchoolPress.Yakhlef,AliandMiriamSalzer-Morling(2000)IntellectualCapital:ManagingbyNumbers,inCraigPrichard,RichardHull,MikeChumerandHughWillmott(eds.)ManagingKnowledge:CriticalInvestigationsofWorkandLearning.London:Macmi