Values of business schools

1. The Added Value of Knowledge ManagementAlec VuijlstekeEBSLG Continental MeetingLjubljana 25 March 2004

2. Values of business schools • Professionalism • Synthesis of theory and practice • International perspective • Entrepreneurship These values are supported by effective KM

3. Definition of KM • My definition of KM • Every process or practice of knowledge creation, acquisition, use and share • With the goal to improve performance and learning in an organisation

4. KM at VLGMS • Tasks of the Librarian • Academic Library • Research support • Working papers & publications • Research intranet ... • Knowledge management • Closely related to research support • Limited to explicit knowledge, not tacit knowledge

5. Research Database Online version for users Ms Access database for input

6. Research Database • Retroactive tool • For who is who • For Academica vitae • To trace who is working on what • To extract research data for eg. accreditations Principle: create once, use many times

7. Create once, use many times

8. Research evaluation tool What research is planned?

9. Research evaluation tool What research is effective = has been realised?

10. Scope of KM activities • Management of information in the School is OK, Knowledge Management is not OK • Need for more KM-initiatives: • Supported by information management • Responding to the needs of the organisation • Taking into account the specificities of an academic institution!

11. Scope of KM activities • Why have more KM initiatives? • Clear needs • To share (more) knowledge • Of incentives for employees to share knowledge • Of more structured knowledge sharing instead of “ad hoc” and “acidentally” • To prevent loss of knowledge when an employee leaves te organisation • The Librarian could supply added value by undertaking such initiatives

12. KM in academic environments • A lot of literature exists on KM • Mostly in (multinational) company settings <-> academic educational institutions have a specific situation • Specific situation in comparison with companies: • Less corporate culture of teamwork and mutual trust that facilitate KM • Intellectual autonomy and academic freedom

13. KM in academic environments • “Sub-cultures” with own vocabulary • Scepticism about each other’s methods and research • Knowledge management is often not optimal • Often loss of knowledge • Duplication of knowledge • Well managed knowledge is not always considered as a competitive advantage • Fear of central manipulation of data

14. KM in academic environments • Knowledge is nonetheless THE business of academic institutions, in 3 domains: • Education and Learning • Research and Training in Research • “New” activities • technology transfer • consulting • partnerships with companies • spin-off entrepreneurship • lifelong learning and “work-based learning”

15. KM in academic environments • 3 forces influence these 3 domains • Teaching and Learning • Research • New activities Increasing market competition Virtualisation through ICT Internationalisation

16. KM in academic environments • “ICT virtual world” facilitates KM initiatives • Electronic learning environment with online learning material “today’s students log on rather than read the book on the train” • Course websites and discussion fora complement traditional teaching methodes

17. KM in academic environments • ICT makes more and more information sources on an equal basis available to researchers as well as students • ICT supports virtual research teams • Academic institutions want to inform customers and stakeholders about research via ICT • E-newsletters • Knowledge portals = platforms that offer all sorts of digital research objects

18. Example INSEAD Knowledge portal

19. Example Knowledge@Wharton

20. Role of the Librarian? • Broaden traditional information management with KM initiatives • A lot of institutions do not see how the Librarian can be linked to KM! • But the Librarian has certain advantages: • “unsuspected party” • Feeling with different disciplines and cultures • Can promote the knowledge culture across the different research centres • Can offer KM-tools to the whole community

21. Role of the Librarian? • Conditions for successful action • Strong consciousness of the social and culture factors that influence knowledge sharing • Attitudes more important than tools • Support of the management board • Tackling of politicking • Good co-operation with other parties: HR department, researchers, IT department,…

22. Role of the Librarian? • Develop the communication and motivation skills to make clear the new role of the Librarian:Someone who encourages people to share (tacit and explicit) knowledge and to learn from each other across borders

23. Role of the Librarian? • Approach • Raising consciousness • Needs analysis + which knowledge networks do already exist? • Processes that generate a lot of frustration are opportunities for KM initiatives • Go where the energy is: take KM initiatives towards groups that have to share knowledge

24. The future? • For typical information management tasks the Librarian will have an increasingly “back office” function • For new KM activities: a “front office” function is possible?

25. The future

26. The future Is this book available in my library? • Amazon becomes starting point for book searches?

27. The future? The librarian/knowledge manager: • KM developer • In co-operation with researchers and student administration manage digital ‘objects’ (Knowledge portals) • KM integrator • Integrates knowledge in education and research • Acts as “knowledge broker” between persons and information sources

28. KM educator • Trains employees in information skills & how knowledge can be organised, stored and shared • KM researcher • Uses information science and technology for new possibilities in KM

29. Thank you for your attentionVlerick Leuven Gent Management School - LibraryReep 1 - B-9000 Gentlibrary@vlerick.be