Is knowledge management a key factor in performance and sustainability in the management of organizations in the modern times global competitive market place? What are the issues of this concept and what does it provide organizations? How do managers perceive knowledge management? The objectives of the research are: First, to examine how the managers and contractors define and consider knowledge management within their everyday tasks and how they realize the need of KM in nowadays industry. Second, to evaluate how the managers assess the effectiveness of knowledge management project for the sustainability of the organization, and how it helps in the achievement of their goals. Third, to discuss the contrast between literature theory and nowadays experience and perception of managers. Fourth, to appraise how the small and medium size firms have access and use knowledge management. And fifth, to examine how the degree in business in general have to integrate knowledge management in the programs to meet requirements.
[...] The mains areas and questions which will be covered during the focus group will be as following: - First collecting the identities, socio demographic data of the participants individually (should be asked before the access to the interface) - A discussion on the definition of knowledge management - Have they been trained to KM in the firm or during their studies and do they think it is needed to be taught in every business degree program - How do they perceive the benefits and value of KM at the level of the entire organization and at their personal level - Concerning the small and medium size organization which are represented, how are they dealing with KM, do they have the need and financial means to apply this concept - What do they think are the tools used for KM, discussion on IT tools and other tools - As managers, the play a role of link in the organizations, how do they link KM with their sales forces for e.g., did they explain it to them, and if so what were the impacts - And to finish a discussion about the best practice knowledge management The research takes place in the Scottish business environment and will be organized in Aberdeen by the Robert Gordon University in the context of the research pole, in partnership with an online focus organization. [...]
[...] The interest for business organizations is using both the business knowledge (practical/useful) owned by the organization, and the personal knowledge of their employees (Gao, Li and Clarke 2008). According to Spender (2006) surveys showed that the principal reasons behind KM activities are to gain competitive advantage, increase marketing effectiveness, develop a customer focus, and improve product development with the help of I.T. (intranets, data warehouses, decision-support systems, and collaborative work systems). Practically KM consists in: - Collect the knowledge of the organization's employees by interviews, and gather this knowledge in databases - Formalize and exchange specific organization knowledge which are often non-formalized like know-how knowledge resulting of experience - Provide useful information at the right time - Capitalize the information in an organized way in order to perpetuate it. [...]
[...] Referencing five journal articles on the topic Bailey, C., Clarke, M How do managers use knowledge about knowledge management. Journal of knowledge management. [Online] pp.3-17. Available from : http:// www.emeraldinsight.com [Accessed 7 January 2009] Spender, J.C Getting value from knowledge Management. The [...]
[...] To appraise how the small and medium size firms have access and use knowledge management To examine how the degree in business in general have to integrate KM in the programs to meet the requirements (in terms in awareness and knowledge for future professionals who are going to face that issue in contemporary business) Methodology Details of the method to collect the primary research The method selected to collect the primary needed for this research is Focus group which appear to be the most suitable according to our research objectives. [...]
[...] Furthermore, a high quantity of quantitative research has already been made according to the literature, whereas the purpose is to know, at this day if the perceptions and consideration of KM evolved. One more element is the cost of primary research. For this type of research which an high quantity of information about perception, online focus group is the most suitable. Indeed, it is cheaper than non virtual focus group, than interviews, and than quantitative research. The online focus group will be organized by an intermediary firm specialized in the area using software to connect the participants on internet with an special access with: an interface for the sponsor who will assess in live the progress of the study, another interface for the presenter which can see, and re-orientate the topic if really needed, and finally an interface for the managers which constitutes the sample. [...]
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