Module Identifier DS34820  
Module Title KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT  
Academic Year 2007/2008  
Co-ordinator Professor David Ellis  
Semester Available all semesters  
Other staff Dr Judith E Preston, Dr Christine J Urquhart, Mr Hugh J Preston, Ms Jaqueline A Spence  
Mutually Exclusive IL32820  
Assessment
Assessment TypeAssessment Length/DetailsProportion
Semester Assessment Rich Picture  25%
Semester Assessment Case Study Report of circa 2000 words The report will be evaluated in terms of its insights into the issues raised by the case and the ability to analsye and synthesise these in relation to the relevant literature.  75%
Supplementary Assessment Resubmission of failed coursework  100%

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Interpret and analyse complex organisational information and knowledge management problems in a graphical form

Distinguish between the perceptions and roles of different actors in the knowledge management process in a graphical form

Identify the principal issues of knowledge management in organisations

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of effective knowledge management within organisations

Recognise the main issues of information and knowledge management within an organisation

Evaluate a strategy for the implementation of an information and knowledge management programme within an organisation

Describe an ongoing information and knowledge management programme within an organisation

Evaluate the effectiveness of an information and knowledge management programme within an organisation

Brief description

The module will explore the key concepts and techniques of knowledge management. Knowledge management is concerned with the effective management of an organization's intellectual capital. The module will examine the relationship between information and knowledge management and information strategy and knowledge management. The module will focus on the role of knowledge and information in decision making and on their contribution to strategic and management information systems. The relationship between knowledge and information and, organizational culture and politics will be studied. Knowledge and information management techniques including knowledge and information audits and communication mapping will be analysed as well as the role of gatekeepers and intranets in the knowledge management process. Case studies of knowledge and information management practices in the private and public sectors will be used to highlight the role of knowledge management in practice.

Content

Introduction to information management; and to information management in the private sector. Introduction to knowledge management information and knowledge management in the private sector. Strategic information and management. Information systems and knowledge management. Knowledge management and information strategy. Information and knowledge management in the public sector. Knowledge management, information and decision making. Motivating collaboration to generate knowledge capital in online communities. Networked information systems. Communities and virtual communities. Problems in the measurement of intellectual assets. De-constructing knowledge management.

Module Skills

Problem solving Individual problem solving from examples in the module units and case study materials provided in the module.  
Research skills Analysing the results of the perspectives of the different groups from examples in the module units and case study materials provided in the module.  
Communication Presentation of the different perspectives by written formal report. Online communication.  
Improving own Learning and Performance Developed through progressive nature of difficulty of the examples in the module units and case study materials provided in te module.  
Team work N/A  
Information Technology Module requires application of IT skills in communication and presentation.  
Personal Development and Career planning Knowledge management is a developing professional and academic specialism relating closely to the disciplines of information management and human resource management, from which it draws some of its foundation as well as introducing concepts and techniques of its own. The demand for students with appropriate expertise in the fields of knowledge and information management is buoyant and expanding. The module is directly relevant to the career and aspitations of students on information and information management courses and is highly topical for students on courses in the broader management environment.  
Subject Specific Skills The module introduces the core concepts, theories and models of knowledge management.  

Reading Lists

Books
** General Text
Choo, Chun Wei. (1998.) The knowing organization : how organizations use information to construct meaning, create knowledge, and make decisions /Chun Wei Choo. Oxford University Press 0195110129
Choo, Chun Wei. (1998.) The knowing organization :how organizations use information to construct meaning, create knowledge, and make decisions /Chun Wei Choo. Oxford University Press 0195110110
Davenport, Thomas H. (1997.) Information ecology : mastering the information and knowledge environment /Thomas H. Davenport with Laurence Prusak. Oxford University Press 0195111680
Davenport, Thomas H. (1997.) Information ecology :mastering the information and knowledge environment /Thomas H. Davenport with Laurence Prusak. Oxford University Press 0195111680
Davenport, Thomas H. (c1998.) Working knowledge :how organizations manage what they know /Thomas H. Davenport, Laurence Prusak. Harvard Business School Press 0875846556
Debowski, Shelda. (c2006.) Knowledge management /Shelda Debowski. Wiley 0470805382
Harryson, Sigvald. (2000.) Managing know-who based companies :a multinetworked approach to knowledge and innovation management /Sigvald J. Harryson. Edward Elgar 1840643145
Nonaka, Ikujir o (1995.) The knowledge-creating company /Ikujiro Nonaka and Hirotaka Takeuchi. Oxford University Press 0195092694
Nonaka, Ikujir o (1995.) The knowledge-creating company :how Japanese companies create the dynamics of innovation /Ikujiro Nonaka and Hirotaka Takeuchi. Oxford University Press 0195092694
([1998].) Harvard Business Review on knowledge management. Harvard Business School Press 0875848818
** Recommended Text
Abell, Angela. (2001.) Competing with knowledge :the information professional in the knowledge management age /Angela Abell and Nigel Oxbrow. Library Association 1856043398
Baumard, Philippe. (1999.) Tacit knowledge in organizations /Philippe Baumard ; translated by Samantha Wauchope. SAGE 076195337XPBK
Baumard, Philippe. (1999 (various p) Tacit knowledge in organizations /Philippe Baumard ; translated by Samantha Wauchope. SAGE 0761953361
Y. Malhotra ( Ed) (2000) Knowledge Management and virtual organizations Hershey PA. Idea Group Publishing

Journals
D.Ellis, R.Oldrige and A. Vasconcelos (2003) Annual Review of Information Science and Technology , volume 38 Community and virtual community pages 145-186. Medford New Jersey: Information Today Inc
Vasconcelos, A., Ellis, D., Pieters, L., and Chavda, A. (2001) Proceedings of the 2nd European Conference on Knowledge Management Problems in the measurement of intellectual assets Pages 705 -720. IEDC, Bled School of Management

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 6