Reference no: EM132804102
From the article below, what might be the problems and challenges of cultural change?
- The author of this article will make framework model for dynamic process of organizational learning change furthering effective KM. What components are considered important? Try to explain why it is important!
MODEL OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT CULTURE CHANGE
Obtaining desired results in an organization requires effective knowledge management (KM) of employees. KM can be defined as a systematically and organizationally specified process of sharing, transferring, creating, using, and saving the knowledge of employees to enhance organizational performance [1-3]. KM is aimed at providing the right knowledge to the right people at the right time in order to improve organizational performance [4]. KM should allow for creating organizational knowledge. It is new knowledge created by groups of employees from different subunits of the organization [5]. It is necessary to take into account the possibility that competition among employees may interfere with the creation and sharing of organizational knowledge. Two types of employee knowledge are defined: explicit and tacit [6,7]. Explicit knowledge can be found in documents [8]. Tacit knowledge is experience-based knowledge embodied in people [9]. The most valuable knowledge is tacit knowledge [1,5]. This type of knowl-edge promotes organizational innovations and sustains competitive advantage [8,10]. However, management of tacit knowledge is extremely problematic. A favorable organizational environment is needed for realization of effective
KM. Such environment can be created by changing organizational culture, which determines the new way of thinking and acting of employees [11]. Organizational culture change is accomplished when the new results that have to be achieved by an organization are stated, actions of the employees providing attainment of the results are determined, the new organizational values guiding actions of employees are identified, and the experiences which inspire the new organizational values are formed [11]. Since tacit knowledge including mental models, expertise, cultural beliefs, and values [8] is inseparable from organizational culture, KM culture that induces employees' willingness to create, transfer, share, and use knowledge can promote the handling of tacit knowledge [12- 14]. Thereby, desired results in an organization can be attained through a corresponding change of KM culture. The proper tools are needed to conduct KM culture change. A model shaping the process of KM culture change could serve as one of the tools. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to develop the model for organizational culture change that would ensure effective KM of employees. Therefore, there is a need for development of the productive tools promoting effective KM culture change. The primary tool is a model for KM culture change.
Knowledge Management Culture Change
Knowledge management of employees is a constructive way to improve organizational performance. The review of research allows for conclusion that desired organizational results can be attained through KM culture change which should satisfy certain requirements. The requirements are: building a constructive confrontation environment promoting KM culture change; stimulation and facilitation of performance of KM procedures by employees; attainment of balance between competition and collaboration of employees; formation of collaborative groups through all levels of organizational structure; exchange of information among employees regarding their interests and preferences; revelation of tacit knowledge of employees; mutual evaluation of knowledge creation and sharing by employees; prior familiarity of the employees with the conditions of reward; rewarding of all the employees participating in the creation and assessment of peers' proposals directed towards attaining the desired organizational result according to their roles in this process; determination of the knowledge-based directions for improving organizational performance. Therefore, the top priority problem is developing the KM culture change model while observing these requirements.
3.1. The Model of KM Culture Change
The purpose of developing the dynamic model is to create a framework for dynamic process of organizational culture change furthering effective KM. Development of the model includes elaboration and integration of inter- connected model components. Dynamics of the model are provided by the change of its parameters and they ex- press the dynamic process of KM culture change. The model involves the following components: Result, Confront, Assess, and Reward.
The "Result" Component
The objective of the "Result" component is to determine and declare the possible directions and conditions to attain a desired organizational result. The "Result" is a central component integrating other components of the model, and serves as the starting point for KM culture change. The procedures for the "Result" component realized by management are:
- Establishing an organizational result to be attained by an organization. Attaining the result requires effective KM of employees.
- Determining the directions to attain the desired organizational result and declaring them. Developing the formative conditions of rewards, aimed at inducing employees to create and share knowledge to attain the desired result.
- Providing employee awareness of the principles of rewarding.
The "Confront" Component
The objective of the "Confront" component is to engender a constructive confrontation in an organization during KM culture change. The procedures of the "Confront" component are:
- Informing the employees about the need for submitting their proposals representing the different approaches to attain the desired organizational result.
- Engendering constructive confrontation between an employee and the managers guiding the KM culture change. Such confrontation is engendered by managers offering to prepare proposals in order to attain the desired organizational result. The confrontation in- duces the employees to prepare their proposals.
- Manifestation of the employee proposals in the organization. Familiarization of the employees with peer proposals.
- Engendering of constructive peer confrontation caused by familiarization with the presented proposals. The confrontation is engendered by the difference between the states of adopting the new KM cultural values by the employees. The confrontation also induces employees to critically evaluate peer proposals and choose the peers suitable for collaboration.
- Engendering of self-constructive confrontation. Such confrontation is engendered as a result of an employee's self-evaluation of his or her ability to pre-pare proposals to attain the desired organizational result. Self-constructive confrontation induces and drives passive employees to prepare personal proposals.
The "Assess" Component
The objective of the "Assess" component is assessment of employee proposals by managers and peers. The procedures of the "Assess" component are:
- Establishing the range of assessment in the employee proposals.
- Assessment of employee proposals by managers and peers.
- An employee's assessment of his wish to collaborate upon realizing the proposals, which according to his opinion are his perspective and correspond to his professional abilities.
- Ranking the proposals on the basis of their weights. The weight of the proposal takes into account assessments by managers and peers, and the willingness to collaborate.
The "Reward" Component
The objective of the "Reward component is to reward employees according to their assessment rank. The procedures of the "Reward" component are:
- Determining a reward for the proposal according to its weight: the proposal with higher weight gets higher reward.
- Assigning a reward to the author of a proposal and employees participating in its assessment. The major portion of the determined reward is assigned to the proposal author.
- Distributing rewards among the employees participating in the assessment of the proposal by taking into account their roles in assessment (an employee assesses the proposal, an employee wishes to collaborate in the development and realization of the proposal). The employee who participates only in assessing the proposal should receive a smaller reward.
- Calculating integral personal reward of an employee by summing his rewards as an author of a proposal, as a participant in assessment of peer proposals, and as a potential collaborator in the development and realization of peer proposals