ASSIGNMENT-2

Knowledge Management (MGT-403)

First Semester (2023-2024)

Course Learning Outcomes-Covered

Define the different Knowledge types and explain how they are addressed by knowledge management in different business environments.

Identify and analyse role of communities of practice in knowledge management and the challenges and issues pertaining to community of practice.

Demonstrate effective knowledge management skills to utilize knowledge management tools for the benefits of the organization.

The focus of the assignment is to evaluate the understanding level of students related to communities of Practice, learning organization, and various techniques used to capture tacit and explicit knowledge.

Assignment Questions

Q.1: Write a detailed note on the “Three forms of knowledge” Explained by K. Wiig in his knowledge management model. Briefly describe the four types of knowledge explained by K. Wiig. (2 Marks)

Q.2: Discuss in detail the following techniques of capturing tacit Knowledge? (3 Marks)

a. Learning History.

b. Storytelling.

c. Interviews.

Q. 3: Why are “Communities of practice” Important? How can organizations cultivate communities of practice? How can these communities of practice contribute towards the knowledge needs of the organization? (2.5 Marks)

Q. 4: Compare and contrast some different types of communities of practice. Describe how they would differ with respect to their goals. (2.5 Marks)

Knowledge Management (MGT-403)
First Semester (2023-2024)
Q1: Write a detailed note on the “Three forms of knowledge” Explained by K. Wiig in his knowledge management model. Briefly describe the four types of knowledge explained by K. Wiig.
The three forms of knowledge explained by K. Wiig in his knowledge management model are:
Experiential knowledge – This is knowledge gained from experiences and actions. It is tacit in nature and resides within individuals.
Declarative knowledge – This refers to facts, rules, and principles that can be easily articulated and communicated. It is explicit knowledge.
Procedural knowledge – This is knowledge about how to do things. It encompasses knowledge of methods, practices and procedures for accomplishing tasks. It has both tacit and explicit elements.
The four types of knowledge according to K. Wiig are individual knowledge, social knowledge, organized knowledge and public knowledge.
Q2: Discuss in detail the following techniques of capturing tacit Knowledge?
a) Learning history is a technique used to capture tacit knowledge by documenting lessons learned from past projects, initiatives, successes and failures. It involves interviewing employees to understand their perspectives and insights.
b) Storytelling allows employees to share personal anecdotes and experiences with others. Capturing stories helps transfer tacit knowledge embedded in the stories.
c) Interviews are conducted with subject matter experts to extract their tacit knowledge. Open-ended conversations are used to understand the expert’s perspective and implicit knowledge.
Q3: Why are “Communities of practice” Important? How can organizations cultivate communities of practice? How can these communities of practice contribute towards the knowledge needs of the organization?
Communities of practice are important as they allow groups of people with common interests or professions to share information and knowledge. They facilitate social learning and knowledge exchange. Organizations can cultivate communities of practice by identifying potential communities, providing resources and incentives for participation, and designating community leaders. Communities of practice contribute towards the knowledge needs of the organization by sharing best practices, solving problems collaboratively, and developing human and social capital.
Q4: Compare and contrast some different types of communities of practice. Describe how they would differ with respect to their goals.
Some different types of communities of practice include:
Domain communities focused on a specific knowledge domain like marketing, IT etc.
Enterprise-wide communities with a broad membership across the organization.
Project-based communities temporary in nature focused on a specific project.
Virtual communities using online collaboration platforms.
They would differ in their goals – domain communities aim to advance members’ expertise in their domain while enterprise communities focus on knowledge sharing across silos. Project communities are task-oriented to complete projects while virtual communities leverage technology for knowledge exchange.