Organizational Knowledge and Work Practices

Organizational Knowledge Practices 1

Organizational Knowledge and Work Practices

Introduction

Organizational knowledge practices can be defined as the key business practices of a firm that are used by it to impart or increase knowledge base of staff for accomplishment of its long-term goals and objectives.Main purpose of this report is to focus on relationship between knowledge management with workplace practices of the organizations.Key terms that are going to be used in this report are knowledge sharing, knowledge management, communication, sense-making, knowledge transfer and sharing, and organizational learning and practices. It addition to this, it focuses on challenges and issues that are faced by organizations, while implementing theseinitiatives and provides wayof mitigating them (Liao Wu, 2010).Secondary research methodologyis used in order to complete thisreport.

Literature Review

Impact of Organizational Knowledge on Employee Skills and Work Practices

Shanab et al, (2014) state that knowledge sharing is an important aspect for knowledge management in the organization. It is the process of exchanging knowledge or information between individuals and groups within the organization. It is key step of the organizational knowledge process that helpsemployees to collaborate with each others to solve organizational problems. In support of this, Lucas, (2010) provides that knowledge sharing created competitive advantage for organization in the marketplace. All individual experiences and knowledge can be treated as organizational asset with the help of whichbusiness performance is improved and maintained through collaborative learning.

Teamwork: Lucas, (2010) statesthat team work practices in the organization are also a result of organizational knowledge practices.Each team member comes with his/her own expertise and skillsand utilizes these in collaborative problem solving. Key activities of collaborative problem solving, the knowledge transfer, the knowledge sharingcontributes to team work skills among individuals, which is effective to improve their work practices. In oppose of this Turner (2010) views that effectiveness is always confused with efficiency and this is mostly reflected in strategic objectives. As mostly organization done to achieve goals they become more efficient, but effectiveness doesn’t always improve. It is difficult to maintain efficiency and effectiveness at same time.

Communication:According to Lucas, (2010), communication can be seen as a key point in terms of institutional functionality. It can be defined as the key to change and development. It is necessary to adopt proper structures in the organization, while sharing knowledge. In oppose of this Sahin, et.al, (2014) define that quality of communication and its effectiveness can be improved by adopting upward communication positively and timely that support the institutional policies, updates institutional management and it’s directly in line with the persons.

Organizational Culture: Lucas, (2010) states thatinfluence of organizational knowledge can also be seen on workplace culture of the organization. Through effective organizational knowledge initiatives, company gets benefited in the form of creation of a productive work culture at workplace. In support of this, Turner Minonne (2010) comment thatculture integration allows knowledge management to become an integral part of organization culture. It encourages organization knowledge exchange with the high value esteem and it can be conveyed systematically.

Information technology: Shanab, et al, (2014) comments that organizationsfocus on improving interaction with employees through improved IT practices at workplace. For ImprovingIT practices,organizationsshare knowledge at the workplace. Developments in knowledge management should focus on providing electronic databases, software and network systems to encourage the distribution of knowledge. Knowledge management and knowledge sharing tools like search engines, internet, intranets and peer to peer knowledge help learners to learn anywhere and anytime in the organization to create learning environment.

Reward System:Almahamid, et al,(2010) exhibits that reward system of the organization has a close system with organizational knowledge practices of the company. Organizations modify their reward systems as per need for success of KM at workplace. In contrast to this, Salojärvi, et al, (2010) explain that reward systems increase motivation level of employees and this way increases efficiency of work and the production. Organizations link specific rewards to the successful learning of employees at workplace for increasing employee knowledge and consequently the work practices.

Issues Related to Organizational Knowledge Practices

In the views of AlmeidaSoares (2014), major issues related to organizational knowledge are communication related issues, language differences, culture issues etc. Due to communication related issues, employees find it difficult to understand organization knowledge at workplace. Organizations recruit employees from different regions and countries that create problems of cultural differences and linguistic problems atworkplace. In contrast to thisIpsen Jensen (2012) provide that issues related to language, culture and communication in organizations affects both the performance and organization knowledge negatively. For dealing with these issues, companies should develop and implement a standard workplace culture. At the same time, communication related issues can be solved through adopting English as a common language.

At the same time,Rosário, et al, (2015)exhibit thatsocialization related issues are another problem that organizations face in the implementation of organizational knowledge.Business firms try to build knowledge of new recruits through formal socialization, viz. formal orientation classes etc. These are effective to provide knowledge related to formal rules, code of conduct of the organizations etc.Gong Zhang (2014) comment that informal socialization also needs to be implemented in the organizations for the success of organizational knowledge practices to improve work practices.It is a more practical way of imparting knowledge base of new employees through group coordination, interaction and working with old employees.Formal socialization is not sufficient for success of organizational knowledge practices.

According to Salojärvi, et al, (2010), organization also faces issues related to nature of knowledge. This issue takes place as a result of ignorance of nature of knowledge in deciding way of knowledge imparting activities.In actual life, explicit knowledge can be imparted among new comers effectively through formal socialization activities like formal orientation classes, training manuals, rules, procedures etc. Tacit knowledge cannot be easily articulated through these techniques.In contrast to this, Kathiravelu, et al, (2014) statetacit knowledge stands for complex knowledge components and many practical aspects of work, which can be learned only through work experience.For implementation of tacit knowledge, business undertakings need to focus on distribution and amplification of practical knowledge through group interaction and informal socialization practices.

Apart from these, Babnik, et al, (2014) find that there are some other issues like the coordination and process alignmentproblems.Due to issues of coordination, organizations find it difficult to implement organizational knowledge practices effectively. Employee participation and coordination are necessary for the success of organizational knowledge practices. The issues of process alignment are directly related to the lack of alignment between organizational knowledge process and resources availability.These problems may also result into failure of key knowledge practices of the organizations. On the other hand,Zheng, et al, (2010)highlight that issues related to trust and motivation among employees also take place at time oforganizational knowledge practices in business firms.Due to lack of awareness about benefits of organizational knowledge, employees find it difficult to support organizational knowledge practices. Organizations can deals with this situation effectively by providing appropriate training, effective communication practices for same at the workplace.

In the views of Cheng Fu (2013), organizations also face issues related to budgets or funds in the implementation of organizational knowledge practices. Due to limited funds, organizations find it difficult to successfully implement the knowledge practices being planned. In contrast to this, Cvitanovic, et al, (2015) comment that it is important for business firms to do planning of every aspects of business in order to ensure success of knowledge practices in the work practices. Effective planning budget related activities will help to ensure success of business in terms of success of organizational knowledge for improving work practices.

Ways to Improve Work Practices through Organizational Knowledge

In the views of Yang, et al, (2014), one of the most important ways to improve organizational knowledge practices is to align knowledge processes to core competencies of the firm.It will help the organization to identify current knowledge base of the business and in identifying actual need for knowledge development activities at workplace. It will also facilitate leveraging knowledge built activities across organization through building right know-how and expertise to match strategic requirements of business. In support of this, Maruta (2014) states thatprocess alignment is quite important for success of a business undertaking as it allows the process of organizational knowledge to match with key requirement of the business.At the same time, it allows isolating and removing or changing obsolete knowledge within the business.

According toWiewiora, et al, (2013), Choo & Weick model is helpful to identify ways of implementing organizational knowledge effectively.It provides that sense-making plays an important toolfor success of organizational knowledge. It can be defined as a process of giving meaning to individual’s learning or experience. In support to this,Şendoğdu, et al, (2013) exhibit that sense-making is important for learning of individual and organizational knowledge. In the absence of it, investment over knowledge practices may become worthless for the firm.

In the views of Shao, et al, (2012), key components of organizational knowledge are the individual knowledge and the corporate knowledge, the strengthening of which can improve organizational knowledge.If individual knowledge practices of the organization are improved significantly; these contribute to creation of organizational knowledge. On the other hand, Cheng Fu (2013) suggest that Choo’s KM model contributes in the success of organizational knowledge for improving work practices. This model provides thatgoal-directed behavior of organizational staff and shared decision making are effective for sense making, which in turn affects positive knowledge creation in the organization.

Şendoğdu, et al, (2013) state thatorganizations can also improve their work practices by focusing on training of employees in the field of organizational knowledge practices.It will help to develop trust and motivation among themfor implementation of KM. In contrast to this, Liao Wu (2010) provide that employees training programs are effective for KM, but at the same time, there is need for an effective implementation strategy. Through development and implementation of this strategy, organizationswould be able to take appropriate action steps for success of organizational KM for improving work practices.

According to Wiewiora, et al, (2013),only way to improve work practice is the development of team work and a learning work-culture in the organization. Through this way, employees get interested in organizational knowledge and learning that are contributors of effective workplace culture in an organization. On the other Duffield Whitty (2015) exhibit thatsenior management’s commitment and leadership arethe key requirementsfor success of organizational knowledge to ensure that there is an improving in the work practices towards the accomplishment of organizational goals.

As per the guidelines of Ale, et al, (2014), a systematic process needs to be implemented by the organizations in order to ensure success of knowledge practices. Key steps in a systematic knowledge process are knowledge generation, knowledge adoption, knowledge dissemination, and knowledge utilization. If this process is implemented effectively, it will work positively for betterment of both the employees and performance of organization.On the other hand, Shao, et al, (2012) exhibits thatit is not sufficient to have a systematized process of KM for success of organizational knowledge, but there must be the active involvement of staff of the organization at workplace for success of KM.

Similarly, Kasper, et al, (2013) suggest that work practices of organizations can also be improved by focusing on current and future knowledge needs of business. Going this way will support the strategic vision of business firms through the implementation of right knowledge practices at work.In support of this,Wang Hsiao (2014)state that once the organizational knowledge practices are developed, these must be linked directly with career opportunities for employees.It will motivate them to take active part in knowledge practices of the organization with greater satisfaction.

Conclusion

From above discussion, it can be concluded that organizational knowledge takes place in the form of activities of knowledge, transfer, knowledge sharing; organizational learning.Success of organizational knowledge practices can be attained through employee training programs, team work, and the active participation of employees in organizational KM practices.

References

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