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... re the impacts of knowledge as a national asset. We are still using traditional methods to value national performance or ranking nations in relation to other nations. We use gross domestic product (GDP) -valuing land, labor, and capital production. Knowledge, on the other hand, does not fit into traditional methods of measurement. Some have attempted to measure things like patents or trademarks that are intangible in nature.
However, these intangibles are measured at what it costs to register the trademark or patent-not by how the patent or trademark has benefited or will benefit the organization. In economic terms, knowledge as an asset follows the law of increasing returns. This means that with each additional unit of knowledge we use, the more it proliferates. In contrast, traditional forms of assets follow the law of diminishing returns. Which means that for each additional unit of asset used, the less it benefits the whole.
This sort of confirms that todays measurement systems are limited in their ability to account for knowledge embedded in human resources. It is difficult for organizational leaders to understand how an intangible asset such as knowledge can add value to an organization-unless they know what theyre trying to do with it. Recent history has shown that huge investments in human capital and information technology are key tools of value creation that often does not show up on a balance sheet as positive values themselves. Therefore, it is safe to conclude that quantitative measurements of knowledge as an element of national power is not likely in the near term.
Political/Diplomatic/Social People who see knowledge management primarily from a purely economic point of view may miss how knowledge management can create all sorts of political, diplomatic, and social issues. As an example, given the new-networked economy, we should see increasing numbers of people who consider themselves free agents and knowledge intrapreneur's (people who promote themselves). As new workers empower themselves by appropriating networked technologies, they assume self control and self-leadership for their own development regardless of their affiliation with the so called concept of the organization or nation. They will become denizens of a global electronic village-creating potentially catastrophic national security concerns. Anyone with access to shared knowledge has the potential to effect national and international interests almost anonymously. The future will be shaped by the actions and interactions of countries and people all over the world.
This will undoubtedly change the political, diplomatic, and social underpinnings of nation states. Informational Imagine information being all around us sort of like sound (for those that can hear). Our inability to make sense of sounds makes these sounds appear to be noise. Our ability to interpret sounds around us gives meaning or understanding to those sounds-music, words, signals, etc. Therefore, giving sounds meaning transforms sounds from noise into other identifiable forms (knowledge) and allows people to make decisions based on that understanding. Paraphrasing the late Congressman Thomas P. (Tip) ONeill, the rapid spread of information has made local politics, global.
This has enormous implications for the way nation-states view knowledge in the future and how they translate these new views into national policy. Military Knowledge management focuses on doing the right thing instead of doing things right. Therefore, major new initiatives will call for the reengineering and modernization of current military and intelligence processes into networked enterprises that effectively manage knowledge and organized doctrine and strategy around information-based operations. Data capturing and warehousing, decision-aiding tools, developing measures of knowledge management performance, and leveraging commercial knowledge management technologies are just some of the many challenges for future military operations. Overcoming these challenges are necessary because of the current asymmetric military environment. What worked yesterday may not work tomorrow.
Knowledge management in a military context implies ongoing change and renewal to anticipate future opportunities and threats. Knowledge management in the military will require creativity and inquiry-driven learning-sometimes difficult in the traditional command and control environment. Innovation Knowledge management is also about cultivating innovation. Innovations requiring very different technological capabilities are considered radical. Innovations that build on well-practiced technological capabilities are considered incremental. Research has found that firms or organizations failed when new technologies destroyed (radically changed) the value of competencies (knowledge) previously cultivated.
Firms or organizations succeeded when new technologies enhanced (incrementally improved) competencies previously cultivated. This is true in many industries but especially true in the manufacturing industry. Paraphrasing a thought from Clayton Christiansen, coping with the relentless onslaught of technological change was like trying to climb a mudslide raging down hill. You have to scramble with everything youve got just to stay on top of it, and as soon as you stop to catch your breath, you get buried.
How this relates to knowledge management is change, whether radical or incremental, requires the ability of humans to adapt. I believe complicated solutions are established in environments where people dont know what they need to know-trying a little of everything until they stumble onto something relevant and useful. Summary Ive only scratched the surface discussing an enormously fascinating topic still in its infancy-knowledge management. The focus of knowledge management, I believe, is really what people do with information once they understand it. Depending on ones perspective, knowledge, data, and information can have similar or uniquely different meanings-ultimately leading to decisions. The quality of decisions made at all levels is directly related to ones understanding of organizational intent.
Unfortunately knowledge is not easily measured economically, a majority of organizational cultures do not foster innovation, and managers are not accustomed to managing an infinite resource-knowledge. Skill sets used to manage change should be useful when managing knowledge and technology will continue to expand the speed in which information is available to people at every level [in an organization]. Understanding information and turning that understanding into some sort of action should remain the ultimate goal of knowledge management. Those able to influence what is done with knowledge in an organization will be better positioned to develop future required operating capabilities. Because in the final analysis, its not what you know, its what you get done that really counts.
Free research essays on topics related to: knowledge management, sounds, traditional methods, nation states, technologies
Research essay sample on Knowledge Management Traditional Methods
