 KNOWLEDGE
MANAGEMENT PAYOFF |
| Sociotechnical
perspective on knowledge management |
This sociotechnical perspective shows that
in order for organisations to manage and share their knowledge
effectively they must first consider, and then organise for,
the following:
- Aligning the organisational culture for
easy sharing of knowledge and information;
- Aligning the organisational structure and
form to minimise checks and barriers to the sharing of knowledge
and information;
- Aligning the organisational management
to permit a maximum devolution of responsibility and decision-making.
Managers should become facilitators and holders of wisdom
[Coakes and Sugden 2000];
- Aligning the organisational structure and
form to permit fluidity of this structure and form as change
impacts both the organisational knowledge and the required
organisational output;
- Aligning the organisational reward system
to encourage the development of learning and knowledge;
- And finally aligning the organisational
technology infrastructure to permit all of the above.
Knowledge resides within individuals and knowledge
management provides a system to enable sharing and re-use
of that knowledge; that is the sociotechnical themes of the
balance between the human / social and technical sides of
the system.
Further discussion about the sociotechnical
view can be found in:
- Coakes E, Willis D and Lloyd-Jones R
(2000) The New Sociotech: Graffiti on the Longwall
London: Springer-Verlag
- Coakes E , Willis D, Clarke S (2002)
Knowledge management in the Sociotechnical World: The
Graffiti Continues London:Springer Verlag
There is also a
map available for the Knowledge Management
Review section
|
