Knowledge Management in Organizations

This assignment focuses on understanding knowledge management within organizations. It requires a critical analysis of various knowledge management theories, models, and frameworks. Students need to explore the challenges associated with knowledge management and discuss strategies for effective implementation. The emphasis is on understanding the role of knowledge sharing in driving organizational performance and innovation.

Managing Communications,
Knowledge and information

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................2
1.1 Range of decisions to be taken for Zara UK market penetration plan.........................................3
1.2 The information and knowledge needed to ensure effective decision taking.............................3
1.3 assess internal and external sources of information and understanding ....................................4
1.4 Recommendations for improvement...........................................................................................4
TASK 2....................................................................................................................................................4
2.1 Identify stakeholders for a decision-making process...................................................................4
2.2 Make contact with those identified and develop business relationships.....................................5
2.3 Involve those identified in the decision making as appropriate...................................................6
3.1Report on existing processes of communication in an organisation.............................................7
3.2 Design ways to improve appropriateness....................................................................................7
3.3 Implement improvements to ensure greater integration of systems of communication in that
organisation.......................................................................................................................................8
3.4 Create a personal plan to improve own communication skills.....................................................8
TASK 4....................................................................................................................................................9
Covered in PPT...................................................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION.........................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Managing communications, knowledge and information is the need of today’s market.
It promotes the business to grow and be productive. As today’s market demands to be more
verse with technology and communication. This scenario its needed to have a competitive
edge over other firms. So its very essential to manage communications, knowledge and
information. To have a successful business like Zara , its very essential to maintain and
mange the knowledge of business and market with the help of communication with the help
of advanced technology. Zara is the world’s largest apparel brand. The present report is based
on the challenges which has been faced by the retail sector(Yates, Paquette 2011), this report
aims at improving the communication both within the organisation and with the organisation.
It has also been included that how IT systems has managed the tools for collecting, sorting,
disseminating, and has provide access to knowledge and information.
1.1 Range of decisions to be taken for Zara UK market penetration plan
Zara is the most profitable brand of Inditex SA, and they have maintained the internal
and external communication very well. For assessing knowledge and information certain
decisions are required to be taken. For meeting the goals and objectives of a business entity
certain course of actions are taken by the decision takers. Range of decisions that are needed
to be taken for penetration of Zara in the UK market involves decisions of:
 Strategic level: Decisions regarding objectives of the new venture of Zara are taken
by the strategic level management people like chief operating officer, chairman.it also
includes whether to outsource or do in house operations. These are the people who
make strategies and design the objectives of the firm. They take the decisions and
delegate the authority to tactical level management and nake sure the work is doe.
 Tactical level management: the decisions regarding the funding and resource
allocations are taken by them, resources like financial , human resources etc. are
managed by them. The authority that has been given by strategic level is fulfilled by
them and the strategies are made to achieve the target set by the strategic level
management.
Coordinators: they are responsible for the smooth functioning of various departments such as
finance(Holsapple 2013) human resource, marketing etc.
 Operational level : the decisions which they take includes the decisions that takes
place in their processes. These are the managers who supervises the work and make
sure that everyrthing is going in place and all the resources are available.
1.2 The information and knowledge needed to ensure effective decision taking
The information and knowledge is required for the effective decision making as
without them the decisions cannot be made rational, when Zara decides to penetrate in the
UK market the senior level management must be aware of the companies goals and
objectives, and they have knowledge of every department. That helps them to give them
targets the coordinators ensure them to be in constant touch with departmental heads so as to
bring coordination in the activities. They must have information regarding the short term
plans and problems that the employees face. This knowledge has helped the team for
functioning in a better way(Borghoff and Pareschi 2013). The knowledge about the weekly
targets has been with the employees. And they should also know about how the organisation
is going to work as per the future plans. And the duties and responsibilities of lower level

workers must be communicated to them properly. The information that is needed for the
better managing of communication and information is needed on qualitative and quantitative
front, as it helps in governing the bottom line of the company. The information that is needed
can be formal as well as informal. Formal information helps the manageres to take decisions
in a systtematic and organised way. And by informal information strategic level managers
knows the feedback of the employees and take decision accordingly.
1.3 assess internal and external sources of information and understanding
The immediate superiors have the maximum information in Zara and they have the
accurate data with them. The next major source of information that can be assessed is online
website of new business. These websites have detailed knowledge of the clothes and they
help them in advertising and marketing.
Internal Sources Of Information
The internal source of information that the business comprises of is the internal
reports of the Zara business. Say for instance total sales of the store report, the financial
statements of are comprises of its internal reports which generally include balance sheets ,
profit and loss statements etc. The financial report tell about the financial status of the
company and guide through what steps to be taken.
External Information
The external reports include the information that the outside agencies surveyed about
the company and the investigations that are done by them. They are basically in printed form,
articles online and news, UK business law, UK consumer behaviour, broadcast reports,
brochures and newsletters(Kebede 2010 ). There are whistle-blowers in every organisation
which gives the information. It can be negative as well as positive, may help the top level
management to make strategies according to the information flowed.
1.4 Recommendations for improvement
There is no such individual approach that should be followed by brand like Zara for
its market penetration in UK. in fact for synergy effect they should integrate all the
approaches together. The improvements that can be done for :
Better communication: It can be done by identification, capture, organisation, sharing and
evaluation of the sources of knowledge that the managers use to manage the new venture in
UK.
Maintaining Relationship: The relationship with the employees should be maintained and
they should be managed properly. This will be helpful in decision making as they employees
too will take the project seriously and they will be attached to it and give better advises.
Effective plan: The another thing which could help Zara to grow is to design a well
structured plan and it should be defined well. It will improve the quality of source of the
information(López-Nicolás Meroño-Cerdán 2011). Only that information must be assesses
whose source is authentic and others should be neglected. The information from whistle
blowers must be taken under consideration as it will help them to make better and informed
decisions.

TASK 2
2.1 Identify stakeholders for a decision-making process
People who affect the business or are affected by the business are known as
stakeholders. Either they are a part of the business itself or have an influence on the business.
The stakeholders may be classified as:
 Internal stakeholders: The people who are in the organisation are the internal
stakeholders of an organisation. This includes the stockholders, employees,
customers, creditors, suppliers and the processes within the organisation. This
includes the function like planning(López-Nicolás, Meroño-Cerdán 2011),
implementation, coordination, evaluations and control.
 External stakeholders: The government agencies, competitors, public communities
and media are the important external stakeholder of a business. The external
stakeholder generally do not directly participate in the day to day functions of the
business, but their views and cooperation’s towards the activities play a very
important role in influencing the business functioning. The different stakeholders
have varied interests in the business. It is important to identify the stakeholders
properly and analyse their interests as it widens the horizon of the though process
and helps in better generation of ideas. The stakeholders which should be invited for
the launch of Zara are shareholders, suppliers. Regular customers, advertising
people, creditors etc.
2.2 Make contact with those identified and develop business relationships
As mentioned above, maintaining a proper communication with stockholders is
also very essential as they are very important element of the business. After
identifying the above stated stakeholders this is how we will plan to communicate
with them:
 Information related to all the key stakeholders should be noted.
 Consideration of the requirements of the stakeholders should be done.
Relevant content like goals(Choi Lee and Yoo 2010), mission, vision, objectives etc, should be
containing in the communication with stakeholders.
We can invite the above mentioned stakegolders through the below listed ways.For
developing business relations with the stakeholders the different communication
techniques are:
Direct mail: - Using the system of this the information can be send to the internal
stakeholders we can send mail to the shareholders for inviting them.
Discussion Forums: - To know the views of both internal and external stakeholders the
organisation may have discussion forums. The view of customers, suppliers can be known
through this.
Advertisements: - Advertisements via print or media we can attract the stakeholders

Meetings and Conferences: - Conducting meetings and conferences also used for the
communication with stakeholders
Personal interviews: - the stakeholders can be made a part of the decision making process
in an organisation by taking personal interviews of the stakeholders and getting first-hand
information from them regarding their opinion or experience about the business.
2.3 Involve those identified in the decision making as appropriate
In an organisation, the key stakeholders of the business like competitors, customers, creditors
etc. need to be an active part of the decision making process. With some of the important
stakeholders, sometimes, the top level management also engages itself in personal interviews.
Individual or group mails are also sent to all the stakeholders to know about their point if
view at large(Schwalbe 2015). By calling a meeting or a conferences the organisation to take
the feedback, an opinion of some of the major stakeholders.
There should be also a level of mutual trust and confidence exists, in the relationship
between an organisation and the stakeholders. The organisation should give access to the
right information to its stakeholders by trusting them. Similarly, the stakeholders have the
responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of the information shared by the organisation
with them.
Between the organisation and its stakeholders, a healthy relationship is required.
Therefore, it is two sided affair. The stakeholders could be involved in the decision
making through questionnaires.
QUESTIONNAIRE
What do you think in your opinion that the company will gain success from?
a. Penetration
b. Diversification
Zara should penetrate in the UK market or not?
a. Yes
b. No
What will be the beneficial strategy for its success?
(open ended )
What source of information would you -prefer?
a. Internal
b. External
Who among the following you think are the biggest competitors of Zara?
a. Veromoda
b. Michael kors

2.4 Design strategies for improvement
It is important to connect with each and every group separately and identify their
requirements for contacting and engaging stakeholders in the decision making of the new
business in the retail sector. Meetings can be held for ensuring that a solution which is
acceptable to all is reached while discussing common topics of interests. The representatives
of the customers, shareholders, community and union can be contacted to avoid the situation
of chaos(Klusch 2012). Strategies like annual meetings, recreational trips especially with the
internal stakeholders. To build a network and maintain personal and business relationships
with associates the use of social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook is being done
the strategic managers should focus more on the ways that the communication can be
smoothly and efficiently.
3.1Report on existing processes of communication in an organisation
To ensure work efficiency and achievement of goals, communication in an
organisation i.e. the flow of information regarding the different process of the
organisation, is important.
The various methods of communication which can be used are:
 Face to face: the organization and the stakeholders of the Zara may discuss
the issues, if any, by interacting face to face .
 Letters and e-mail: information can be transferred both to the internal as
well as external stakeholders through electronic mail system or by letters on Zara's
letter head
 Meetings and conferences: for flow of information to the both internal
and external stakeholders, organizations conduct meetings and conferences.
 Advertising: through the method of advertising, the organization may
address an issue to a large segment of stakeholders at once(Von Krogh 2012). It is a
method of mass communication.
 Internet: the internet with the increased use of technology, is widely being
used as a medium of communication with the internal and external
stakeholders.Zara has advertised on internet a lot and its help it in increasing
number of customers.
 Notices and memos: to provide a written document of evidence for the
information to both the internal and external stakeholders, notices and memos are
used.
 Team briefings: this method is generally used for internal stakeholders.
 Reports: useful information to the stake holders regarding the functioning
of business is issued by the organizations through the issue of reports.
3.2 Design ways to improve appropriateness
Distortion in communication causes miscommunication or improper understanding
of the message. This occurs because of wrong choice of medium which causes
Misunderstanding and uncertainty. The risk of wasting time and money increases.
There are two types of communications- horizontal and vertical.

The flow of information between different levels in an organization is vertical
communication(Jones and Sallis 2013). Flow of information between the people at the same
level is horizontal communication.
The letters and e-mails are a means of one sided communication. Letter is a timetaking
process. The major problem with this type of one sided communication is that only
either side can express its view at a time.
Reports, notices and memos are though written, but it provides one sided information
only.
Telephone is though instantaneous method of communication but neither the result nor
the course of discussion is documented. No reference can be obtained if a person
wants to refer to the result or steps which led to the conclusion.
Advertising although being an effective mass communication method for addressing a
larger audience , is a time taking process. Seeking the reaction of the stakeholder is
also a difficult task.
Modern communication tools:
Social Media (public And Private Message)
Teleconferencing
Video Calls
3.3 Implement improvements to ensure greater integration of systems of communication in
that organisation
Whether in oral or written form, lack of proper communication skills can pose a big
problem.
Proper way of communication is very important. To reduce the complexities in the
communication process, the organization could be structured hierarchically. The organization
needs to introduce a common LAN and intranet facility where the communication stays
within the organization to ensure greater integration and successful passing of the information
from one department to another.
As only the company employees would be able to access company information, the company
wide communication can be shared securely and freely with the employees. To further avoide
miscommunication and misunderstandings, important communications shall be shared
through face to face meetings rather than on e-mail. The employee grievances and
complaints should be addressed through a common channel so it can be tracked and
addressed considering the priority(Galliers and Leidner 2014).
Emails should be used for only informal communications but that should also be through the
company intranet LAN.
All these functions should be integrated in ZARA so that they can access the information and
take appropriate decisions.
3.4 Create a personal plan to improve own communication skills
A communication plan is a road map that would help me in communicating
information.the strengths and weaknesses of my own communication skills are as follows-

Strengths
 Verbal communication: i ahve excellent verbal communication skills and i am very
fluent in the languages i speak.
 Written communication: i know how to write the lamnguages i know.
 Regular follow-up
Weakness
 Communication in meetings
 Group communication: I feel a bit shy when i have to speak in between groups.
To be a part of maximum possible meetings and group communications, weaknesses could be
improved. One needs to be aware of the fact that Every individual in a group communication
understands, comprehends, and replies in the way they seem desirable.
The communication thus should be clear(Eliasson 2012), crisp and concise. The agenda
should be communicated well in advance before attending any meetings.
The flow of the meetings should be as per planned and the objectives should be defined.
What work is to be done under each project and what each project requires need to be
communicated.
Implementing time saving communication methods could help in effective communication
skills. To avoid any confusion in the communication process, techniques of clarification and
reflection should be used.
TASK 4
Covered in PPT
CONCLUSION
As per the above presented report, it has been concluded that with the proper
management of the communication, information and knowledge Zara has achieved its goals
and objectives, which would be quite impossible to achieve if there is no coordination and
management between the various departments of Zara. The IT department has a crucial role
in managing these as they have done disseminating, sorting, coding etc. Penetrating in the
new market requires lots of research and knowledge and a lot more information about that
market which can be achieved by a structured management of these things viz.,
communication, knowledge and information.

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