University Assignment: Knowledge Management Case Study and Exercises

This document presents a comprehensive Knowledge Management assignment, addressing key concepts through case studies and practical exercises. The assignment begins with an analysis of employee perception of personal worth in large companies, exploring brainstorming techniques, nominal group techniques, and consensus decision-making to identify effective solutions beyond financial incentives. It then delves into knowledge codification, providing examples of general frames used to codify various entities and evaluating the selection of generalists for successful knowledge development programs. Finally, the assignment examines a case study of a global company's failed Knowledge Management implementation, analyzing the failures across five distinct stages: advocate and learn, develop strategy, design and launch KM initiatives, expand and support initiatives, and institutionalize knowledge management. The analysis provides insights into the critical factors that contribute to successful KM implementation and the consequences of overlooking key elements.

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Knowledge Management in organizations
Student name:
University name:
Date:

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Table of Contents
Exercise 4:..................................................................................................................................3
Task 1:........................................................................................................................................3
4.1: Evaluation of the Brainstorming Session:......................................................................3
4.2: Evaluation of the solutions to the above mentioned problem:........................................3
a. Effective planning for rewards other than payment hike:..............................................3
b. Best solution to the personal-worth perception problem:..............................................4
c. Evaluation of the solution in respect to the employee personal-worth perception
problem..............................................................................................................................5
Exercise 5:..................................................................................................................................5
Task 1: Knowledge Codification...............................................................................................5
5.1. General frames used for codifying..................................................................................5
5.2: Selecting Generalist for making successful knowledge development program:...........6
Task 7: Case study.....................................................................................................................7
7.1: Views on the failure of the implementation of Knowledge management based on five
stages..........................................................................................................................................7
Stage 1: Advocate and Learn:....................................................................................................7
Stage 2: Develop Strategy:.........................................................................................................7
Stage 3: Design and Launch KM initiative:...............................................................................7
Stage 4: Expand and Support Initiative:.....................................................................................8
Stage 5: Institutionalise knowledge management:.....................................................................8
Reference....................................................................................................................................9

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Exercise 4:
Task 1:
4.1: Evaluation of the Brainstorming Session:
A group of 5 members has been created in order to seek the solutions to the problem:
“Employees in large companies often complain that personal worth perception is low. They
feel that the company does not overtly reward them for their contributions and set procedures
that allow them to be most productive and creative”.
This problem is encountered in almost all the organizations nowadays and as such, a
brainstorming session has been conducted where all the 5 members participated and gave
their opinions on the issue. From the session, several creative solutions have been identified
based on the opinions of the participants:
 Effective motivational practices should be incorporated
 Necessity of strong and inspiring leaders
 Requirement of providing leaves and bonuses
 Proper promotional and appraisal planning
 Involvement of employees in decision-making process
4.2: Evaluation of the solutions to the above mentioned problem:
a. Effective planning for rewards other than payment hike:
In order to reward efforts and motivate employees of an organisation, promotional and
appraisal activity plays a crucial role. Appraisal and promotion can be denoted as a process
that assists leaders to measure efforts and capabilities of their employees against the tasks
assigned to them. Depending upon these areas, leaders generally take decisions to deliver a
perfect designation in accordance with the performances of their employees (Harrison, et al.,
2018). These days the process is highly accepted by both large and small firms for motivating
their internal forces. Appraisal not only motivates employees but also creates a competitive
working ambience.
In this context, 360 degree appraisal can be proven effective in term of rewarding the efforts
of the employees in an organisation. 360 degree appraisal can be defined as a different kind

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of employee performance review which includes the feedbacks of every associate including
team members, managers, co-workers, etc. (Deller, et al., 2018). It assists leaders to
understand what exactly the other fellow members think about the very person. 360 degree
appraisal also helps the management to understand the behavioural related factors of the
employees. Moreover, the performance of the employees against the tasks is evaluated
through this process. After collecting the feedback, the responsible authorities become
capable enough to take their decision and as the decision somehow reliant upon the daily
performance of the employees and also depends upon what exactly the majority of the team
members think about the person hence, the possibility of occurring internal conflicts also
reduces. This appraisal program not only motivates the person who receives a better
designation or grade but also their fellow members because their valuable feedback somehow
led the person to acquire such position. In several cases it has been noticed that 360 degree
appraisal is effective enough to reward the effort of the employees without increasing their
payment.
b. Best solution to the personal-worth perception problem:
In the brainstorming session participants introduced several effective solutions to the
personal-worth perception problem where effective leadership and motivational practices
have been regarded as the best suitable remedy for such situations. Leaders in every
organisation are responsible in managing and guiding their team members. It has been
noticed that firms, those contain a good position in the global competition maintain a
transparent and effective leadership style to manage their internal force. There are several
leadership styles available but leaders should select the one among several that can go with
their work culture. Hence, it can be stated that for large organisation transformational
leadership style could be the best choice where leaders are allowed to respect the decision of
their team members. Similarly, this leadership style highly values the reward and employee
motivation program (Aguenza, et al., 2018). Transformational leadership highlights the
necessity of both way communications through which leaders can observe and understand
intentions of their employees and the feeling of the employees towards other members.
Effective leadership style helps in sustaining the leaders to define the acute need of their
employees depending upon these factors leaders can design the reward program. Employees
always desire to retain such a reward the can somehow will fulfil their expectations and to do
so leaders must seek answers of certain questions such as what exactly their employees want
and whether their wishes are practical or not, does it has any connection with their

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performances or not, etc (Hoch, et al., 2018). In addition, if a leader finds that their
employees’ desires are practical and easy to bear then they should design the reward program
accordingly which in one hand will fulfil the desire of the employees and on the other hand
will motivate them to perform effectively.
c. Evaluation of the solution in respect to the employee personal-worth perception
problem
It has been noticed that most of the participants of the brainstorming session were consentient
on the option that through maintaining effective leadership style organisation can value their
employees. Apart from offering hike and incentives leaders can appreciate their human assets
by following effective communication. To make effective communication leaders have to
play the role of an active listener which can lead the employee to think that their opinions are
important for the organisations. Additionally, though leaders hold the supreme power to take
final decision but allowing the employees to share their ideas regarding a specific problem
can help leaders to define the most effective solutions for a problem (Gawke, et al., 2018). In
order to develop the feelings that employees’ decisions matter for the organisation
management can conduct a weekly session where all the employees will be allowed to share
their views regarding the work culture and can give effective ideas to make the ambience
more effective for their performance. While implementing any change in the current working
environment leaders should arrange a one-on-one session with their employees where
employees can feel comfortable in sharing their views and doctrines regarding the change.
These processes can make employees to feel valuable assets for the company hence they can
concentrate more on their performances.
Exercise 5:
Task 1: Knowledge Codification
5.1. General frames used for codifying
In the knowledge management process, the organizations tend to use certain frames for
identifying a particular object or an aspect with the help of relevant codes.
a. A horse: Flashdance, a 18-year thoroughbred
 Thoroughbred frame: A horse

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 Can jump: yes
 Can trot: yes
 It is an animal
 Hand: 18
 Location of stay: stable
 Location of stable: Glen Farms
b. A student: Brenda, a medium-height, 4th year liberal arts student
 College frame: belonging to the student family or group
 Height: a medium-height girl
 Education: 4th year undergraduate student
 Stream of education: liberal arts student
 She is: an equestrian
 Her place of stay: in a room in a dormitory
 Location of dormitory: North-Eastern Quad
c. An airline pilot: Fred, a 30-year veteran airline captain
 Airline frame: belonging to the pilot family
 He is: a veteran pilot
 Degree: certified
 Age of the pilot: 30 years
 Designation: captain
 Place of stay: suburbs
 Location of the suburb: Chicago
 Exact location of the suburb in Chicago: Cook Country
5.2: Selecting Generalist for making successful knowledge development program:
Having a generalist in a team could mean a chance to know concrete knowledge regarding a
particular topic. Knowledge development program always requires such participants that
have strong knowledge regarding various areas. Additionally, individuals that are well versed
about the additional sources can help the team to retain a range of new information regarding
a particular topic which can lead the team to accomplish the target easily (Watson, 2018).
Generalists normally have a knack to denude every topic and after critical identification they
accept the fact and prefer sharing the information among the mass. Nowadays, most of the

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generalists hold sound knowledge regarding technical field which on the other hand can be a
big plus point for the team members. Because of these characteristics it can be stated that by
holding a generalist in a team can help management to accomplish their knowledge
management program successfully.
Task 7: Case study
7.1: Views on the failure of the implementation of Knowledge management based on
five stages
Stage 1: Advocate and Learn:
A global company could have arranged a leader in order to distribute a clear vision regarding
the implementation of knowledge management program. This could lead employees to retain
a clear view of the goal of the company. In the case of Alpha, it can be stated that lack of
advocacy led the target to remain unachieved. It has been noticed that knowledge regarding
the project was kept by silo-centric group which restricted the scope of learning for others.
Stage 2: Develop Strategy:
To accomplish the knowledge management initiative, four strategies were needed for a global
company such as Motivate, Network, Identification, and Resources. Motivating could help
employees to understand the purpose of the knowledge management program (North &
Kumta, 2018). In the case of Alpha, it has been noticed that management was solely relied on
alliancing the one segment only such as IT hence, other employees felt abandoned. This led
other staffs not to provide attention on this project. Dearth of acknowledgement of the
essential factors that are related to the project completion can be stated as another reason of
this failure. A global company could have analysed their available resources before taking
this initiation. It has been noticed that due to inhabitancy of using old technology the IT team
was failed to complete the first worktable. Hence, before taking such initiative the
management of a global company could have checked their available resources.
Stage 3: Design and Launch KM initiative:
In order to design and launch knowledge management initiative four major steps should have
to be added and the details are mentioned below:

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 Key business drivers: In this stage the management of A global company should
identify the key players of their business. Hence, management need to analyse skills
and proficiency of the employees for this initiative and need to select the best
members.
 Sharing information: Authorities are required to select a leader for this work. The
leaders will be responsible to share and motivate their members to the organisation’s
knowledge management program (Hislop, et al., 2018).
 Finding resources: Management of the firm will be accountable to detect the
available resources first and if they find that they need to arrange more resources then
the management should have to plan accordingly.
 Rewards and recognition: Higher authorities of the company should concentrate on
designing proper reward program for the best performers this will lead employees to
perform effectively.
Stage 4: Expand and Support Initiative:
In order to avoid losses of the huge number of business deals A global company took the
initiative of deploying a knowledge management program such as Alpha. This initiative of
the company was appropriate in order to manage their global clients’ orders.
Stage 5: Institutionalise knowledge management:
Institutionalise knowledge management practice helps employees of an organisation to learn
about the recent objective and initiative of organisations. In the case of A global company, it
can be stated that the firm could have acknowledged this practice in order to educate their
internal staffs about their new initiative. This practice could have led the management and
leaders of the firm to understand the current problems that were facing by the employees to
understand the purpose of the organisational objectives.

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360-Degree Assessment System: A Field Experiment in a Retail Chain. Harvard
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employee intrapreneurship: Disentangling the employee intrapreneurship, well-being,
and job performance relationship. Journal of occupational health psychology, 23(4),
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Greene, R. J. (2018). Rewarding performance: Guiding principles; custom strategies.
Routledge.
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effectiveness look like? The case of a Canadian‐based firm. Canadian Journal of
Administrative Sciences/Revue Canadienne des Sciences de l'Administration, 35(1), 5-
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critical introduction. Oxford University Press.
Hoch, J. E., Bommer, W. H., Dulebohn, J. H., & Wu, D. (2018). Do ethical, authentic, and
servant leadership explain variance above and beyond transformational leadership? A
meta-analysis. Journal of Management, 44(2), 501-529.
North, K., & Kumta, G. (2018). Knowledge management: Value creation through
organizational learning. Springer.
Watson, R. B., & Brewer, P. E. (2018, July). Using Independent Studies to Enhance Usability
Assessment Skills in a Generalist Program. In 2018 IEEE International Professional
Communication Conference (ProComm) (pp. 35-39). IEEE.