Knowledge Management Theories and Woolworths Supermarkets Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of knowledge management theories and their practical application within Woolworths Supermarkets. The introduction sets the context by highlighting the challenges Woolworths faces in inventory management and the need for improved customer service. The literature review delves into ecological and techno-centric knowledge management theories, explaining their core concepts and implications. The discussion section explores how these theories can be applied to improve Woolworths' inventory management, enhance customer service, and optimize product lines. The evaluation of findings assesses the effectiveness of these approaches in the retail industry. The report concludes with recommendations, including the implementation of just-in-time inventory management and cloud-based inventory systems. References are provided to support the research and findings.

Running head: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
Knowledge Management
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

1
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Literature Review.......................................................................................................................3
Knowledge Management theory............................................................................................3
Implication of knowledge management theory for an organisation.......................................4
Discussion..................................................................................................................................5
Significance of the Knowledge Management Theories for Woolworths Supermarkets........5
Evaluation of the findings......................................................................................................6
Conclusion and Recommendations............................................................................................7
References..................................................................................................................................8

2
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
Introduction
Knowledge management refers to systematic management of knowledge assets in a
company which can creates value for the stakeholders. Woolworths Supermarkets is the chain
of the supermarkets in Australia owned by Woolworths Group. Company specializes in the
selling of the groceries, beauty and the household products (Woolworths.com.au 2020).
Woolworths Supermarkets is facing the challenges in the area of the knowledge management
that can improve the sales of the company. The company is facing the problem in the area of
the management of the inventories that can provide the superior service to the customers.
This question is of crucial importance as it can help in maintenance of the profits of the
company which can help it in getting an edge above the competitors. This report talks about
knowledge management theories and how they can prove to be useful in dealing with the
problems taking place in the organization. This report elaborates on the importance of
knowledge management theory for Woolworths Supermarkets and it how it can help the
organization in the retention of the customers. This report states the recommendations that
can help Woolworths Supermarkets in providing the superior service to the customers.
Literature Review
Knowledge Management theory
The ecological knowledge management theory lays emphasis on the people,
relationships along with learning communities. Interactions taking place in between the
individuals and the organisation can help in improving the performance of the employees of a
company. It talks about the aspect of the knowledge distribution along with the interaction
that can improve efficiency of work in a company (Dalkir 2017). The interaction taking place
in between the elements can aid in the maintenance of the healthy knowledge economy
within the framework of an organization. It talks about the interaction taking place in

3
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
between the external along with the internal factors which can encourage the knowledge
sharing within a company. It can manage knowledge in strategic manner that can act as a
source of the competitive advantage for a company (Hislop, Bosua and Helms 2018). It can
act as a key resource that can act as the basis for the sustainability of a company.
Techno-centric theory of the knowledge management lays emphasis on the
technology along with the designing process which can facilitate the knowledge flow in an
organization. It helps in facilitating flow of the knowledge along with storage of the
information within the framework of a company. It talks about the efficient usage of the
technology that can enhance the creation of the knowledge in a company. It can aid in the
dissemination of the knowledge in a company that can act as a vital asset for a company
(Santoro et al. 2018). It can support the leadership capacities that can support the innovation
in a company. It can aid in the creation of the right kind of the organizational climate that can
help them in the adoption of the various kinds of the strategies that can take the organization
forward in the long run. It can make an organization more dynamic that can co-ordinate the
process of the planning in a company.
Implication of knowledge management theory for an organisation
Concept of the information ecology can cope with intermissions taking place in
between the information technology investments that can bring the benefits for a company.
Knowledge ecology pertaining to an organization comprises of the knowledge environment
and the external environment. It can be stated to be knowledge ecological system within the
framework of an organization. Ecological theory of the knowledge management talks about
the fact that various kinds of the knowledge can be viewed as the various knowledge
population within the ecological system (North and Kumta 2018). It talks about the evolution
of the knowledge which represents dynamic behaviour of the knowledge populations within
the framework of a community.

4
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
The usage of the techno-centric theory can help the people in sharing the information
and the knowledge in a community that can gain the higher performance of the workers. The
information technology can construct the infrastructure that can support the breadth and the
depth of the knowledge flow (Barley, Treem and Kuhn 2018). Rise of information
technology in recent age have increased the connectivity taking place in between various
departments of a company.
Discussion
Significance of the Knowledge Management Theories for Woolworths Supermarkets
The application of the ecological theory of the knowledge management can be of
great help for Woolworths Supermarkets in managing the stock that can help the company in
providing the great service to the people. The inventory management is an arduous process
for the retailers but it is crucial for the decision-making of the retailers. It can provide help in
area of tracking that can help company in providing products to the customers on the basis of
their demand. It can help in replenishing the exhausted goods that can increase the value of
the company before the people (Obeidat, Al-Suradi and Tarhini 2016). It can help in ensuring
that the production is uniform across the year that can prove to be convenient for the
customers. It can lower the warehouse cost for the company and it can create the way for the
improved stock management of the company. Woolworths Supermarkets have the broad
inventory and the realigning of the product lines of the company can help the company in
appealing to the buyers. It can help in the area of the optimization of the goods that can make
the company popular among the people.
The application of techno-centric theory pertaining to the knowledge management can
aid Woolworths Supermarkets in building the computerised inventory management system
that can help in the automation of the repetitive tasks within the framework of a company

5
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
(Kianto, Vanhala and Heilmann 2016). It can help the retailer in keeping a check on the
ordering and the shipping that can deliver the products at the right time to the people. This
kind of the system can help the organization in predicting the demand on the basis of the
inventory status and the historical data. It can reduce chances of the fraud taking place that
can improve the reputation of the organization. It can aid in the generation of the targeted
messages that can help in rolling out the organizational or the departmental objectives
(Dayan, Heisig and Matos 2017). It can ensure the participative knowledge management that
can help in the arena of the collaborative workflows in the company. It can aid in the
selection of the software options that can facilitate the convenient storage of the products of
Woolworths Supermarkets.
Evaluation of the findings
The retail industry is evolving in the present time and ecological theory pertaining to
the knowledge management can adapt the strategies of a company to that of the external
environment. The application of the concepts of the knowledge management can help
Woolworths Supermarkets in the management of the multiple sales channels that can aid
them in providing the satisfaction to the customer (Santoro et al. 2018). It can help the
company in addressing the needs of the people on the basis of the situation that can help in
the development of the company.
The applying of the techno-centric model can aid in the retrieval and the
dissemination of the data within the company. It can aid in the organizing of the unstructured
data like the training podcasts along with the customer comments that can prove to be vital
for the success of the organization. It can integrate with the other kinds of the enterprise
applications like those which are used for the process of the decision support in a company. It
can help in the area of the enterprise performance management that can drive the
performance of the organization.

6
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
Conclusion and Recommendations
The using of information ecology can help a company in the management of the
knowledge environment that can prove to be advantageous for a company. It can help a
company in adhering to the demands of the external environment that can help in the
sustainability of a company. Techno-centric theory can enable the employees for sharing
information and that of knowledge within the framework of the community. Ecological
theory can help Woolworths Supermarkets in managing the stock that can provide the
opportunity to the company in providing superior service to people. Techno-centric theory
can be of help for Woolworths Supermarkets in the establishing of computerised inventory
management system which can automate the tasks in a company.
It is recommended that just-in-time inventory management is taken recourse to in
Woolworths Supermarkets that can be useful for company in the field of stock control. It can
lead to the reduction of the risk that can have a positive effect on the product availability of a
company. Woolworths Supermarkets can take recourse to the inventory management system
which is on the basis of the cloud that can help the company in streamlining the stocktaking
process. It can update the inventory information that can aid in the generation of the real-time
reports at the time of the forecasting.

7
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
References
Barley, W.C., Treem, J.W. and Kuhn, T., 2018. Valuing multiple trajectories of knowledge:
A critical review and agenda for knowledge management research. Academy of Management
Annals, 12(1), pp.278-317.
Dalkir, K., 2017. Knowledge management in theory and practice. MIT press.
Dayan, R., Heisig, P. and Matos, F., 2017. Knowledge management as a factor for the
formulation and implementation of organization strategy. Journal of Knowledge
Management.
Hislop, D., Bosua, R. and Helms, R., 2018. Knowledge management in organizations: A
critical introduction. Oxford University Press.
Kianto, A., Vanhala, M. and Heilmann, P., 2016. The impact of knowledge management on
job satisfaction. Journal of knowledge management.
North, K. and Kumta, G., 2018. Knowledge management: Value creation through
organizational learning. Springer.
Obeidat, B.Y., Al-Suradi, M.M. and Tarhini, A., 2016. The impact of knowledge
management on innovation. Management Research Review.
Santoro, G., Fiano, F., Bertoldi, B. and Ciampi, F., 2018. Big data for business management
in the retail industry. Management Decision.
Santoro, G., Vrontis, D., Thrassou, A. and Dezi, L., 2018. The Internet of Things: Building a
knowledge management system for open innovation and knowledge management
capacity. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 136, pp.347-354.

8
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
Woolworths.com.au, 2020. Woolworths Supermarket - Buy Groceries Online. [online]
Woolworths.com.au. Available at: <https://www.woolworths.com.au/> [Accessed 31 March
2020].