The process of objectification entails several advantages to organisations in terms of capitalising the owned knowledge, facilitating its localisation, retrieval, manipulation and reuse, establishing a common cognitive base, etc. However the creation and management of knowledge objects are all but simple. This is especially the case of large organisations that have an extensive production of different and dispersed knowledge objects. In principle, this issue seems to have a simple solution, i.e. merging the various cognitive bases in a single one, and making it accessible to all people. In reality this raises several questions, both on the technical-cognitive and the organisational side. The paper deals with this topic, by discussing the case of Ernst & Young that three years ago started a project aimed at developing a common knowledge platform. In particular it intends to identify and discussing the main problems (and possible solutions) raised by the management of large amount of knowledge objects scattered in different parts of the organisation. Also, it intends to show how a codification, technology-based, approach to KM cannot be successfully pursued without taking into due account the social and organisational aspects of the application context.
Managing large amounts of knowledge objects: cognitive and organisational problems
SCARSO, ENRICO
2015
Abstract
The process of objectification entails several advantages to organisations in terms of capitalising the owned knowledge, facilitating its localisation, retrieval, manipulation and reuse, establishing a common cognitive base, etc. However the creation and management of knowledge objects are all but simple. This is especially the case of large organisations that have an extensive production of different and dispersed knowledge objects. In principle, this issue seems to have a simple solution, i.e. merging the various cognitive bases in a single one, and making it accessible to all people. In reality this raises several questions, both on the technical-cognitive and the organisational side. The paper deals with this topic, by discussing the case of Ernst & Young that three years ago started a project aimed at developing a common knowledge platform. In particular it intends to identify and discussing the main problems (and possible solutions) raised by the management of large amount of knowledge objects scattered in different parts of the organisation. Also, it intends to show how a codification, technology-based, approach to KM cannot be successfully pursued without taking into due account the social and organisational aspects of the application context.Pubblicazioni consigliate
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