KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT: THE DARKER SIDE OF KM Frank Land, Sevasti-Melissa Nolas & Urooj Amjad London School of Economics March, 2004

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT:THE DARKER SIDE OF KM Menu Background Getting a common understanding Foundations The darker side Conclusions

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT:THE DARKER SIDE OF KM Background Pre-history of KM –Knowledge economy –Knowledge worker –Knowledge based systems –Role of IT and IS

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT:THE DARKER SIDE OF KM History of KM –Only a decade old –Rapid growth –Academic discipline –Literature, journals, conferences

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT:THE DARKER SIDE OF KM Rhetoric of KM –A CSF for competition –Knowledge equates to truth –Technology enables KM –Knowledge is value free

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT:THE DARKER SIDE OF KM Getting a common understanding What is knowledge? –A slippery concept –Knowledge as a commodity –Knowledge as a construct –Knowledge and information –Knowledge and understanding

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT:THE DARKER SIDE OF KM Who has knowledge? –General knowledge –The individual –The group –The organization –The knower(s) –The would-be knowers

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT:THE DARKER SIDE OF KM Where is knowledge? –Internal vs. external –Tacit vs. explicit –Formal and informal –Books and libraries

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT:THE DARKER SIDE OF KM The knower –Control access to knowledge –Control dissemination of knowledge –Control use of knowledge –Provide and control knowledge sharing tools –Control knowledge inventory

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT: THE DARKER SIDE OF KM The would-be knower –Control acquisition of knowledge-learning, scouting –Control sharing of knowledge –Control knowledge inventory Note possible tension between the knower and the would-be knower

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT:THE DARKER SIDE OF KM Foundations Although KM has been recognised as a new discipline its roots are ancient and there is a rich literature which refers to KM though not under that name

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT:THE DARKER SIDE OF KM Examples of foundations include: –EDUCATION –MARKETING –LAW –CRIMINOLOGY –SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT –ORGANIZATIONAL POLITICS –THEOLOGY –SCIENTIFIC METHOD

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT:THE DARKER SIDE OF KM Examples of foundations include: –ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE –INFORMAITON ECONOMICS –STRATEGIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS –QUALITY MANAGEMENT

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT:THE DARKER SIDE OF KM The darker side: KM STANDS FOR KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT… but also for… …KNOWLEDGE MANIPULATION… and… …KNOWLEDGE MANIPULATION IS AN ASPECT OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT:THE DARKER SIDE OF KM Examples of knowledge manipulation may be found in: –ORGANIZATIONAL POLITICS –MARKETING –SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT –EDUCATION –CRIMINOLOGY –THEOLOGY –SCIENTIFIC METHOD

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT:THE DARKER SIDE OF KM Conclusions Much of the rhetoric of KM is naïve Knowledge manipulation is pervasive Knowledge and power are interdependent All uses of knowledge are instrumental White collar crimes are often KM based The tools of KM include spin, propaganda, and omerta Designers of KM have to recognise the ethical dimensions Technology is important but limited