1. Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
Media and Semantic Relations: Comparison of Individual and Organizational Knowledge Structures
Klaudia Grote, Ralf Klamma
Seminar “Knowledge Management: An Interdisciplinary Approach”
IBFI, Schloss Dagstuhl,

2. Outline of the Talk Individual and Organizational Knowledge Structures
Knowledge System as a Semiotic System
Influence of Mediality on the Semantic Relations in the Mental Lexicon
Application of the Semiotic Approach to Organizational Knowledge Structures
Integration of a ‚differential‘ approach into Knowledge Management Systems
Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
4/11/2018

3. Individual - Organizational Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
Procedural Knowledge
sensomotoric skills, procedural scripts
non-documented routines and operations
Declarative Knowledge
4/11/2018
Episodic Knowledge
memory of experiencing past episodes
organizational historical records
Semantic Knowledge
semiotic concepts
documentation
Verbal
words
linguistic data
Non-verbal
image, icon, index
graphics, diagrams, film, photographies

4. Semiotics in the Tradition of Ferdinand de Saussure (1957 - 1913)
Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
Parole
comprehension / articulation
activation of organizational memory systems
in presentia
4/11/2018
performance
Langue
human neural network
networked information systems
competence
in absentia

5. Semantic Relations Paradigmatic vs. Syntagmatic
Superordinates
Coordinates
Subordinates
Metonyms
Synonyms
Oppositions
- digital
- antonym
- converse
Actor-Action
Action-Object
Location
Time
Instrument
Goal
Source
Attributes
Valuation
Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
4/11/2018

6. Different Language Aspects with an Influence on Semantic Relations
Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
Modality: Visual vs. Audio
4/11/2018
Style: Oral vs. Literal
Modus: Written vs. Spoken/Signed
Status: Literate vs. Non-Literate

7. The Influence of Language Modality on Semantic Relations
Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
German
Spoken Language
German
Sign Language
4/11/2018
Semantic Relations

8. Video-Example of German Sign Language (DGS)
Explanation of Verification Task:
You will see a sign.
After the video has finished
you will see a second sign,
which is different from the first one.
You should decide as fast as possible
if you can identify a semantic relation
between the first and the second sign.
If there is a semantic connection
you press the right button which means „yes“,
if there is none, you press the left button which means „no“.
Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
4/11/2018

9. Influence of Mediality on Semantic Relations: Empirical Findings
Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
4/11/2018

10. Conclusions 1. A semiotic knowledge system is dynamic and
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
1. A semiotic knowledge system is dynamic and
it changes every time it is activated.
2. The meaning of a concept is determined by how it
interacts with other concepts and by how it can be
distinguished from other concepts in the knowledge
system.
(Positive and Negative Knowledge)
3. The knowledge system is carried by a material
medium. The modality of the medium influences
knowledge structures.
4/11/2018

11. Oppositions Paradigmatic
Superordinates
Coordinates
Subordinates
Metonyms
Synonyms
Oppositions
- digital
- antonym
- converse
Actor-Action
Action-Object
Location
Time
Instrument
Goal
Source
Attributes
Valuation
Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
4/11/2018
Negative Knowledge

12. Failure/Negative Knowledge
Definition [Oser’94]:
Failure Knowledge (negative knowledge) is the knowledge
that something is not or wrong (declarative failure knowledge)
what have not do be done (procedural failure knowledge)
Meaning:
Positive knowledge is clarified, sharpened, protected, and supported by negative knowledge
Negative knowledge is based on cases
Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
4/11/2018

13. Failure Knowledge in the Context of (Organizational) Learning
Learning from failures is multifaceted, e.g.
Experience of limits and the gain of norm information
Personal knowledge enrichment
Making failures and being accepted although (not loosing self-confidence)
Little failures lead back to the norms and strengthen failure knowledge (Single-Loop Learning)
Big failures not only have impact on the consolidation or creation of knowledge but can lead to sustainable insights and modification of behavior (Double-Loop Learning)
Things which have not be done (Type II Errors) have a strong and lasting effect on persons
Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
4/11/2018

14. Failure Knowledge and the Role of Media
Emotions are a crucial element in experiencing failures and learning, e.g.
Guilt
Shame
Penitence
In a distributed organizational setting we need rich media to allow re-experience failures
Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
4/11/2018

15. Case-based navigation
Use of Multimedia OM Tools for Failure Knowledge
Case-based navigation
of failures [Ackerman ‘92]
Simple ease of -use technology
Distribution of failure knowledge
Construction of search paths
Product
Process
Machine
Failure
Use
“Asking an expert” -
Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
4/11/2018

16. Dynamics of Failures Syntagmatic
Superordinates
Coordinates
Subordinates
Metonyms
Synonyms
Oppositions
- digital
- antonym
- converse
Actor-Action
Action-Object
Location
Time
Instrument
Goal
Source
Attributes
Valuation
Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
4/11/2018
Business Processes and Workflow

17. Virtual improvement teams
Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
Failure
Escalation
Detection
Analyze
Capture
Correct
Sphere of Competence
e.g. Assembly Planning
e.g.Call Center
e.g. Service Engineer
4/11/2018
Customer

18. Virtual improvement teams
Utilization of OMS to shorten processes by better understanding and technological support
Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
Failure
Escalation
Detection
Analyze
Capture
Correct
Sphere of Competence
e.g. Assembly Planning
e.g.Call Center
e.g. Service Engineer
4/11/2018
Customer

19. Workflow Knowledge Flow Scenarios
Current process scenario
Flow between organizational units
Flow between competencies
Same process scenario
Flow for reuse
Flow for improvement
Interrelated process scenario
Flow between process instances
Flow between models
Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
4/11/2018
Workflows: [Schäl ’96, Szczurko ‘96, Klamma’98 (ECIS’98)]
Application in Quality Management: [WIBQUS ‘95, FOQUS ‘97]

20. Virtual improvement teams
Utilization of OMS to shorten processes by better understanding and technological support
Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
Failure
Escalation
Detection
Analyze
Capture
Correct
Sphere of Competence
e.g. Assembly Planning
e.g.Call Center
e.g. Service Engineer
4/11/2018
Customer
Electronic Circulation Folders: [Karbe and Rampsberger ‘91]
Semantic Trading Technology: [Peters and Szczurko ‘94, Jarke et al. ’95]
Information Flow Planning: [Peters ‘96]
Workflows: [Schäl ’96, Szczurko ‘96, Klamma’98]
Application in Quality Management: [Klamma et al. ‘00]

21. Encapsulation of Problem Context with Electronic Circulation Folders
Store Available Information in a Single Meta-Document (ECF)
Integrate Workflow Information into ECF
Deal with Multimedia Information to enrich Information Content of ECF
Insert Links in ECF for Enterprise Information Systems
Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
Problems
Information Spread Inside and Outside the Enterprise
Information is not Task-Specific
Diverse Representations, Presentation, and Media
4/11/2018
Electronic Circulation Folder
[Karbe, Ramsperger ‘91]
Electronic Circulation Folders: [Karbe and Rampsberger ‘91]
Application in Failure Management: [FOQUS ‘97]

22. Complexity Paradigmatic
Superordinates
Coordinates
Subordinates
Metonyms
Synonyms
Oppositions
- digital
- antonym
- converse
Actor-Action
Action-Object
Location
Time
Instrument
Goal
Source
Attributes
Valuation
Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
Classical Modeling
4/11/2018
Negative Knowledge

23. Enrichment of Production Planning Systems with Failure Knowledge
PPS -> Classifying Products (and Processes)
Failure Knowledge -> Granularity, Product life cycle
Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
4/11/2018
Enriching variant oriented
Product characteristics
same characteristics, different values
Product characteristics sets
Differentiating and variant characteristics
Product structures
Differences in the product parts and the
Use of products by customers
Important for fervice, depends on place, time, weather conditions etc.
Production context
production processes and machines or tools

24. Variant Rich Model Representation and Utilization
Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
4/11/2018
Use of
explicit representation
of knowledge
about variants
to create new
failure knowledge
PPS-Systems: [Anthony’65, Schneeweiß‘‘87]
Richer models: [Jarke and Klamma.‘98]

25. Integrated View Paradigmatic and Syntagmatic
Superordinates
Coordinates
Subordinates
Metonyms
Synonyms
Oppositions
- digital
- antonym
- converse
Actor-Action
Action-Object
Location
Time
Instrument
Goal
Source
Attributes
Valuation
Knowledge
Management:
An Inter-
disciplinary
Approach
Classical Modeling
4/11/2018
Business Processes and Workflow
Negative Knowledge