The role of knowledge as a key driver to social and economic growth and to the regeneration of the social and economic tissue has been emphasized by economists and social theorists for decades, and even centuries. Similarly, managing knowledge is not new: early communities and enterprises have naturally deployed knowledge management practices in order to survive, adapt and expand. Yet it is only in the last ten to fifteen years that Knowledge Management has emerged as an explicit concept to designate both a set of management practices and an emerging academic field.

Many factors have contributed to an increased awareness of the importance of managing knowledge. One is the relative decline of physical resource intensive sectors in favour of intellectual resource intensive industries, particularly in some regions of the globe. Another factor is an acknowledgement of the volatility of current business and economic environments, in the context of the demands of globalised markets. A third factor is the opportunities offered by ICTs in, on one hand, storing, retrieving and disseminating information, and, on the other hand, facilitating communication and collaboration in virtual environments.

Knowledge Management is an emerging field that offers exciting opportunities for graduates that are interested in management practices involving the deployment of knowledge resources, processes and activities in order to maximise organisational competences and value.

What you will gain from your Knowledge Management course

Central to Knowledge Management is an appreciation of the complex nature of organisational knowledge and of social interaction. Because of its tacit dimensions, managing human knowledge and learning has a “soft”, human side. Supporting knowledge sharing demands skills to facilitate collaboration and learning in interaction, for example. Yet once knowledge has been codified or captured, then systematic strategies to retrieve and reuse it are needed. In practical terms, this implies an interest in many types of information system from web site creation up to enterprise search and resource planning systems. Further to this, in order to support the development and adaptation of organisational competences, Knowledge Management requires a strong grasp of strategy. Different competitive strategies require the management of different knowledge bases and processes. For example, an organisation whose strategy is based upon the standardisation of mass consumption products is more likely to be reliant upon codified and standardised knowledge, whereas an organisation whose competitiveness relies on the customisation of services will require Knowledge Management strategies based upon the management of customer relationships.

Because they foster both creative and organisational abilities, Knowledge Management courses attract students with a wide range of first degrees and diverse practical experience. They are stimulating to anyone who is interested in studies that blend the knowledge of organisational behaviour and interaction, strategic management principles and the social use (rather than technical) development) of ICTs.

Your career in Knowledge Management

At the highest level, working in Knowledge Management could be about influencing corporate culture to be more open to sharing knowledge and the creation and acceptance of new ideas. This might be seen as an aspect of human resources management. Yet it could also have its technical side in overseeing the provision of an infrastructure through which knowledge can be stored, shared and reused. The role might include, for example, the development of a corporate Intranet, knowledge bank or more specialised Knowledge Management system, managing the technology, determining how information is to be organised and establishing policies of use. The role might also encompass running more “traditional” information services, such as a library, current awareness service or the support of direct user access to relevant databases. Job titles might be Chief Knowledge Officer or Knowledge Department Manager. People in this position play an important leadership role within an organisation.

At the entry level, the role could be in the business intelligence area or be about the facilitation of internal knowledge transfers. Such work requires people who are well organised, have excellent research skills and who have an understanding of project management. Some Knowledge Management workers are using the latest Web 2.0 technologies or virtual community software to help support cross organisational communities of practice in capturing and sharing knowledge. This is very much about liaison and networking skills, as well as an appreciation of the value of organisational knowledge.

Such roles exist in virtually every economic sector, from insurance and the law through to the public sector and voluntary organisations. As organisations have come to recognise their reliance on knowledge, they have become more proactive in managing knowledge as an asset.

Article by:

Dr Andrew Cox and Dr Ana Vasconcelos
Department of Information Studies
University of Sheffield