“The New Scope of Knowledge Management in Theory and Practice” 2-6 September 2002 Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France

Written by Matthew Khoe, Martyn Laycock and Gerry Furlong from University of Greenwich, Business School

Acknowledgement to Organizers

The 2002 KMSS convened in Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France from the 02 Sep to the 06 Sep at Ceram Business School and INRIA, National Research Institute. This year the European Knowledge Management Forum organized the summer school with the generous assistance and support of the University of Nottingham Centre for Concurrent Enterprise, BIBA, INRIA, CERAM, EcKM, Groupe ESC, ATOS ORIGIN and Siemens ICN. The organizer’s vision, collaborative planning and preparation efforts as well as their positive attitude towards delegates created a KMSS environment that maximized the delegates return on participation. On behalf of the delegates, whom were PhD researchers and industry practitioners from Europe, North America, North Africa and Asia, we would like to say thank you to the organizer for arranging, hosting and supporting a very successful 2002 KMSS.

Please read each day's summary and delegates general view in hereafter.

Day 1 - A Review of KM Frameworks for Theory and Practice

To open the 2002 KMSS Professor Kul S. Powar of the University of Nottingham, Centre for Concurrent Enterprise, extended a warm welcome to all, while Bernd Bredehorst of BIBA followed on with a fun and entertaining delegates ice breaking session. The balance of the day was devoted to a review of KM frameworks for theory and practice. Daniele Chauvel from ecKM - Groupe ESC Marseille Provence and Charles Despres of the Graduate School of Business, Marseille-Provence and ecKM, presented a survey of several fundamental and popular KM models; Tacit/ Explicit (Polyani), SECI (Nonaka), knowing and knowledge (Earl) and the Knowledge Spiral (Nonaka). The presentation was built on by a breakaway session focusing on the deconstruction of these models in order to reflect on their foundations and supporting assumptions. Each breakaway group presented a summary of their conclusions. Mr. Despres followed with an insightful presentation on the current themes of interest in KM. His findings are based on Internet searches, a publication reviews, a research paper reviews and interviews conducted by Ms.Chauvel and Mr.Despree. The general feeling amongst delegates regarding Day one was that the presentations and deconstruction exercise were a useful discussion primer on current KM issues. Furthermore, the day’s activities resulted in an emerging common view amongst delegates; that KM models and activity are fragmented, moving in many directions and the concept of knowledge is not universally understood. This has resulted in confusion and misunderstandings in KM research and practice.

Day 2 - Sustainable Communities of Practice

Day 2 was dedicated to the notion of sustainable CoPs. Diane Le Moult from Information and Communication Networks Group Strategy at Siemens AG demonstrated the business benefits and hi-lighted the key features of Siemens online Sharenet. Bernd Bredehorst of BIBA discussed a methodology for making a CoP fly. Small groups of delegates broke away to discuss a CoP start up methodology. One group focused on what a CoP is, how it may form and its possible characteristics. This was followed by a findings presentation from each breakaway group with an opportunity for delegates to ask questions. Delegates found the day useful, provoking reflective discussion on what a CoP is, CoP performance obstacles such as culture and rigid views on the world, and in particular the relevance of the Northern Italian experience with industrial clustering and social capital. Just about, everyone agreed that CoPs are of organizational value, a key KM application, and deserve further research attention.

Day 3 - Connecting KM Research and Practice

Connecting KM and research was day three’s agenda. A panel discussion consisting of industry only representatives making presentations on KM activity within their organizations made this day somewhat un-balanced. The panel focused on research from an industry perspective and failed to provide a view on research and research requirements from academia’s perspective. Furthermore, the panel provided no possible views on linking KM and research. It was soon evident that a divide exists between academia’s standards and notion for research and industries desire for research that supports decision/ actions in the shorter term. Delegates offered a possible solution to bridge the divide on research views and link research to KM practice. Post-graduate researchers and post-doctorial researchers could do placements with industry in order to develop an appreciation for organizational imperatives. While, industry could leverage the high quality research material available at universities in order to avoid recreating the wheel and to create a practitioners appreciation for the long-term benefits of academic research rigor.

Day 4 - Individual and Organisational Learning

Day four focused on individual learning and organizational learning. Alain Giboin, from INRIA discussed the theoretical bases for individual learning and organizational learning. The theme of his presentation was premised on Argyris’s learning models, single loop, double loop and triple loop learning. The social theory of learning or situated learning was not discussed nor was Lave and Wenger’s description of Legitimate Peripheral Participation. Delegates felt that neglecting these theories and tools of analysis ignored relevant views of collaborative learning that are significant for KM.

Robert de Hoog, University of Twente, the Netherlands made a presentation on learning via simulation and its benefits to organizations. Mr. de Hoog demonstrated a software tool called KM quest, a simulation that uses the principles of KM to enable business strategy. The delegates played a round of KM Quest and thought it was an interesting idea, exposure to a simulated business environment in order to experience the principles of KM and strategic decision-making in virtual reality.

Day 5 - Methodologies and Technologies for KM

INRIA hosted the final day of the 2002 KMSS. Rose Dieng provided a demonstration of INRIA’s technology for KM. INRIA’s technology is a result of a research and development effort into KM technologies focusing on capture and storing of information. However, many of the delegates felt the technology was closer to information management rather than KM technology as it lacked a human resources focus that emphasised collaboration and knowledge behaviour. Knowledge behaviour is human activity that adds tangible or intangible value to the organization and this is central to good KM. Delegates generally felt that future research into technology for KM should consider human resources equation from a behavioural and collaborative view point. The presentation on ontologies was very useful as it clearly demonstrated how they could improve the effectiveness and productivity of the knowledge worker. Delegates felt that ontologies deserve more research attention.

Conclusion

A majority of the delegates found the 2002 KMSS to be a valuable and rich experience. Delegates felt that the time spent discussing their KM research and listening to other research activities enhanced the week’s content and exposed them to others views on KM. Such discussion challenges the researchers’ models and assumptions, nurtures their understanding and facilitates reflective thought on their own research issues. For the practitioner such discussion exposes them to views of KM that maybe outside of their organizational paradigm, experience and perceptions. The value for the practitioner arises when they begin to view bespoke KM business models with an objective view that questions their KM experiences and its relevance to the present situation. Exposure to reflective discussion supported by empirical studies and grounded inferences facilitates the practitioners’ evaluation of their KM experiences. All delegates agreed that the mixing of the practitioners views with the academics views was one of the valued outcomes of the 2002, KMSS. This not only generated good KM questions and insights but also networked researcher with practitioner, practitioner with practitioner and researcher with researcher. Such outcomes have potential to create powerful collaborative research and discussion that will develop our understanding of KM.

The week helped develop a sense of familiarity and trust amongst the delegates, causing them to feel less isolated in their research and practice. Such emerging social capital is essential for future collaboration, open and objective discussion and creating a network for those interested in KM practice and researching it. Once again, on behalf of all the delegates, we would like to say thank you to the organizers and presenters for such a rewarding and rich week in Sophia Antipolis, France.

Read also the KMSS 2002 Review and download proceedings and presentations.