Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to focus on knowledge management implementation from an organisational culture perspective and analyse the relationship between knowledge and power within this context. It outlines the reasons why knowledge is a power resource, and proposes that, as such, it can only be managed successfully within the framework of an effective and legitimate use of all organisational power resources. The paper looks at the factors that constitute a legitimate use of power in the Western organisational context of the twenty-first century which in turn engenders the development of trust within employment relationships. The development of trust ensures that knowledge is used to further the achievement of organisational goals. Finally, the paper addresses the ways in which effective knowledge management practice contributes to this desired state, and outlines the role of the knowledge manager in facilitating this. Design/methodology/approach -The method adopted is a literature-based analysis of the main issues covered. These include: the development of the knowledge society and attendant theories around optimal organisational structures, the relationship between knowledge and power, the development of legitimate authority within organisations, and how this impacts on the creation of trust, and finally the impact which the presence of trust has on knowledge-sharing behaviours within the organisation. Findings -Pulling together evidence from across a wide range of academic disciplines leads to the conclusion that the successful management of the relationship between access to knowledge and access to power must be framed within an overall organisational context, in which all power resources are seen to be exercised in a legitimate manner. In this context, knowledge is no longer regarded as a personal power resource, but rather as a communal resource which will then be more likely to be shared freely in order to facilitate the joint and mutually beneficial achievement of organisational goals. Underpinning this organisational dynamic is an environment of trust. Originality/value -The paper provides a summary of the literature around pivotal aspects of the question of the relationship between access to knowledge and the perception of knowledge as a source of power in the organisational context. It pulls together a range of material looking at the needs of the knowledge economy and at issues around the development of legitimate authority and the development of trust in the organisational context. It then relates this back to the successful development of a knowledge-sharing culture, and outlines the role of the knowledge manager in working with employees at all levels in the organisation in developing an optimal culture for knowledge creation and sharing.
Rural change in developed market economies is no longer strictly synonymous only with agricultural restructuring. In the current economic climate, many rural areas may be seen to consist of a number of different competing factions, comprising traditional agricultural, ‘new’ agricultural and non‐agricultural interests. In the past, geographers have tended to study farm diversification and rural industrialization as separate, isolated fields of research. Whilst these foci are of merit, a more holistic conceptualization of rural change is now required. This paper defines the concept of ‘rural diversification’ and offers an agency‐structure conceptualization as a framework for analysis. It is suggested that such structured conceptualization is required for a more informed understanding of the process of rural change in the United Kingdom.
The demystification of information retrieval is largely due to the arrival of the Internet. Increasingly, the end-user community perceives that the web will provide the answer to all information needs. The advent of the Internet has led to a requirement to revisit the traditional role of the information professional and a need to refocus on core competencies. The role of the information professional has evolved. In addition to information retrieval skills, the information professional needs to develop a role as trainer and facilitator of quality information retrieval. Above all, the information specialist must become closely aligned to the business, able to ride the wave of change both in the business and in technology. In the task of role definition, information professionals should look to encompass the following areas within their sphere of responsibility:• End-user relationships: maintain an open dialogue with end-users. Anticipate needs and provide creative solutions to information sourcing. Develop a role as an advocate of best practice within the sphere of quality information retrieval.• Training: develop a profile as trainer on best practices in Internet searching and core end-user products. Training sessions, email updates on new sources, hints and tips on the use of the Internet should all form part of the trainer function.• IT: work closely with the IT Department to implement information supply strategies. Act as intermediary between internal IT departments and external suppliers to ensure that business requirements are adequately reflected in technical solutions • Information management: maintain proactive management of the information sources introduced into the organisation, and broker the best deals between the commercial supplier and the internal user. Proactively seek new areas in which the Information Department can play a role, i.e. the maintenance of the firm intranet site, internal document management and competitive intelligence initiatives.• Intranet development: develop an intranet site through which contractual commercial Internet services are routed. In addition, provide links to information department 'audited' free web sites. Acquire new skills in web authoring. Leverage traditional skills in data indexing.• Industry specialisation: develop subject and industry specialisation reflecting the key business areas of the parent company.• Continual professional development: maintain awareness of future trends, and seek to understand how they may impact on the business in general and the information professional in particular.
No abstract
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.