Sharing knowledge in the public sector: two case studies

Abstract

In important areas of the public sector, client service depends on cooperation and collaboration among workers in different organizations or agencies. Examples include social services, education and health care. By sharing knowledge across organizations, workers can improve the quality of the service they provide. Technology to facilitate this knowledge sharing is widely available and a number of businesses have demonstrated how to put it to productive use. But the diffuse nature of many public sector settings imposes particular demands on knowledge management. Here I recount two experiments to promote knowledge sharing in the public sector: an early, unsuccessful effort to link social services workers; and a recent, substantially more successful undertaking to interconnect a large number of public school teachers. These experiences suggest the considerable potential of knowledge sharing in the public sector and underscore some of the challenges faced in that arena.

Knowledge sharing using codification and collaboration technologies to improve health care: lessons from the public sector

“…The management of a public sector website is challenging (Gorry, 2008). Common website elements, such as persistent cookies, customer feedback, and links to other websites, are often prohibited or require oversight in the public sector.…”

“…Henry is not alone in this suggestion. Several scholars from a variety of disciplines have suggested that KM has the potential to transform public administration through the distribution and use of knowledge supported by ICT (Liebowitz, 2004;Gorry, 2008).…”

Rethinking Public Organizations as Knowledge-Oriented and Technology-Driven Organizations

“…Social media provide new opportunities for transforming knowledge sharing by increasing transparency, participation, accountability and cooperation (Mergel, 2011). Technology and ICT infrastructure help facilitate communication and access to knowledge resources (Misra, Hariharan & Khaneja, 2003), lead to promote knowledge sharing (Gorry, 2008), foster the development of information and knowledge sharing within organizations involving government, businesses and citizens to cooperate and create public and social value within knowledge society. Technology is enabling government organizations to create knowledge as a source for improving the productivity and the performances (Fang, 2000) and to sustain the creation of knowledge assets and the performance of knowledge transfer (Syed-Ikhsan & Rowland, 2004).…”

The Influence of Knowledge Management on Learning in Government Organisations

“…Gorry [17] has shown how the proper sharing of knowledge between different government organizations enhanced staff services; giving an example of the influence of knowledge sharing in social services, education, health care and therefore the overall economy. McAdam and O'Dell [18] have proposed that the active exchange of knowledge both in private and public organisations led to improved quality, efficiency, management learning, products and services, and reduced operating cost.…”