1. Definition
1.1 Model
Increasing the individual knowledge worker productivity increases the productivity of the organisation
Personal knowledge management (PKM) is "an approach that complements organisational KM by focusing on ways to support productivity of an individual knowledge worker" (Efimova 2006).
PKM is a tool which can equip knowledge workers with the necessary skills to manage their individual knowledge. In the world of the modern knowledge worker, it has become necessary for individuals to maintain, develop, and market their skills to give them any chance of a competitive advantage in the job market in both the short and long term (Pauleen 2009:222).
Who are Knowledge Workers ?
Knowledge workers are workers whose main capital is knowledge. Typical examples may include software engineers, architects, engineers, scientists and lawyers, because they "think for a living".[1]
The knowledge-based organisation is no more effective than the sum of its knowledge workers' effectiveness . (Davenport) Knowledge management is shifting from a focus on enterprise productivity to a focus on individual knowledge worker productivity (Gartner 2002)
1.2. History
The term "personal knowledge" was first used by Polanyi ( 1958) and the term "personal knowledge management" (PKM) as such appeared for the first time in a working paper by Frand & Hixon
(1999). The PKM has multidisciplinary roots. One of the more apparent antecedents of PKM is Personal Information Management (PIM), which comes from research in library and information management as well as personal productivity tools and softwares (Jones & Teevan 2007). The modern PKM focuses on how individuals can become productive knowledge workers.
1.3 Framework
The basic steps of the PKM consists of the following :
1.3.1 Retrieval of the Information
1.3.2 Evaluation of the Information
1.3.3 Organizing the Information
1.3.4 Collaboratively using the Information
1.3.5 Analaysing the Information
1.3.6 Presenting the final version of the information
1.3.7 Securing the Information
1.4 Case Study
To review the above Framework , lets see how the above is used in IBM at the engineer level
The knowledge worker here or the person that is "thinking for a living" are the software engineers. He or She is encouraged to identify gaps in their skills and then once the gap is filled - internal sharing is encouraged. This ensures that the information is shared out to other IBMers and then this contributes to Organisational Productivity though the originator is via PKM ie in this case "Enabling the Knowledge Worker"
According to Lambe (2002),each of us have different personalities and profiles in relation to our personal knowledge affinities and capabilities, so each of us can help others at the simplest working levels in different roles as a: collector, connector, consumer, critic, communicator and creator of personal knowledge depending on personal capabilities and limitations. In this way, the more we reinforce our role, the more value we can add in a knowledge-based team.
Relating the paragraph above to our case study - we see that in this case there can be 2 ways of doing the enablement - If using Lambe (2002)'s idea the knowledge worker may not necessarily be doing everything from being trained to presenting. He may be able to present the knowledge to another skilled presenter (another Knowledge Worker) and the knowledge can be inseminated more successfully since the presenter is more skilled with presenting.
2. Reason for PKM
2.1 Focus shift
A great deal of organisational knowledge resides in the individual employees' heads and individual knowledge databases. There is a scarcity of research in this area. Knowledge Management (KM) research emphasises extracting knowledge from people instead of encouraging them to manage their personal knowledge and link PKM to organisational knowledge management and productivity. Knowledge workers spend a lot of time looking for valuable information which is already in their possession. This lowers their productivity.
According to Jefferson (2006), PKM was developed in response to the technology revolution which resulted in the problem of information overload. According to Verma (2009) it is a response to the idea that knowledge workers
increasingly need to be responsible for their own growth and learning (Verma 2009). So, PKM is important for all people and organisations envisaging enhancing their productivity to keep abreast with the latest information literacy skills and compete in the global village. Available literature notes numerous benefits of PKM, which can be categorised into two
types, individual benefits and organisational benefits.
2.1.1 Individual Benefits
• PKM can address the information overload problem;
• Individuals can recognise their own value and consequently make better decisions for self-development;
• Individuals are better equipped to work and be more productive;
• PKM enables knowledge-based and informed decision making; '
• Employees feel motivated if given PKM tools and methods to make their lives easier and them more employable;
• It makes people innovative and think critically;
• PKM identifies the personal knowledge and skill gaps and builds on capacities;
• PKM manages personal human capital for professional excellence (Mart & Enache 2008; Cheong & Tsui 2010).
2.1.1 PKM benefits to organisation are:
• Improved productivity and performance;
• Continuous innovation;
• Effective decision making;
• Internal knowledge dissemination; and,
• External information awareness.
2.2 Final Aim of PKM
Increase productivity by reusing information which is already in their possession . Use PKM tools to achieve this where needed or possible
2.2.1 PKM Tools
Most literature refer mainly to the two links below :
2.2.1.1 Zoho Notebook :
https://notebook.zoho.com/nb/public/zohonotebook/page/7427000000022105
"Zoho Notebook combines the collaborative benefits of the internet with the personal touch of your notebook. It is an online application for gathering and multiple types of content that can easily be shared with others. It helps you create, aggregate, and collaborate content from other Zoho services as well as any web content. With its user-friendly simple interface, you can manage multiple sources of information and content in a single place to access and share."
2.2.1.2 PPCSoft
http://www.ppcsoft.com/
PpcSoft iKnow will help you manage information overload and remember all the small details for you so that you can focus on the important stuff !
2.2.1.3 Others
As per your preference - you can use databases or word processors for example.
This writer has an excel sheet with each tab representing different skills that she has and when needed she is able to to recall the information. Networking also comes in play here as information shared by others is also saved here. In return similar information is shared out with others to give a good example of the presentation skills used in the PKM framework above.
3. Skills
The major PKM skills can be characterised as:
• Life-Long Learning skills;
• Manage learning skills;
• Information literacy skills;
• Organisational skills;
• Networking and collaborative skills;
• Research and observation skills;
• Communication & visualisation skills;
• Creative and innovative skills;
• Latest information and communication technology skills; and,
• Information management skills.
4. Case Study International Scenario
According to IBM's First Lady CEO Ginni Rometty
“The social network will be the new production line in a company,” Rometty predicted. The primary benefit of new social platforms, she said, is that today’s knowledge workers have access to each other. In the near future, she believes “your value will not be what you know, but what you share.”
IBM stands forefront with encouraging the PKM model - they encourage the reward system of rewarding knowledge workers who like to share. In IBM a top down model is applied for yearly deliverables but based on the constant IBM's Values which includes integrity and "trust in every relationship". So based on these values ,all IBMers who are knowledge workers tend to share to their level best.
5. Case Study Malaysian Scenario
The Malaysia government has already started with avenues to encourage PKM, once such avenue is the HRDF. This fund is available to employers/employees who meet the conditions determined by the fund administrators.
The advancement of PKM in Malaysia is related to the overall Knowledge Management issues faced by Malaysians.
For instance the vast difference of Knowledge Sharing in Malaysian Industries. According to Azmi, I. M. (2010) , a success factor that gives a vast difference of knowledge sharing in the educational institutes is whether the field is more tacit or explicit. Another difference in industries that should be looked at is whether the knowledge worker is attached to an international companies or with local employers. International employees will be more perceptive to change when there is a set reward in place with also the hint that non-performers are given only up to X number of attempts to improve themselves. The inability to accept direct criticism and the fear of losing seniority and inadvertently respect which is common among Asians (as noted by Pierre Kay 2010 Xomba) is a sample cultural difference that could hinder knowledge sharing.
Another point noted by Azmi, I. M. (2010) is the fact that in Malaysia "Social Sharing seems to trend towards more political interests as opposed to skills related knowledge sharing". This may hinder the PKM model to a very severe level where sharing if any even its done by Knowledge Workers are not the correct knowledge that needs to be shared for country and people advancement.
In order to rectify this situation , there needs to be a systematic, strict and standard process of information dissemination for all in Malaysia and this may be the first step to encouraging PKM.
6. Conclusion
Figure 1 : PKM Implementation (As taken from Priti Jain's Personal Knowledge Management - The Foundation of Organisational Management 2010)
Jain has given some excellent points for PKM Implementation and some of this may be used in the local context , see below :
i) The local knowledge workers should be encourage to align their personal development goals to the organisational goals . An opportunity of encouraging this lies in the local administration to provide
ii) The development goals should include at least one the PKM skills other then "Life-long" learning and this would in turn increase the chances of PKM success and inadvertently the organisation's success .
iii) There should be an awareness campaign of the tools available to knowledge workers , this would perhaps be a key point to improving PKM Sharing locally,
Figure 2 : Shows the MindMap version of the information shared in this blog for ease of reference.
References :
1. Davenport, Thomas H. (2005) Thinking for a living, Boston: Harvard Business Press
2. ain P. Personal knowledge management: the foundation of
organisational knowledge management. South African Journal Of Libraries & Information Science [serial online]. May 2011;77(1):1-14.
Available from: Academic Search Complete, Ipswich ,
MA
3. EzineArticles
(2007) Procurement
Skills - How to Improve Your Productivity With a Personal Knowledge Management
System. [online] Available at:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Procurement-Skills---How-to-Improve-Your-Productivity-With-a-Personal-Knowledge-Management-System&id=3960687
[Accessed: 13 Mar 2013].
4. Forbes (2013) IBM
CEO Predicts Three Ways
5. Hrdf.com.my
(2011) PSMB
Enterprise
6. Xomba (2010) Understanding
the Asian culture in the work place. [online] Available at:
http://kay-pierre.xomba.com/understanding_asian_culture_work_place [Accessed:
13 Mar 2013].
