Knowledge and learning management initiatives have the potential for making a significant impact on organizational culture and how work is conducted. For example, imagine the shift from a knowledge-hoarding culture to one where knowledge is freely shared and employees work cross-functionally to generate new knowledge and innovations. Dalkir (2005) argues that “corporate culture is a key component of ensuring that critical knowledge and information flow within an organization” (p. 185). To operationalize such organizational culture changes, change management is a critical component for the success of any knowledge and/or learning management initiative. And if the knowledge management initiative is one of an organization’s first, the culture changing implications can be very far-reaching. Thus, having a strategy for managing the change becomes critical for successful implementation.
In looking at change management for knowledge initiatives, Schein (as cited in Dalkir, 2005) “uses the classic three-step approach to discuss change: unfreezing, cognitive restructuring, and refreezing” (p. 184). Schein also emphasizes the importance of the role of leadership in facilitating the change. Cameron & Green (2004) further recommend that “leaders of change need to balance their efforts across all three dimensions of an organizational change: [1] outcomes: developing and delivering clear outcomes; [2] interests: mobilizing influence, authority and power; [3] emotions: enabling people and culture to adapt” (p. 5). These dimensions can be very important in a knowledge and learning management initiative since sharing knowledge—and other aspects that go along with many of these initiatives—can be very scary or intimidating to people. As Cavaleri & Seivert (2005) share, “continually improving the quality of your knowledge for action…is not always easy or comfortable. It means a willingness to be a learning-novice when you enter unknown territory, and also a willingness to change beliefs and behavior when you discover they are no longer effective” (p. 78).
Cavaleri & Seivert (2005) also offer the following advice: “During change efforts, including knowledge initiatives, leaders must be careful to safeguard and sustain [the] essential parts of the organization [such as function, identity, values, and essence] while simultaneously letting go of what is not essential to it” (p. 314). By staying true to their essence and those things that make the organization sustainable, organizations can act efficiently and effectively. Without this central focus, it is all too easy to focus on the wrong things—like simply making money, which is not a goal but a desired end-product for many businesses.
Ultimately, by linking to the company’s essence, knowledge and learning management initiatives can become strategic levers for mobilizing cultural changes that can lead to the growth and sustainability of the organization.
References:
Cameron, E. & Green, M. (2004). Making sense of change management. London: Kogan page.
Cavaleri, S. & Seivert, S. (2005). Knowledge leadership: The art and science of the knowledge-based organization. Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Dalkir, K. (2005). Knowledge management in theory and practice. Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann.
- Robin
Copyright Robin Donnan 2008. All Rights Reserved.
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