Knowledge Matters™

Introduction

This page provides a very brief overview of my research. For a detailed explanation please read my final research proposal . For a visual overview please view my final research proposal presentation .

I would be most grateful if you take my survey on the meaning of data, information and knowledge. The survey will take no more than 10 minutes to complete.

Research Problem

The problem being addressed in my research is - ‘How can public-sector organisations enable knowledge for improved productivity and positive exploitation?’ This question is derived from four assumptions and two propositions, which have been determined from the preliminary literature review, my own experience, and the methodological framework to be employed. They are:

• Assumption One. Data, information, and knowledge are interacting holons within complex social systems.
• Assumption Two. Each social system has its own data, information and knowledge holons.
• Assumption Three. Public-sector organisations are complex soft systems, consisting of formal and informal holons each with their own knowledge holons.
• Assumption Four. There is a positive relationship between workplace productivity and knowledge enablement.
• Proposition One. Organisations find it difficult to exploit knowledge because they do not define what constitutes knowledge for them.
• Proposition Two. Organisations find it difficult to implement knowledge management initiatives because the examples in the literature are ‘models of knowledge’ rather than ‘knowledge management models’ with explicit processes.

Research Aim and Desired Outcome

The aim of my research is to document what knowledge means for a public-sector organisation, so a theory and model of knowledge productivity, including a means for measurement, can be developed. The motivation for my research is to provide an empirical basis from which a model of knowledge productivity for a public-sector organisation can be developed. The expected outcome is to produce a model of knowledge productivity that can be applied with little modification anywhere in the public-sector, and possibly in the commercial-sector.

Research Methodology

The strategy to be employed is a case study, which employs a phased approach based on soft systems methodology and grounded theory . Phase one encompasses all the preliminary requirements to gain approval for the research, as well as instrument design, and the conduct of a small pilot. Phase two involves data collection and analysis . Focus groups, surveys and personal interviews will be used, along with a number of software tools to aid analysis. Model and theory development will be developed in parallel. Phase three is the write up of the thesis and the production of a report for the organisation that was researched.

Research Questions

To solve the primary research question - 'How can public-sector organisations enable knowledge for improved productivity and positive exploitation?’ - the following questions must be answered:

• What constitutes data, information and knowledge for public-sector organisations?
• Are there intermediate forms of data, information, and knowledge, and if so how are they related?
• How do public-sector organisations evaluate a knowledge claim, both at the personal and organisational level?
• What workplace practices support individual and organisational productivity, and in turn enable knowledge?
• How do public sector organisations engage in knowledge exploitation, and for what purpose, given they are not directly involved in commercial activities?
• How do public sector organisations evaluate the utility of the various knowledge management models, given that there seems to be no agreed definition of knowledge?

Research Justifications

Much of the literature has an evangelistic quality about it, and relies upon a ‘business guru’ or self-proclaimed knowledge expert to justify its contention. Further there is little empirical research available on the application of theory to the workplace, and there is a paucity of Australian examples in the literature. All this means corporations and the public-sector are spending millions of dollars on knowledge management initiatives, with up to 84% of projects failing. My research will take a small step towards correcting these anomalies by providing an empirical study that assists in the development of a model of public-sector knowledge productivity.