Peer - Mediated Distributed Knowledge Management

Distributed Knowledge Management is an approach to knowledge management based on the principle that the multiplicity (and heterogeneity) of perspectives within complex organizations is not be viewed as an obstacle to knowledge exploitation, but rather as an opportunity that can foster innovation and creativity. Despite a wide agreement on this principle, most current KM systems are based on the idea that all perspectival aspects of knowledge should be eliminated in favor of an objective and general representation of knowledge. In this paper we propose a peer-to-peer architecture (called KEx), which embodies the principle above in a quite straightforward way: (i) each peer (called a K-peer) provides all the services needed to create and organize "local" knowledge from an individual's or a group's perspective, and (ii) social structures and protocols of meaning negotiation are introduced to achieve semantic coordination among autonomous peers (e.g., when searching documents from other K-peers). A first version of the system, called KEx, is imple-mented as a knowledge exchange level on top of JXTA

Managing intellectual capital : individual rights and the public interest

Managing intellectual capital and intellectual property is a challenging task, especially for knowledge-based organisations vested with a public interest. Scientific ethics and freedom of information may clash with copyright law or with other intellectual property enactments, thereby engendering conflicts of interest. International law and treaties make for a complex regulatory framework. World-wide advocacy of the open access principle has led to some statutory changes, but its proponents mostly assume that copyright owners will act voluntarily. The implications for knowledge management are elucidated

Home alone: autonomous extension and correction of spatial representations

In this paper we present an account of the problems faced by a mobile robot given an incomplete tour of an unknown environment, and introduce a collection of techniques which can generate successful behaviour even in the presence of such problems. Underlying our approach is the principle that an autonomous system must be motivated to act to gather new knowledge, and to validate and correct existing knowledge. This principle is embodied in Dora, a mobile robot which features the aforementioned techniques: shared representations, non-monotonic reasoning, and goal generation and management. To demonstrate how well this collection of techniques work in real-world situations we present a comprehensive analysis of the Dora system’s performance over multiple tours in an indoor environment. In this analysis Dora successfully completed 18 of 21 attempted runs, with all but 3 of these successes requiring one or more of the integrated techniques to recover from problems

The balanced scorecard as a knowledge management tool: a French experience in a semi-public insurance company

In this paper we present the Balanced Scorecard, a Strategic Control tool, which is quite famous all around the world and in the European countries. Its principle objective is to articulate planning decisions with control ones thanks to non-financial indicators. The Strategic Control and the Agency Theories constitute the foundation of this tool. But in Northern Europe, some specific Balanced Scorecard have been designed in the framework of the Knowledge Management Theory. To work, the Balanced Scorecard needs a sophisticated information system support. Using two theoretical backgrounds, the Strategic Control approach and the Knowledge Management Theory, we analyse the relevance of the Balanced Scorecard. More particularly, we present the French situation. First, we show that the French managers believe that the Balanced Scorecard is a relevant management instrument to drive the firm's objectives. Second, we describe the Balanced Scorecard of a semipublic French insurance company.Balanced Scorecard; Strategic Control; Non-financial Indicators; Knowledge Management; French Experience

The Waikato River Settlement and Natural Resource Management in New Zealand

This paper examines the Waikato River Agreement in Principle by considering the implications of accommodating cultural values in natural resource management for the Waikato River and New Zealand. Economics will continue to play an integral part in the management of the Waikato River and natural resources in New Zealand. The settlement provides an opportunity to rethink how to incorporate Maori knowledge, cultural and social relationships, and social, cultural, and economic wellbeing in an integrated, holistic, and coordinated approach.water, cultural values, natural resource economics, co-management, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, Political Economy,

Importance of tacit knowledge towards company performance and its relevance to construction

Valuable human and knowledge resources will be wasted unless organisations make better use of these prime resources. Tacit knowledge in particular is still considered to be relatively unexplored and proper understanding and management of this resource is of immense importance for better organisational performance. The research addresses the importance of people factor and tacit knowledge in construction and examines the contribution towards the company performance and achievement of competitive advantage through a thorough literature review. Principle insights of dominant views on organisational resources are discussed to highlight the strategic nature of tacit knowledge. Labour and knowledge intensive nature of the construction industry is revealed and finally the importance and the significant role of people factor and tacit knowledge in construction are highlighted. This provides the basis for more empirical research on finding importance of tacit knowledge towards organisational performance in the construction industry

Preliminary Reflexion on Basic Principle of Infrastructure Asset Management

Infrastructure is vital for regions life, mean while the infrastructure is always onerous and complex. The region must be able to manage its infrastructure well. Therefore the Basic Principle of Infrastructure Asset Management need to be well defined. This paper presents the result of an attempt to define the Basic Principle Infrastructure Asset Management. The Infrastructure Asset Management is defined as the science, the knowledge and the program to manage the infrastructure life in order to be able to well function in sustainable way, efficient and effective. The Infrastructure Asset Management knowledge consists of 7 basic knowledges, i.e on infrastructure, infrastructure function, infrastructure physical structure infrastructure externalities, infrastructure life cycle, infrastructure economy, and infrastructure managing organization. To master the Infrastructure Asset Management analyse tools must be added such as: statistics, decision making, risk management, quality management, strategic management, etc

Intellectual capital as a strategic tool for organising social services: a qualitative analysis of the Australian non-profit sector

The organisation and delivery of social services have been profoundly affected by the 'new public management' agenda of governments. Social service non-profit organisations (SSNPOs) have had little choice but to respond to commercial imperatives which may compromise the principle of investing in human and social concerns. This paper analyses the usefulness of intellectual capital (IC) - organisational resources contributing to knowledge, information, intellectual property, and human skills and experience - in addressing the conflicts between commercial and social objectives. On the basis of data gathered from in-depth interviews with 35 non-profit managers across 22 large Australian SSNPOs, the analysis confirms that IC assists SSNPOs in managing the social-commercial divide. However, the data also revealed that managers' understandings of the IC concept were often different to those contained in the IC literature. This paper contributes to the social services management debate by, first, arguing that IC can be utilised as a non-profit strategic management conceptual framework. Second, it highlights slippages in the meaning and significance of IC. Third, it prescribes ways the concept may be utilised more effectively in SSNPO practice

Considerations regarding the Performance Improvement of the Hospital Healthcare Services from Romania by the Implementation of an Integrated Management System

The continuous quality improvement is an obligatory condition for the achievement and maintaining of the performance in healthcare services. Introducing the concepts of quality improvement in medical practice represents a distinctive component of the hospital reform in Romania. Healthcare quality is a more important principle in sanitary field, because the level of patients ‘knowledge is increasing concomitantly with the technological and therapeutic progresses. The continuous quality improvement is an obligatory condition for the achievement and maintaining the performance in healthcare organization, especially in hospital. The integration of many management systems (quality management, environmental management, security and occupational health management, information security management) and the development of an integrated management model applicable to Romanian hospitals, which have as principal goal to improve the performance of health services, represent a challenge for the Romanian health system. An integrated management system is a logical and systematic managerial approach, which permits taking-up optimum strategic and operational decisions. These decisions take into consideration all the essential aspects which lead to an efficient functionality of health organization, in terms of quality, environment, security and occupational health, and information security.healthcare, hospital, quality, integrated management system