The Persistence of Omniscience in Knowledge Management: Implications or Future Research

Abstract: This paper demonstrates the persistence of omniscience in Knowledge Management (KM) research. Omniscience as a concept has two dimensions ubiquity and utility. This idea of ubiquity is more prevalent when the management goal focuses on processing or transferring pre-existing knowledge efficiently to those who can make use of it. Ubiquity assumes that knowledge is freely available within the firm i.e. is omnipresent, waiting for it to be processed or transferred. The idea of utility assumes that knowledge and its relevance is fully understood by the firm. The firms and its managers are assumed to know the value and quality of knowledge, who needs it, how it should be processed and where it should be transferred to. In short , the firm is assumed to be \u27all-knowing\u27 or omniscient. This paper outlines how the persistence of omniscience underpins the hegemony of the information processing paradigm and transfer research agendas in KM research. We argue that it does so at the expense of considering alternative theories and perspectives. We illustrate how omniscience continues to underpin the dominant theory of knowledge creation i.e. the SECI Model. At face value the SECI model assumes that the firm is a site for the creation of new knowledge. However, on closer inspection, by cross-examining the assumptions of convertibility and amplification within the SECI Model, we outline how the assumption of omniscience hampers the application of this theory to meet its goal for the creation of new knowledge. We illustrate how a departure from the assumption of omniscience will allow for additional avenues of research and address calls for broader perspectives in KM. One such avenue, knowledge-as-process, which focuses on open innovation, creativity and the creating of knowledge overtime is proposed. Th

Justice Education as a Schoolwide Effort: Effective Religious Education in the Catholic School

This essay describes and analyzes one successful justice education program flowing from community service, and demonstrates how such a program in Catholic school responds to several important “calls” to Catholic educators. These “calls” are issued by (a) the needs of the learners and the signs of the times, (b) official documents of the Church about the mission of the Catholic school and the faith growth of youth, and (c) a creative reading of history and contemporary expression of religious education that involves cooperation among all teachers and all subject areas in the school. The essay begins with a description of the justice education program at St. Pius XIII School, comprised of Grades 7 through 12. [The school is a fictional construct; it does not exist as one entity, but is the amalgam of the experiences of good practices in several schools.] Following the description is a treatment of each of the “calls” to which this effective justice education program responds

fMRI biomarkers of social cognitive skills training in psychosis: Extrinsic and intrinsic functional connectivity.

Social cognitive skills training interventions for psychotic disorders have shown improvement in social cognitive performance tasks, but little was known about brain-based biomarkers linked to treatment effects. In this pilot study, we examined whether social cognitive skills training could modulate extrinsic and intrinsic functional connectivity in psychosis using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Twenty-six chronic outpatients with psychotic disorders were recruited from either a Social Cognitive Skills Training (SCST) or an activity- and time-matched control intervention. At baseline and the end of intervention (12 weeks), participants completed two social cognitive tasks: a Facial Affect Matching task and a Mental State Attribution Task, as well as resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI). Extrinsic functional connectivity was assessed using psychophysiological interaction (PPI) with amygdala and temporo-parietal junction as a seed region for the Facial Affect Matching Task and the Mental State Attribution task, respectively. Intrinsic functional connectivity was assessed with independent component analysis on rs-fMRI, with a focus on the default mode network (DMN). During the Facial Affect Matching task, we observed stronger PPI connectivity in the SCST group after intervention (compared to baseline), but no treatment-related change in the Control group. Neither group showed treatment-related changes in PPI connectivity during the Mental State Attribution task. During rs-fMRI, we found treatment-related changes in the DMN in the SCST group, but not in Control group. This study found that social cognitive skills training modulated both extrinsic and intrinsic functional connectivity in individuals with psychotic disorders after a 12-week intervention. These findings suggest treatment-related changes in functional connectivity as a potential brain-based biomarker of social cognitive skills training

Preliminary tools assisting collected building performance measurements

Investigating on-site building performance in architectural science is increasing. However, the simplest forms of measurement often lack any analytical support other than presentation on a time-series plot. Here, we present instrumentation and analytical tools to assist in reporting building performance. The intention is to explore formats for observing performance of buildings based on collected data. Sometimes data are presented directly, but more often, information is revealed by calculation. We introduce examples of tools pertaining to interior-exterior climatic comparisons, occupant comfort and thermal performance, such as weather data plotted against a neutral temperature so that adaptive model comfort tolerances can be illustrated. We plot the interior and exterior air condition on the ASHRAE psychrometric chart to understand conditioning requirements. Other tools calculate the ISO 7730 (Fanger) comfort model, and an adaptive model of comfort is provided for the interior measurements alongside an 80 – 90% comfort band. These tools add value to reporting data by displaying in several formats, so the researcher can observe and report quickly and clearly on the potential of various conditioning periods within a building.A case study is presented for a house in Darwin during the wet-season

Shared Medical and Virtual Surgical Appointments in Oral Surgery

Access to care and patient satisfaction are primary objectives in most, if not all, surgical practices. With current healthcare reform and implementation of The Affordable Care Act of 2010, surgeons are more frequently being challenged by their administrative counterparts to improve clinical efficiency and quality of care while maintaining current profit margins. This chapter describes two non-traditional, innovative concepts that can be incorporated into full scope, oral and maxillofacial surgery practices in order to allow more efficient delivery of care while maintaining quality. The two programs outlined herein are shared medical appointments (SMAs) and virtual surgical appointments (VSAs). These programs, when implemented in a busy academic or group private practice, have the potential to allow for efficient delivery of care while simultaneously improving patient satisfaction