Governing Knowledge in Asia

✍ Scribed by Thomas Menkhoff, Hans-Dieter Evers, Yue Wah Chay

• Publisher: World Scientific Publishing Company
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 374
• Series: Series on Innovation and Knowledge Management
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The spread of knowledge is a significant consequence of the process of globalization. Knowledge is used to tackle very diverse issues such as development challenges in emerging markets or the perplexity of corporate decision-makers in the business world. The creation and proper governance of actionable knowledge and intellectual capital have become key preconditions for sustained societal and corporate competitiveness in an era of rapid globalization. This represents new opportunities and challenges for policy makers, business leaders, managers and employees in both public and private sector organizations.

This new book examines both the theoretical and practical aspects of effective knowledge governance and knowledge management in the context of an increasingly competitive, globalised marketplace. Several case studies of Asian countries and organizations are presented, aimed at analyzing factors that impact the governance of knowledge and exemplifying practices policy makers and business leaders adopted to manage knowledge resources and knowledge processes to their fullest potential.

This unique compilation may be used as textbook in undergraduate courses on knowledge management and organizational learning as well as by those interested in development issues and Asian studies. It also provides a rich learning resource for respective graduate courses and executive education programs.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents......Page 6
Contributors......Page 10
List of Figures......Page 14
List of Tables......Page 18
Acknowledgments......Page 20
Why This Book?......Page 22
What is Knowledge?......Page 29
The Rise of Asian Knowledge Society......Page 30
Strategic Groups as K-economy Drivers......Page 32
KM Applications and Challenges......Page 35
Focus on K-sharing Behavior in Organizations......Page 37
References......Page 38
Part I What is Knowledge?......Page 42
1.1. Introduction......Page 44
1.2. Knowledge Era......Page 45
1.2.1. Knowledge as Capital......Page 46
1.2.2. Knowledge versus Information......Page 47
What is knowledge?......Page 48
1.2.4. DIKW Chain......Page 50
1.2.5. Tacit and Explicit Knowledge?......Page 51
1.2.6. Measuring Knowledge......Page 52
1.3. Knowledge Management......Page 53
1.4. Theory of Knowledge......Page 56
1.4.1. Language......Page 57
1.4.2. Community of Action......Page 58
1.5. Knowledge as a Process......Page 59
1.6. Uses and Users of Knowledge......Page 60
1.7. Division of Knowledge......Page 62
1.8. Process of Reintegration......Page 67
1.9. Knowledge and Technology......Page 69
1.9.1. Structure of Technology......Page 70
1.9.2. Technology Support Net......Page 71
1.9.3. High Technology......Page 73
1.9.4. High-Technology Environment......Page 75
References......Page 77
Part II The Rise of Asian Knowledge Society......Page 80
2.1. Introduction......Page 82
2.2. Knowledge and Existence......Page 84
2.3. Idealism and Relativism......Page 86
2.4. The Sociology of Science......Page 88
References......Page 90
3.1. Defining the Knowledge Gap and the Digital Divide......Page 92
3.2. The Widening Knowledge Gap......Page 94
3.3. The Digital Divide Between South-east Asian and European Countries......Page 95
3.4. The Cultural Construction of the Knowledge Gap and the Digital Divide......Page 97
References......Page 98
4.1. The Production of New Knowledge and the Growth of ICT......Page 100
4.2. From Global to Local Knowledge......Page 102
4.3. South-east Asian Vision of Localizing Global Knowledge......Page 103
4.4. Regional Differences in Knowledge Production......Page 105
4.5. The Development of Social Science Knowledge......Page 107
References......Page 110
5.1. Visions of a Knowledge Society......Page 112
5.1.1. A Hypothesis on Transition and Productivity......Page 114
5.2.1. The Productivity of Old and New Knowledge......Page 116
5.2.2. Characteristics of a Knowledge Society......Page 119
5.3.2. Knowledge Society Indicators......Page 121
5.4.1. Changing Occupational Cultures......Page 126
5.4.3. Strategic Groups of Knowledge Workers......Page 127
5.5. Conclusion: The Knowledge Gap and the Digital Divide......Page 128
References......Page 130
Part III Strategic Groups as K-economy Drivers......Page 132
Prologue......Page 134
6.1. Introduction......Page 135
6.2. Knowledge Management Definitions......Page 136
6.3. Tacit, Explicit and Cultural Knowledge, and Storytelling......Page 137
6.4. Storytelling......Page 139
6.5. The Relevance of Knowledge Sharing to the Public Sector......Page 141
6.6. The Knowledge Worker in Organizations......Page 144
6.7. Knowledge Management between Government and Citizenry......Page 147
6.8.1. Knowledge Management within the World Bank Group......Page 148
6.8.2. Examples of KM Implementation: Some Canadian Federal Government Initiatives......Page 153
6.9. Governing Knowledge in the Knowledge Economy......Page 155
6.10. Conclusions and Recommendations for the Public Sector......Page 160
References......Page 162
7.1.1. Knowledge Society......Page 164
7.1.2.1. The growth of ignorance......Page 166
7.1.2.3. The legitimizing function of expert knowledge......Page 167
7.1.3. Who is a Consultant?......Page 168
7.1.4. The Knowledge Market: Experts, Consulting Firms and Think-tanks......Page 170
7.2. Consulting Firms in Singapore......Page 173
7.2.1. Professional Associations......Page 176
7.2.2. Educational Background and Life Histories of Consultants......Page 177
7.3.1. Consultants as Change Agents, Catalysts, and Healers......Page 178
7.3.2. Packaging Knowledge......Page 180
7.4. Trends: Consultants in the New Economy......Page 181
References......Page 183
8.1. Singapore: Towards a Knowledge-Based Economy......Page 186
8.2.1. What is a Science Park?......Page 191
8.2.2. What is Going on Inside the Park in Terms of R&D and Innovation?......Page 194
8.3.1. Singapore’s Technology Corridor......Page 196
8.4. “Craft, Create and Connect” — The Role of Ascendas Pte. Ltd.......Page 198
8.5. Creating a “smart” Science and Technology Park with Knowledge Management — Towards a KM Framework for Science Parks......Page 200
8.7. High-Tech Fantasy or Centre of Innovation? Challenges Ahead for Singapore’s Science Park......Page 205
8.8. Conclusion and Implications......Page 210
References......Page 213
Research Incentive Scheme for Companies (RISC)......Page 216
Appendix 8.2. Milestones of Ascendas......Page 217
9.1. Introduction: Universities and New Markets of Knowledge Production......Page 220
9.1.1. Heterogeneity of Knowledge Production......Page 221
9.1.2. Massification and Democratisation of Higher Education......Page 222
9.1.3. Assimilation of Information Technology into the Academic Environment......Page 223
9.2. Knowledge Management in Universities and Research......Page 225
9.3. Applying KM in the Area of Research: The Case of the Singapore Management University (SMU)......Page 230
9.3.1. Creating and Maintaining Knowledge Repositories in Research......Page 231
9.3.2. Improving Knowledge Access......Page 233
9.3.3. Enhancing the Knowledge Environment and Valuing Knowledge......Page 235
9.4. Conclusion......Page 240
References......Page 244
Part IV KM Applications and Challenges......Page 248
10.1. Introduction......Page 250
10.2. What is KM?......Page 252
10.4. How SMEs can Benefit from KM?......Page 253
10.5.2. Challenge No. 2......Page 255
10.5.3. Challenge No. 3......Page 256
10.6. Strategic Imperatives of KM in SMEs......Page 257
10.7. Do Small and Large Firms Require Different KM Approaches?......Page 258
10.8. Towards Effective KM in SMEs......Page 259
10.9. Case Study: Pest Control Knowledge Management at Origin Exterminators (Singapore) Pte Ltd......Page 260
10.10. Conclusion......Page 261
References......Page 263
11.1. Introduction......Page 266
11.2. Decision Games......Page 268
11.3. How to Use This Case Study......Page 270
11.4. The Knowledge Research Institute......Page 272
11.5. Sequential Events of Decision Scenario......Page 273
11.7. Analysis......Page 277
References......Page 279
12.1. Introduction......Page 280
12.2. A Review of KM Challenges in Organizations......Page 281
12.3. Research Methodology......Page 282
12.4. Case Description......Page 283
12.5. Organization-Wide KM at Wipro Technologies......Page 284
12.6. Analysis and Lessons Learnt......Page 290
12.7. Aligning KM Strategy with Business Realities......Page 291
12.8. Orchestrating Desired Identity Patterns......Page 292
12.9. Middle Level Managers as Catalysts of Success......Page 293
12.10. Conclusions, Contributions and Future Research......Page 294
References......Page 295
Part V Focus on K-sharing Behavior in Organizations......Page 298
13.1. Introduction......Page 300
13.2. Dimensions of Social Capital......Page 301
13.3. Knowledge Sharing Defined......Page 303
13.4. Tacit and Explicit Knowledge......Page 304
13.5. Conditions for Knowledge Sharing......Page 305
13.6. Potential Predictors of Knowledge Sharing......Page 308
13.6.1.1. Structural dimension of social capital as driver of knowledge sharing......Page 309
13.6.1.3. Relational dimension of social capital as driver of knowledge sharing......Page 310
13.7.1. Sample......Page 311
13.7.2. Measures......Page 313
13.9. Results......Page 315
13.10. Discussion and Conclusions......Page 319
References......Page 321
14.1. Introduction......Page 326
14.2. Sharing Knowledge......Page 328
14.3. Knowledge Sharing in “Strong Situations”......Page 329
14.4. Closeness of Ties......Page 331
14.4.1. Closeness of Ties and Rewards......Page 333
14.5. Personal Orientation and Motives......Page 334
14.6. Scenario Methodology......Page 338
14.6.1.1. Sample......Page 339
14.6.3. Treatment Conditions and Dependent Variables......Page 340
14.7. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA)......Page 342
14.7.1. Results......Page 343
14.7.2. Discussion......Page 349
14.8. Managerial Implications......Page 355
14.10. Directions for Future Research......Page 356
References......Page 358
No Appraisal and Individual Based Bonus Condition Included the Following Paragraph......Page 367
No Appraisal and Team Based Bonus Condition Included the Following Paragraph......Page 368
Index......Page 370