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1.2 Description of the Handbook
The Handbook can be divided into several sections as follows:
1st section
The first section of TRAINMOR-KNOWMORE Handbook aims to provide readers with an introduction to Knowledge Management. Basic definitions, theories and concepts such as types of knowledge, the differences between data, information and knowledge, etc. are given. The reader will become familiar with the main Knowledge Management processes like knowledge creation, knowledge transfer, knowledge coding, knowledge capture and knowledge exploitation. In addition, this section includes several examples taken from real business contexts to show that Knowledge Management is not something new. On the contrary, readers will have the opportunity to see that companies and employees always create, transfer, and use knowledge in their everyday activities using well-established methods and techniques. This section justifies the need for companies to focus management efforts on their intangible elements and provides the five enabling conditions for knowledge creation. Finally, the section presents a theoretical but very important dichotomy, which lead practitioners and researchers have debated for a long time - the system and human oriented strategic approaches to KM.
2nd section
The second part of the Handbook is devoted to strategic considerations regarding knowledge and knowledge management. Readers can revisit the main business strategy frameworks while also adopting the knowledge dimension. Important elements of this section are two analytical tools which are useful for managers during their first and crucial steps in KM. These are a comprehensive framework for implementing an Organisational Knowledge SWOT analysis and the Knowledge Audit Tool. The last chapter includes three questionnaires. Two for each of the above-mentioned strategic Knowledge Management tools and one for evaluating organisational culture, an important strategic success factor for KM. Three case studies are also included.
3rd section
This is possibly the most important part of the TRAINMOR-KNOWMOR Handbook including 16 KM tools and 17 case studies mostly representing real cases from KM literature. This section can be considered as being divided in two parts. The first part seeks to present an analytical overview of the so-called KM Information Technology tools including knowledge portals, content & data management systems, data mining and staff yellow pages. It could be said that these tools follow the system-oriented approach to KM because they are mainly used in the management of explicit knowledge.
The second part aims to present human-oriented KM tools. The nature of some of them such as Knowledge Maps and Social Network Analysis is analytical and their use should be part of a comprehensive KM strategy. The other tools described in this part aim to support human-based knowledge activities focusing on tacit knowledge transfer and creation. In this category we see communities of practise, in house training, quality circles, job rotation, developing and evaluating organisational culture as well as methods of encouraging and motivating staff in terms of knowledge transfer. The 3rd section is enriched with three broadly used creativity techniques, an important area which is not addressed by other KM books and a set of useful tips for managers on how to better organise interviews for staffing.
4th section
The aim of the last section of TRAINMOR-KNOWMORE handbook is to provide readers with an overall review of the most important practical steps and issues for consideration before commencing on a KM path. In this section, managers will find a comprehensive list of potential KM metrics and a set of guidelines on how to build their knowledge management teams.
Acknowledgements
Programme Support
The TRAINMOR KNOWMORE Project is supported by the European Commissions Leonardo da Vinci Programme.
Leonardo da Vinci is a European Community programme which aims to support national training strategies through funding a range of transnational partnership projects aimed at improving quality, fostering innovation and promoting the European dimension in vocational training.
Leonardo sponsors pilot projects, like TRAINMOR KNOWMORE, as they provide a vehicle for improving quality and promoting innovation in vocational training. Pilot projects develop tangible products, using new information and communications technologies where appropriate.
The aims of Pilot projects include some of the following:
In Ireland, Léargas is Ireland's National Agency for the management of the Leonardo da Vinci Programme at National level. Léargas is also responsible for the management of other National, European and International co-operation programmes involving:
Participating Organisations
There are eleven organisations participating in the TRAINMOR KNOWMORE Project. They include:
Contact: Ultan Faherty
Business Development Centre, Letterkenny Institute of Technology, Port Rd., Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, IRELAND
T: +353 74 9186773
F: +353 74 9186771
E: ultan.faherty@lyit.ie
W: www.westbic.ie
Contact: Nikos Katsiadakis and Mando Karveli
TTP/MDC S.A.
6th Km Harilaou-Thermis, 57001, Thermi, Thessaloniki, GREECE
T: +30-2310-498200
F: +30-2310-498280
E: nicolas@thestep.gr
W: www.thestep.gr
Contact: Ioanna Garefi and Tonia Damvakeraki
ATLANTIS CONSULTING S.A
9th Klm Thessaloniki-Thermi
“Terra of Innovation”
57001, Thessaloniki, GREECE
T: +30-2310-531000
F: +30-2310-552265
E: garefi@atlantisresearch.gr
W: www.atlantisresearch.gr
Contact: Aristotelis Alexopoulos
Athens Laboratory of Business Administration (ALBA)
Athinas Ave. & 2A Areos Str., Vouliagmeni, 16671, GREECE
T: + 0033 2108964531
F: + 0033 2108963302
E: aalexopo@alba.edu.gr
W: www.alba.edu.gr
Contact: Martin Hagemann
LiNK MV e.V
Friedrich-Barnewitz-Str. 3,
18119 Rostock -GERMANY
T: +49-381-5196105
F: +49-381-5196154
E: hagemann@mvlink.de
W: www.mvlink.de
Contact: Dr. Gerd Zimmer
pro-kompetenz
Institut für Projektbegleitung und Kompetenzentwicklung - pro-kompetenz - e.V.
Im Winkel 53, D-18059, Rostock – GERMANY
T: ++49-381-2006082
F: ++49-381-5196154
E: zimmer@pro-kompetenz.de
W: www.pro-kompetenz.de
Contact: Britta Ender
BilSE
Langendammscher Weg 2a, Guestrow 18273 –GERMANY
T: +49 3843 2159 05
F: +49 3843215927
E: info@bilse.de
W: www.bilse.de
Contact: Antonis Antoniou
Research Promotion Foundation
Apelli and Nirvana corner, 1080 Nicosia, CYPRUS
T: +357-22205042
F: +357-22205001
E: aantoniou@research.org.cy
W: www.research.org.cy
Contact: Johann Laister, Brigitte Zörweg
MERIG – Multidisciplinary European Research Institute Graz
Dreierschützengasse 37, 8020 Graz, AUSTRIA
T: +43 316 948761
F: +43 316 914851
E: info@merig.org
W: www.merig.org
Contact: Dr. Elissaveta Gourova
Sofia University
125 Tzarigradsko shosse Blv., Bl.2, Fl.3, Sofia 1113, BULGARIA
T: +35929713509
F: +35929713543
E: elis@fmi.uni-sofia.bg
W: www.fmi.uni-sofia.bg
Contact: Mirabela Borcos
National Council of Private SMEs in Romania
Piata Walter Maracineanu 1-3, Intrarea 1, sector 1, Bucuresti, cod 010155, ROMANIA
T: +40 21 3126893
F: +40 21 3129198
E: analiza.sondaje@cnipmmr.ro
W: www.cnipmmr.ro
1st section
The first section of TRAINMOR-KNOWMORE Handbook aims to provide readers with an introduction to Knowledge Management. Basic definitions, theories and concepts such as types of knowledge, the differences between data, information and knowledge, etc. are given. The reader will become familiar with the main Knowledge Management processes like knowledge creation, knowledge transfer, knowledge coding, knowledge capture and knowledge exploitation. In addition, this section includes several examples taken from real business contexts to show that Knowledge Management is not something new. On the contrary, readers will have the opportunity to see that companies and employees always create, transfer, and use knowledge in their everyday activities using well-established methods and techniques. This section justifies the need for companies to focus management efforts on their intangible elements and provides the five enabling conditions for knowledge creation. Finally, the section presents a theoretical but very important dichotomy, which lead practitioners and researchers have debated for a long time - the system and human oriented strategic approaches to KM.
2nd section
The second part of the Handbook is devoted to strategic considerations regarding knowledge and knowledge management. Readers can revisit the main business strategy frameworks while also adopting the knowledge dimension. Important elements of this section are two analytical tools which are useful for managers during their first and crucial steps in KM. These are a comprehensive framework for implementing an Organisational Knowledge SWOT analysis and the Knowledge Audit Tool. The last chapter includes three questionnaires. Two for each of the above-mentioned strategic Knowledge Management tools and one for evaluating organisational culture, an important strategic success factor for KM. Three case studies are also included.
3rd section
This is possibly the most important part of the TRAINMOR-KNOWMOR Handbook including 16 KM tools and 17 case studies mostly representing real cases from KM literature. This section can be considered as being divided in two parts. The first part seeks to present an analytical overview of the so-called KM Information Technology tools including knowledge portals, content & data management systems, data mining and staff yellow pages. It could be said that these tools follow the system-oriented approach to KM because they are mainly used in the management of explicit knowledge.
The second part aims to present human-oriented KM tools. The nature of some of them such as Knowledge Maps and Social Network Analysis is analytical and their use should be part of a comprehensive KM strategy. The other tools described in this part aim to support human-based knowledge activities focusing on tacit knowledge transfer and creation. In this category we see communities of practise, in house training, quality circles, job rotation, developing and evaluating organisational culture as well as methods of encouraging and motivating staff in terms of knowledge transfer. The 3rd section is enriched with three broadly used creativity techniques, an important area which is not addressed by other KM books and a set of useful tips for managers on how to better organise interviews for staffing.
4th section
The aim of the last section of TRAINMOR-KNOWMORE handbook is to provide readers with an overall review of the most important practical steps and issues for consideration before commencing on a KM path. In this section, managers will find a comprehensive list of potential KM metrics and a set of guidelines on how to build their knowledge management teams.
Acknowledgements
Programme Support
The TRAINMOR KNOWMORE Project is supported by the European Commissions Leonardo da Vinci Programme.
Leonardo da Vinci is a European Community programme which aims to support national training strategies through funding a range of transnational partnership projects aimed at improving quality, fostering innovation and promoting the European dimension in vocational training.
Leonardo sponsors pilot projects, like TRAINMOR KNOWMORE, as they provide a vehicle for improving quality and promoting innovation in vocational training. Pilot projects develop tangible products, using new information and communications technologies where appropriate.
The aims of Pilot projects include some of the following:
- To promote the design, development, testing, assessment and dissemination of innovative vocational training products, tools, methods and approaches, including training for trainers and guidance counsellors;
- To develop new vocational training tools, services and products using ICT which will promote access to vocational training;
- To support the creation of trans-national open and distance learning vocational training networks to make the broadest possible range of innovative teaching tools and methods available to the public;
In Ireland, Léargas is Ireland's National Agency for the management of the Leonardo da Vinci Programme at National level. Léargas is also responsible for the management of other National, European and International co-operation programmes involving:
- Education and Lifelong Learning
- Vocational Education and Training
- Youth and Community Work
- Guidance in Education
Participating Organisations
There are eleven organisations participating in the TRAINMOR KNOWMORE Project. They include:
Contact: Ultan Faherty
Business Development Centre, Letterkenny Institute of Technology, Port Rd., Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, IRELAND
T: +353 74 9186773
F: +353 74 9186771
E: ultan.faherty@lyit.ie
W: www.westbic.ie
Contact: Nikos Katsiadakis and Mando Karveli
TTP/MDC S.A.
6th Km Harilaou-Thermis, 57001, Thermi, Thessaloniki, GREECE
T: +30-2310-498200
F: +30-2310-498280
E: nicolas@thestep.gr
W: www.thestep.gr
Contact: Ioanna Garefi and Tonia Damvakeraki
ATLANTIS CONSULTING S.A
9th Klm Thessaloniki-Thermi
“Terra of Innovation”
57001, Thessaloniki, GREECE
T: +30-2310-531000
F: +30-2310-552265
E: garefi@atlantisresearch.gr
W: www.atlantisresearch.gr
Contact: Aristotelis Alexopoulos
Athens Laboratory of Business Administration (ALBA)
Athinas Ave. & 2A Areos Str., Vouliagmeni, 16671, GREECE
T: + 0033 2108964531
F: + 0033 2108963302
E: aalexopo@alba.edu.gr
W: www.alba.edu.gr
Contact: Martin Hagemann
LiNK MV e.V
Friedrich-Barnewitz-Str. 3,
18119 Rostock -GERMANY
T: +49-381-5196105
F: +49-381-5196154
E: hagemann@mvlink.de
W: www.mvlink.de
Contact: Dr. Gerd Zimmer
pro-kompetenz
Institut für Projektbegleitung und Kompetenzentwicklung - pro-kompetenz - e.V.
Im Winkel 53, D-18059, Rostock – GERMANY
T: ++49-381-2006082
F: ++49-381-5196154
E: zimmer@pro-kompetenz.de
W: www.pro-kompetenz.de
Contact: Britta Ender
BilSE
Langendammscher Weg 2a, Guestrow 18273 –GERMANY
T: +49 3843 2159 05
F: +49 3843215927
E: info@bilse.de
W: www.bilse.de
Contact: Antonis Antoniou
Research Promotion Foundation
Apelli and Nirvana corner, 1080 Nicosia, CYPRUS
T: +357-22205042
F: +357-22205001
E: aantoniou@research.org.cy
W: www.research.org.cy
Contact: Johann Laister, Brigitte Zörweg
MERIG – Multidisciplinary European Research Institute Graz
Dreierschützengasse 37, 8020 Graz, AUSTRIA
T: +43 316 948761
F: +43 316 914851
E: info@merig.org
W: www.merig.org
Contact: Dr. Elissaveta Gourova
Sofia University
125 Tzarigradsko shosse Blv., Bl.2, Fl.3, Sofia 1113, BULGARIA
T: +35929713509
F: +35929713543
E: elis@fmi.uni-sofia.bg
W: www.fmi.uni-sofia.bg
Contact: Mirabela Borcos
National Council of Private SMEs in Romania
Piata Walter Maracineanu 1-3, Intrarea 1, sector 1, Bucuresti, cod 010155, ROMANIA
T: +40 21 3126893
F: +40 21 3129198
E: analiza.sondaje@cnipmmr.ro
W: www.cnipmmr.ro
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