Knowledge services
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Knowledge services is an emerging concept that integrates Knowledge Management, Knowledge organizations, and Knowledge markets. Knowledge Services are programs that produce or provide content-based organizational outputs with embedded value that are intended to be used or transferred to meet external user wants or needs. Knowledge services are delivered through a service delivery spectrum that functions within knowledge markets.
[edit] Knowledge Services
An average dictionary contains 10 definitions of knowledge and 20 definitions of service. Multiplying ambiguity times itself yields ambiguity squared. Consequently, the term knowledge services is used to mean virtually anything. Of the first 100 Web sites listed by Google (on April 3, 2007) containing the term “knowledge services,” 66 non-redundant organizational sites were classified into 24 subject areas in 8 subject groups, indicating highly diverse use of the term. Subject groups included business applications and information technology, followed by learning, investment, governance, networking, libraries, and specific sites. Consulting companies provided 69% of the sites, with government activities providing 15%. Virtually all sites describe or define knowledge services specifically in the context of their business or mandate.
St. Clair and Reich (2002) describe internal knowledge services as a management approach that integrates information management, knowledge management, and strategic learning into an enterprise-wide function. Chen et. al. developed an ontology and knowledge architecture to support service integration across distributed, heterogeneous, dynamic virtual organizations. RocSearch (2006) take a broader external view, referring to a nascent knowledge services industry that goes beyond traditional cost and time leveraging advantages of the traditional consulting sector.
Simard et. al (2007) developed a holistic systems model of knowledge services for government S&T organizations. The model begins with generating new content and ends with sector outcomes and individual benefits. The model is independent of content, issues, or organizations. It is designed at a departmental level, but is scalable both upwards and downwards. The primary driver is a department’s legal mandate; a secondary driver is the needs of clients and residents. The model can function from either a supply or demand approach to knowledge markets. There are two levels of resolution - performance measurement, and classifying service-related activities.
There are four types of knowledge services: generate content, develop products, provide assistance, and share solutions. Knowledge services are modeled as a circular value chain comprising nine stages that embed, advance, or extract value from knowledge-based products and services. The stages are: generate, transform, manage, use internally, transfer, enhance, use professionally, use personally, and evaluate. (Simard, 2007) described a service delivery spectrum that is segmented into categories of recipients, with associated levels of distribution, interactions, content complexity, and channels.
From the perspective of knowledge markets, Mcgee and Prusak (1993) note that people barter for information, use it as an instrument of power, or trade it for information of greater value. Davenport and Prusak (1998) used a knowledge marketplace analogy to describe the exchange of knowledge among individuals and groups. However, Shapiro and Varian (1999) indicate that information markets will not resemble textbook competitive markets with many suppliers offering similar products but lacking the ability to influence prices. Simard (2006) described knowledge markets as a group of related circular knowledge-service value chains that function collectively as a sector, to embed, advance, and extract value to yield sector outcomes and individual benefits.
The emergent pattern is that knowledge services provide a higher-level social context or business case for knowledge organizations and why they should manage their knowledge. Knowledge services elevates knowledge management above the level of a production function, with costs to be minimized, to that of a business investment, with the level of investment proportional to its rate of return.
[edit] See Also
Digital Economy, Information economy, Information Market, Information Society, Internet Economy, Knowledge market, Knowledge organization, Knowledge Revolution, Knowledge workers, Knowledge Value, Network Economy
[edit] References
Chen, L., S. J. Cox, C. Goble, A. Roberts, N. R. Shadbolt, P. Smart, F. Tao. Knowledge Services for Distributed Service Integration. School of Engineering, Univ. of Southhampton, Southhampton, UK. 2p. [1]
Davenport, Thomas and Lawrence Prusak. 1998. Working Knowledge. Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA. 199 p.
McGee, James and Lawrence Prusak. 1993. Managing Information Strategically. John Wiley and Sons, New York. p 12.
RocSearch Ltd. 2006. Knowledge Services Market. Soho, London, UK. 15p [2]
St. Clair, Guy and Martina J. Reich. 2002. Knowledge Services: Financial Strategies & Budget. In: Information Outlook, Vol 6, No. 6 (June, 2002) [3]
Shapiro, Carl and Hal R. Varian. 1999. Information Rules. Harvard Business School Press, Watertown, MA. p22.
Simard, Albert. 2006. Knowledge Markets: More than Providers and Users. IPSI Transactions on Advanced Research. Vol. 2, No. 2 pp3-9 [4]
Simard, Albert. 2007. Knowledge Services: The “Why” of Knowledge Management, in: Knowledge Management in Context. 24p (in press, preprint available)
Simard, Albert, Broome, John, Drury, Malcolm, Haddon, Brian, O’Neil, Robert and Pasho, David. 2007. Understanding Knowledge Services at Natural Resources Canada. NRCan, Office of the Chief Scientist, Ottawa, ON. 80p. (in press, preprint available).
