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Stmg 545: Knowledge Management Question Paper
Stmg 545: Knowledge Management
Course:Master Of Business Administration
Institution: Kenya Methodist University question papers
Exam Year:2012
KENYA METHODIST UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
END OF SEMESTER EXAMINATION FOR MASTER IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DECEMBER, 2012 (EVENING)
UNIT CODE : STMG 545
UNIT TITLE : KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
TIME: 3 HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS
Answer question ONE and any other THREE questions.
Case: Reddyray (RR) Media Consult
Reddyray (RR) is a thriving media relations firm based in Nairobi, with branch offices in Embu, Eldoret, Kakamega and Kisumu. Engaged in dynamic field of public relations, RR renders a variety of services to its clients, which are mostly multinationals eager to access a variety of overseas markets – the location where RR operates. RR’s employees are all university graduates with English as the common language. RR’s CEO, George Amusavi, has a high-tech vision for the firm, whereby employees will have knowledge freely, contribute knowledge to electronic knowledge repositories (EKT) and reuse/recontextualise much of the knowledge that has already been created by other. Its budget for this project is Ksh.20 Million over 3 years. These changes, he believes, will dramatically improve productivity and reduce wastage of resources (not least time). In deed the fast- changing world of media relations, Amusavi expects that RR will develop into a truly agile firm, able to respond to client challenges and environmental opportunities much more quickly than the competitors.
Why is the effective sharing of knowledge very important for firm like Reddyray?
(5 Marks)
Amusavi has hired you as the new CKO (Chief Knowledge Officer) for RR. Assuming that you accept his blueprint for knowledge sharing at RR, what should you do to ensure that Amusavi’s vision of the knowledge sharing practices of employees become reality? Your answer should include technical, cultural and social aspects of the organization.
(10 Marks)
To what extent do you think the hi-tech knowledge sharing aspects of Amusavi’s vision can be aligned with his broader business objective of turning RR into an agile firm?
(5 Marks)
How can "socialization" and "combination" (Nonaka and Takending 1995) apply in the RR case? Point out specific instances referred to in the case.
(5 Marks)
Question Two
(i) What is knowledge economy?
(3 Marks)
(ii) With illustration, explain the various drivers of knowledge economy. (7 Marks)
Elaborate in details the phases involved in organizational knowledge creation.
(8 Marks)
Explain the factors that influence successful implementation of knowledge management applications?
(7 Marks)
Question Three
Knowledge is increasingly being viewed as a commodity or an intellectual asset. Explain the attributes of knowledge that are radically different from those of other valuable commodities.
(15 Marks)
Distinguish knowledge management system life cycle from traditional system life cycle on the basis of users, key roles, stages, outcomes e.t.c.
(10 Marks)
Question Four
Explain the relationship between organizational culture and knowledge management and how does culture contribute to organizational innovation and success.
(9 Marks)
Identify and explain the theoretical framework that explains knowledge management from strategy point of view.
(8 Marks)
Compare and contrast the properties of tacit and explicit knowledge. How can you successfully convert tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge?
(8 Marks)
Question Five
From an organizational perspective to the understanding of KM, it has been argued that in an attempt to use knowledge as a strategic (competitive) resource, organization need capabilities such as " process" capability and infrastructure capability (gold et al. 2001). Demonstrate your understanding of "process capability" and "Infrastructure capability as applied to KM.
(10 Marks)
(i) Intellectual capital is closely related to knowledge management. Do you agree? Explain your answer.
(5 Marks)
(ii) What do you understand by "human capital" and "structural capital"? (4 Marks)
(iii) Why is it sometimes agreed that the main task of KM is converting "human capital" to "structural capital?" (6 Marks)
Question Six
Distinguish between tacit and explicit knowledge.
(5 Marks)
(i) Some literature shows that in an attempt is convert knowledge from "tacit" to "explicit" form, there is a danger that the conversion process cannot achieve much. Do you agree with this observation? Explain.
(6 Marks)
(ii) How in your view can the conversion be made more effective? (5 Marks)
Define "new economy" as used in contemporary dialogues. Clearly discern and establish the linkage between knowledge and strategy in organizations that have the necessity to operate in the "new economy".
(9 Marks)
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