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Technological University Dublin ARROW@TU Dublin Dissertations School of Computer Sciences 2008-01-01 A synthesised knowledge mapping framework to embed a KM strategy using topic maps and wikis: the Tao of Wiki Colman A.J. McMahon Technological University Dublin, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/scschcomdis Part of the Computer Engineering Commons Recommended Citation McMahon, Colman A.J., "A synthesised knowledge mapping framework to embed a KM strategy using topic maps and wikis: the Tao of Wiki" (2008). Dissertations. 3. https://arrow.tudublin.ie/scschcomdis/3 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Computer Sciences at ARROW@TU Dublin. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ARROW@TU Dublin. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License A Synthesized Knowledge Mapping Framework To Embed a KM Strategy Using Topic Maps and Wikis "The TAO of Wiki" Colman A.J. McMahon A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Dublin Institute of Technology for the degree of M.Sc. in Computing (Knowledge Management) July 2008 I certify that this dissertation which I now submit for examination for the award of MSc in Computing (Knowledge Management), is entirely my own work and has not been taken from the work of others save and to the extent that such work has been cited and acknowledged within the test of my work. This dissertation was prepared according to the regulations for postgraduate study of the Dublin Institute of Technology and has not been submitted in whole or part for an award in any other Institute or University. The work reported on in this dissertation conforms to the principles and requirements of the Institute’s guidelines for ethics in research. Signed: _________________________________ Date: 25 July, 2008 2 ABSTRACT Just getting started with knowledge management can be difficult enough for many organisations, however the real challenge is actually how to embed the new practices. The expression "Success is a journey, not a destination" is particularly apt for KM. This research presents findings from stakeholder analyses carried out in an Irish government agency. The agency has been on its KM journey for nearly four years and has attempted to implement a comprehensive and full-scale strategy. The findings indicate that KM practices have not yet become fully embedded in the organisation. This research uncovers some of the reasons why not. In an effort to remediate the situation, it was thought a visual computer map of the organisation's knowledge assets would help. This would satisfy several goals simultaneously, from "findability", to modernisation, to improved efficiency. It is known from studies in pedagogy and psychology that the human mind is particularly well adapted to absorbing information and data in map form. It is also well known, in the field of computer science, the exponential power hyperlinks offer to computer users. The initial method selected was Topic Maps (ISO 13250). Topic Maps hold great promise for KM. It was discovered, however, that the target organisation's data was not in a condition that could be easily mapped. It was evident that a foundational step needed to be taken. An alternate approach was adopted, retaining the theory of Topic Maps. The vehicle for this second experiment was a wiki. Certainly wikis are fashionable at the moment but, as the findings of this project show, they also hold enormous potential for KM. Key words: KM, strategy, mapping, maps, indexing, topic, wiki 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincere thanks… To my supervisor, Deirdre Lawless, for her advice, direction and perspective, without which I could never have successfully completed this project. It has been a great privilege and pleasure working with her on this project; To my wife Claudine, for her constant love, support and encouragement over the duration of this course, without whom none of this would have been possible or worthwhile. Thank you for everything; To Clare Butler, IT Manager of BIM, whose interest in KM and this project have been a driving force. It has been inspiring and encouraging. This project owes a great debt to her support; To my family and friends over the last two years, your understanding and interest is much appreciated (especially since I know you don't speak geek); To the IT Department of BIM (Clare, Johnny, Colm) – whose help and humour throughout this research were greatly appreciated; To all the staff at BIM who participated in the various surveys and interviews. A special thanks goes to those brave adventurers who helped pilot the wiki experiment; And last but not least, Bailey, my constant companion throughout long days and nights at the keyboard. Time to play! 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................... 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................ 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................ 5 TABLE OF FIGURES .................................................................................................... 7 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 9 1.1 Project Introduction ............................................................................................ 9 1.2 Background ....................................................................................................... 10 1.3 Research problem .............................................................................................. 12 1.4 Intellectual challenge ........................................................................................ 13 1.5 Research objectives ........................................................................................... 13 1.6 Research methodology ...................................................................................... 14 1.7 Resources .......................................................................................................... 15 1.8 Scope and limitations ........................................................................................ 16 1.9 Organization of the dissertation ........................................................................ 16 2 Knowledge Management ...................................................................................... 18 2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 18 2.2 Knowledge Management .................................................................................. 18 2.3 Knowledge ........................................................................................................ 19 2.4 Why Manage Knowledge? ................................................................................ 25 2.5 Humans, Computers, Knowledge ..................................................................... 27 2.6 Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 33 3 KM Strategies & Implementation ......................................................................... 34 3.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 34 3.2 The Four Pillars of Knowledge Management ................................................... 35 3.3 Tiwana ............................................................................................................... 38 3.4 APQC's Road Map ............................................................................................ 40 3.5 I&DEA .............................................................................................................. 42 3.6 Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 45 4 BIM – Current and Future KM ............................................................................. 47 4.1 Current State of KM .......................................................................................... 47 4.1.1 Chapter Introduction ............................................................................. 47 4.1.2 BIM ....................................................................................................... 47 4.1.3 BIM's KM Journey ................................................................................ 48 4.1.4 BIM's KM Strategy & Plan ................................................................... 51 4.1.5 BIM's Current KM Outcome ................................................................ 55 4.2 BIM – Next Steps .............................................................................................. 57 4.2.1 Research Survey and Justification ........................................................ 58 4.2.2 Survey "Findability" ............................................................................. 58 4.3 Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 62 5 Knowledge Mapping ............................................................................................

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