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Knowledge management mainly deals with the connection of individuals
and organizational knowledge under the umbrella of modern information
technologies (IT). It is a basic problem that concerns every
organization. KM is a genuine area for interdisciplinary research and
activities. Namely it is composed of varying subsections of computer
science, information systems, managerial sciences, psychology, pedagogy
and library sciences.
To operationalize the concept of knowledge, it is assumed, that
knowledge is characterized by structured relations of content (data and
information) and context (a perspective that gives meaning to the
content). Knowledge management deals with the knowledge of an
organization, its generation, acquisition, storage, distribution and
use on both an individual and collective level. A knowledge management
system (KMS) is a software based system that helps solve abstract
knowledge management tasks by computational and technological
means.
In our research projects, we approach the area of KM from a very
broad perspective. We also examine relatively open systems like
information systems based on the internet and online shops which have
all kinds of knowledge constructions. These refer to descriptions about
the offered product and related services etc. There are typically two
main problems that are discussed when it comes to KM. On the one hand
available knowledge may not be used or insufficiently used. On the
other hand the information may just not be automatically available in
order to meet the organization's needs. Often it is unclear whether the
knowledge required exists at all. Knowledge sharing is considered a
central problem.
Considering both these problems results in a multitude of relevant
questions with regard to IT and the organization. The appropriate
things to ask at the very beginning are suitable presentation and ways
of interaction in order to support knowledge construction and knowledge
sharing. Cognitive aspects need also be considered like the question
regarding suitable incentive systems that have been shown to motivate
participation. This contains visible presentation codes for the user
language and language/picture combinations like information
architecture and medial interaction with the conceptual background of
knowledge management systems.
Which way of presenting knowledge is most suited to knowledge
management? Due to increase in quantity and heterogeneity of document
collection on the one hand coupled with greater efficiency of
algorithms and software agents on the other, the obvious question that
arises; "what is the semantic fundament of the concrete documents".
Semantic fundamentals are of interest here i.e. the formal knowledge
representation of the semantic web.
The questions discussed till now referred completely to
representation- assumed to be explicable- of knowledge about the object
domain of KM systems. However this is only one aspect of a functioning
KMS. The other aspect refers to whether it can be guaranteed that such
a system will really be used. We investigate the possibility to
explicate these occurrences of utilization ( e.g. by utilization of the
"history of utilization", of an uploaded document). How they support an
individual or a group to understand the knowledge construction
processes? How do they support other dependent working processes? There
are also inter-linkages with data mining and web mining. Investigations
regarding the use of KM systems that are web based can ideally combine
mining methods with other methods e.g. data collection by way of
questionnaires. For instance we are interested in the impact that
different languages could have on the behavior of internet users. Thus
the study makes an analysis of search and information processes in a
multi-lingual internet environment. In addition we examine the effects
of a website in a foreign language, e.g. German including the purchase
behavior of a user and the perception of purchase risk. We further
investigated the effect of agent supported sales processes on
E-commerce and the extent to which consumers trust automated knowledge
technologies in the online purchase process.
The analysis of the use of KM system serves not only towards the
improvement of working processes but also the analysis of economic
viability of projects. A KM system means a considerable human and
financial investment. Thus efficiency and effectiveness should be
constantly monitored. Data mining methods are very useful here. The
participants of a KM system must not only be motivated to share and
externalize their knowledge but also to independently observe it.(I
don't really get this sentence but have translated it to what I think
it means!) Technical, like organizational, conditions must be developed
so that the private sphere of the user is protected at all times.
Additionally users should be in control, to the utmost extent, over the
provision of their explicit knowledge and what can be implicitly
derived from usage patterns.
This raises the question of how to join technology and enterprise
culture in an effort to create an incentive system for knowledge
sharing. In creating incentive systems, one must also take in to
account that new ideas, especially if they deviate from norms, should
be recognized and respected in their novelty and incompleteness. How
can enterprise culture be created, maintained, and communicated such
that it (a) tolerates and welcomes diversity, in order to create
incentives for organization members to also share norm-deviating
knowledge, and (b) respects the non-sharing of certain knowledge?
Another part of KM deals with various efforts in the sphere of
system dynamics. Here we deal with the dynamic modeling of feedback
systems of economic and social processes as well as the interfaces
between data and models. To model economic processes the simulation
process "Vensim" is used. One of the applications concerns pension
development in Germany during the next 50 years taking in to account
the pension reform that took place in 2000 as well as possible "shock
scenarios". The interfaces between simulation software and databases
are examined with respect to the simulation package SEM, from the
software range of SAP.
Researchers involved in
the project
Prof. Dr. Hans-Knud Arndt
Prof. Dr. Bettina Berendt
Prof. Oliver Günther, Ph.D.
Anett Kralisch, M.A.
Dr. Sarah Spiekermann
Dr. Gerrit Tamm
PD Dr. Bernd Viehweger
Selected
Publications
Arndt, H.-K., Günther, O.: Betriebliche Umweltinformationssysteme
als Knowledge Managementsysteme im Umweltmanagement, in:
UmweltWirtschaftsForum, 9. Jg., Heft 1, S. 64-67, 2001.
Berendt, B., Hotho, A., & Stumme, G.: Towards Semantic Web Mining.
In I. Horrocks & J. Hendler (Eds.), The Semantic Web - ISWC 2002,
Proceedings of the 1st International Semantic Web Conference, June
9-12th, 2002, Sardinia, Italy (pp. 264-278). LNCS, Heidelberg, Germany:
Springer, 2002
Kralisch, A.: Business-Language-Strategien im Internet. Regensburg:
Haus des Buches, 2003
Viehweger, B., Andresen, K., Motzkau, M.: An Intelligent Software
Agent for a Management Game. - In: CCCT 2003 - International Conference
on Computer, Communication and Control Technologies. - Orlando, USA
(2003). - Proceedings, Vol. V, p. 10-14.
Viehweger, B., Jagalski, T.: The Reformed Pension System in Germany -
a System Dynamics Model for the next 50 years (2003). - In: Proceedings
of the 21st International Conference of the System Dynamics Society, p.
128 (and CD-ROM) - New York City, USA (2003)
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