Book review: Knowledge Management
Title of Book - Knowledge management: social, cultural and theoretical perspectives
Author - Ruth Rikowski (editor)
ISBN - 1843341395
Publisher - Chandos Publishing
Publisher Website - http://www.chandospublishing.com
Reviewer Name - Janice Grant
Title - MKN editor
Email - janicelib@fsmail.net
Review
I was attracted to this book, part of the Chandos Knowledge Management series, as I have an interest in Knowledge Management (KM) and the librarian's role, and looked forward to learning more about KM in its wider context. The title alerted me that the book would be a theoretical examination, rather than a practical handbook. Readers should be warned that this book strongly proposes a specific standpoint, a Marxist, or Open Marxist, analysis of KM. The book is edited by Ruth Rikowski, and consists of twelve chapters, six of which are written by Rikowski herself. She is uncompromising in her own position, and offers a comprehensive argument for her Marxist analysis.
Anyone planning to implement KM in their organisation will find plenty of food for thought. Although not a practical guide, the authors agree on the importance of capturing and disseminating 'knowledge' within the organisation. The chapters discuss the benefits of KM, what constitutes 'knowledge', and how effective KM may best be achieved.
The book is in four parts: social, economic, political and philosophical perspectives; practical perspectives; cultural perspectives; theoretical perspectives. In the preface Rikowski states that while the authors offer a variety of viewpoints, her own perspective is Marxist, which she believes provides a more adequate analysis of capitalism than any other social scientific theory. KM, for Rikowski, is the latest phase of capitalism. Whether we agree with this or not, many insights can be gained from reading the book.
Modern information technology enables connectivity of all kinds of data within an organisation, often with little coherence. KM attempts to harness the information appropriately, adding to the efficiency of the organisation. Several chapters point to the importance of 'wisdom', the intangible knowledge of the staff, as being as vital as reports, statistics and documentation.
The chapter 'The role of the library in Knowledge Management' suggests that 'the greatest challenge facing librarians moving into KM is moving from the traditional role of housing information to analysing and using that information'. The author, Mandy Webster, argues that the librarian/information specialist is ideally placed to transfer his or her skills into KM work. I believe, though, that this has been happening for years. Librarians long ago moved from providing a repository for knowledge to actively disseminating and promoting it.
There is a long and interesting chapter proposing a thermodynamic model for the creation and transfer of knowledge within an organisation. Knowledge may be transferred by conduction, convection, radiation and combustion. The argument is put convincingly, but I found it difficult to envisage this scientific model working in the context of a group of real people.
Ruth Rikowski's argument is that KM extracts value from intellectual labour for the profit of the organisation. I take it that for organisations such as the NHS, 'profit' would mean 'efficiency'. Value is created from labour and becomes a commodity. Commodities are sold in the marketplace, profits are made, so profits are derived from value. Value is thus essential for the continued success of capitalism. Labour becomes exploited, alienated and objectified, while capitalism continues to thrive. She suggests that we should use knowledge differently, such that our labour begins to liberate, rather than dominate us. She argues, 'We will then be on the road to a brighter, fairer world. Indeed we will be on the road towards a socialist/communist society.
This is not the book for someone looking for a handbook on implementing KM within their organisation. However, the ideas proposed by the authors are innovative, stimulating and thought-provoking. The book will surely encourage debate on concepts such as knowledge, wisdom, information, value, efficiency, progress and many others. I would recommend it to any librarian or information specialist interested in contributing to efficient capture, storage and dissemination of information within their organisation.