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Using Knowledge Management, Using Knowledge Management, Organizational Learning, and Organizational Learning, and

Technology Transfer to Build Global Technology Transfer to Build Global Governance CapacityGovernance Capacity

Dr. Donald E. KlingnerDr. Donald E. Klingner

55thth Trans Atlantic Dialogue Trans Atlantic DialogueWashington, DCWashington, DC

June 11-13, 2009June 11-13, 2009

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The Underlying Issues:

What is information, knowledge and wisdom?What is information, knowledge and wisdom?

How are information and communications How are information and communications technologies (ICT) linked to organizational learning technologies (ICT) linked to organizational learning (OL) and knowledge management (KM)?(OL) and knowledge management (KM)?

How are organizational learning and knowledge How are organizational learning and knowledge management tied to innovation diffusion and management tied to innovation diffusion and adoption (IDA)?adoption (IDA)?

How do these affect technology transfer (TT)?How do these affect technology transfer (TT)?

How can they make organizations more effective?How can they make organizations more effective?

How do they build global governance capacity How do they build global governance capacity through sustainable “smart practice” public policy through sustainable “smart practice” public policy innovations?innovations?

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1. Information, Knowledge, Wisdom

Information, knowledge and wisdom “drive” information Information, knowledge and wisdom “drive” information and communications technologies (ICTs).and communications technologies (ICTs).

Information is raw data.Information is raw data.

Knowledge is categorized data, sorted based on clear or Knowledge is categorized data, sorted based on clear or implied relationships.implied relationships.

Wisdom is the application of knowledge to make Wisdom is the application of knowledge to make individual or organizational choices.individual or organizational choices.

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1. ICT, Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management

Successful organizations learn and change.Successful organizations learn and change.

Organizational learning (OL) involves:Organizational learning (OL) involves:a. individual learningb. organizational changec. self-replicating systems

Knowledge management (KM) assumes that Knowledge management (KM) assumes that OL is coherent and purposive because it OL is coherent and purposive because it implies using information in social contexts.implies using information in social contexts.

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3. Innovation Diffusion and Adoption

IDA is the spread of new products, values, policies or IDA is the spread of new products, values, policies or processes beyond the location of their original success.processes beyond the location of their original success.

Descriptively, it is the intended and unintended Descriptively, it is the intended and unintended consequences of relationships between producers and consequences of relationships between producers and consumers.consumers.

Prescriptively, it is the process of trying to understand how Prescriptively, it is the process of trying to understand how organizations can become more effective at serving organizations can become more effective at serving customers, competing in markets, or developing products customers, competing in markets, or developing products in emerging fields.in emerging fields.

Public administrators want to understand what factors Public administrators want to understand what factors affect the sustainability of “best practice” innovations in affect the sustainability of “best practice” innovations in order to build global governance capacity.order to build global governance capacity.

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1. ICT, OL, KM, IDA and Technology Transfer

ICT improves opportunities for KM and OL.

ICT is the technical platform that enables a knowledge management system to function by enabling people to organize and compile information.1. ICT is the “driver”2. OL and KM are examples3. IDA is the process by which technology transfer (TT)

occurs.

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1. TT and Organizational Effectiveness

a.a. Attitudes for managing complexity?Attitudes for managing complexity?• Curiosity: Interest in what others think, and why.Curiosity: Interest in what others think, and why.

• Ability to envision a future that’s different from a Ability to envision a future that’s different from a straight-line projection of the present.straight-line projection of the present.

• Feeling that most risks are to be taken, not avoided.Feeling that most risks are to be taken, not avoided.

• View that crises are normal, tensions can be View that crises are normal, tensions can be promising, and complexity is fun.promising, and complexity is fun.

• Realization that paranoia and self-pity are reserved Realization that paranoia and self-pity are reserved for people who for people who don’tdon’t want to be leaders. want to be leaders.

• Sense of Sense of personalpersonal responsibility for the responsibility for the generalgeneral outcome of your efforts.outcome of your efforts.

• Conviction: there is a better outcome than would Conviction: there is a better outcome than would result from adding up all the available expert advice.result from adding up all the available expert advice.

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1. TT and Organizational Effectiveness

a.a. Types of organizational learning:Types of organizational learning:

• ““Tacit to tacit:” Individuals share knowledge that Tacit to tacit:” Individuals share knowledge that cannot necessarily be communicated explicitly (e.g., cannot necessarily be communicated explicitly (e.g., socialization or “on-the-job” training).socialization or “on-the-job” training).

• ““Explicit to explicit:” Individuals synthesize separate Explicit to explicit:” Individuals synthesize separate pieces of information into a new whole.pieces of information into a new whole.

• ““Tacit to explicit:” Individuals convert tacit Tacit to explicit:” Individuals convert tacit knowledge into a form that can be shared with other knowledge into a form that can be shared with other employees.employees.

• ““Explicit to tacit:” As explicit information is shared, Explicit to tacit:” As explicit information is shared, employees begin to internalize it so that it employees begin to internalize it so that it automatically affects their perceptions, feelings and automatically affects their perceptions, feelings and thoughts.thoughts.

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6. “Smart Practice” Policy Innovations

Sustainable development requires that we build government capacity.

Knowledge management is an increasingly important part of this process.

Scaling government agencies’ use of university research (Knott and Wildavsky, 1980): Reception: “I received the research pertinent to my work.”Reception: “I received the research pertinent to my work.”

Cognition: “I read and understood this research.”Cognition: “I read and understood this research.”

Discussion: “I participated in meetings for discussion and Discussion: “I participated in meetings for discussion and popularization of this research.”popularization of this research.”

Reference: “I cited these research studies as references in Reference: “I cited these research studies as references in my own professional reports or documents.”my own professional reports or documents.”

Adoption: “I made efforts to use university research results.”Adoption: “I made efforts to use university research results.”

Influence: “Results influenced decisions in my work unit.”Influence: “Results influenced decisions in my work unit.”

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6. “Smart Practice” Policy Innovations

Factors influence the use of knowledge by public officials: Factors influence the use of knowledge by public officials: • availability of informationavailability of information• rational/technical resources to use itrational/technical resources to use it

Context influences the appropriate use of information:Context influences the appropriate use of information:• politicspolitics• organizational cultureorganizational culture• internal and external interest groupsinternal and external interest groups• perceived relevance of informationperceived relevance of information• applicability to the policy issue in questionapplicability to the policy issue in question

Human factors are important:Human factors are important:• professionalismprofessionalism• educationeducation• decision-making styledecision-making style

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6. “Smart Practice” Development

Most governments have adopted new ways of Most governments have adopted new ways of relating to citizens through ICT and other relating to citizens through ICT and other innovations.innovations.

However, the true measure of these However, the true measure of these innovations’ value lies in the effectiveness of innovations’ value lies in the effectiveness of shared information and transferred knowledge shared information and transferred knowledge to achieve global development based on to achieve global development based on economic growth, political participation, social economic growth, political participation, social justice and environmental sustainability.justice and environmental sustainability.

All these require improved governance capacity.All these require improved governance capacity.

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1. “Smart Practice” Development –Organizations Must:

Share information about innovations and outcomes.Share information about innovations and outcomes.

Provide incentives that create competition among Provide incentives that create competition among innovations (for example, the Dubai Awards and UN innovations (for example, the Dubai Awards and UN Habitat Awards).Habitat Awards).

Use practical approaches pioneered by agencies and the Use practical approaches pioneered by agencies and the media (television programs, case studies, networks of media (television programs, case studies, networks of innovators, and a global web portal based on an innovators, and a global web portal based on an internationally acceptable taxonomy).internationally acceptable taxonomy).

Focus on the values/purposes/principles underlying Focus on the values/purposes/principles underlying innovation and emphasize these in resource material and innovation and emphasize these in resource material and documentation.documentation.

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1. “Smart Practice” Development –Organizations Must:

Use credible and legitimate advocates (individuals and Use credible and legitimate advocates (individuals and organizations) as intermediaries in the transfer process organizations) as intermediaries in the transfer process for specific innovations.for specific innovations.

Maintain a facilitative climate: supportive policy Maintain a facilitative climate: supportive policy environment, political leadership, environmental stability, environment, political leadership, environmental stability, and internal social structure and capacity.and internal social structure and capacity.

Use appropriate approaches, guidelines, training and Use appropriate approaches, guidelines, training and transfer methodologies.transfer methodologies.

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Comments, Questions and Suggestions?

Dr. Donald E. KlingnerProfesor, School of Public AffairsUniversity of Colorado at Colorado Springs1420 Austin Bluffs ParkwayP.O. Box 7150Colorado Springs, CO 80933

donald.klingner@gmail.comhttp://sites.google.com/site/donaldklingner