Chapter Eight 1

◗ Batky-Howell Inc. (batky-howell.com) sells Vclass, which enables students to participate in live, instructor-led training fromtheir homes. Students hear lectures, watch online screen presentations, participate in discussions and polls, and obtain assis-tance with hands-on labs, all while remaining in constant contact with the instructors.

◗ Teachercreated.com offers online courses to train educators.◗ Informatics, a global IT training company, offers purpletrain.com, a specialized source of online courses and course materials.◗ Uni-U of Australia (uni-u.com) offers B2B services such as online course content to universities.◗ Classroom Connect (classroom.com) helps educators integrate online learning into the classroom.◗ LessonLab (Lessonlab.com) provides educators with a digital library that archives various teaching methods from around the

world.◗ Fourostudent.net hosts material for student PDA class work. See handmark.com for other wireless applications.◗ Several companies create hardware systems for e-learning. Notable is Lucent Technologies (lucent.com).

Online File W8.2 A Sampler of E-Learning Tools

Since May 1999, students in Hong Kong have been able to study for an MBA degree anytime, anywhere, and at any pace. Thispioneering program started by integrating two technologies—the Web and interactive television. The objective of the programis to provide participants with a high-tech, innovative, and interactive learning experience to improve their managerial andprofessional competence. (The use of the interactive TV was found to be not practical, and the entire program is now availableonly on the Web.)

The program is composed of 17 standard courses: 8 core, 6 advanced, and 3 cross-disciplinary courses. Each courseincludes 45 lecture hours delivered on the Web. The students choose what lecture to watch and when they want to watch it. Inaddition to the lectures, all support material, exercises, and other resources are provided on the Web. Students can interactelectronically with instructors and with each other using e-mail and chat rooms. For details about the program and the tech-nology, check imba.cityu.edu.hk.

For a list of other schools that offer online courses, see distancelearn.about.com.

Online File W8.1 Interactive MBA at City University of Hong Kong

2 Part 4

The major activities of KM, according to Lai and Chu (2002), include the following:

◗ Initiation. Like any other project, KM starts with initiation, which involves the motivation for KM, cost-benefit analysis andjustification, and an implementation plan that includes change management.

◗ Generation. This stage refers to knowledge generation. Knowledge can be generated by identifying what knowledge exists inthe organization, who owns it, and who the thought leaders are; by collecting and importing knowledge and technologies fromoutside; or by learning from existing knowledge.

◗ Modeling and analysis. Once the content of the collected knowledge is known, the knowledge is modeled (organized) so thatit can be properly represented in the organizational knowledge base (the repository) for future retrieval and use.

◗ Repository. The generated knowledge is very precious to the organization. To maintain the explicit knowledge and facilitatefurther sharing, it is important to establish a repository for maintaining all critical knowledge.

◗ Distribution and transfer. This stage is concerned with how to distribute knowledge to other people. Knowledge can be madeavailable to people by establishing human interactive processes or an information technology infrastructure.

◗ Use. The value of knowledge can only be realized when it is applied to solve problems or exploit opportunities. This stage isconcerned with how to use knowledge in order to produce commercial value.

◗ Retrospection. This stage is concerned with reviewing the process, performance, and impact of knowledge management anddetecting if new knowledge was created. It also involves determining if this new knowledge is indeed relevant and useful. Tokeep pace with knowledge creation and management in a changing environment, retrospection (looking backward) is imperative.

It is not necessary for these seven KM activities to be done in a sequential process. Each activity may have feedback toand from the others. These activities need to be done efficiently and effectively so that KM programs can support organiza-tional activities and tasks, including selling online, CRM, and other EC activities.

Online File W8.3 Knowledge Management Activities

Chapter Eight 3

ONLINE FILE W8.4

ADDITIONAL E-GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES IN HONG KONGThe Electronic Service Delivery Scheme (esdlife) is a corecomponent of the Hong Kong Special Administrative RegionGovernment’s Digital 21 information technology strategy. Itis the world’s premier Chinese/English bilingual governmentportal. It was conceived and designed with the objective ofdelivering governmental and commercial services via a highlysecured and convenient single online electronic platform.The idea of esdlife is to deliver around-the-clock public ser-vices to 6.8 million citizens and save money at the sametime. Through esdlife, Hong Kong citizens are able to accessmost government services online without personally visitinggovernment offices and standing in line. For example, a citi-zen can pay taxes, renew a driver’s or vehicle license, orapply for a business registration certificate through one sin-gle destination online. Currently, more than a hundred typesof public services from over 40 government agencies are nowaccessible online.

Hong Kong SAR government has successfully achievedthe goal to broaden its reach to citizens in a more effectiveand efficient way without sacrificing the quality of servicesthey provide to the public since the launch of esdlife at theend of 2000. In fact, Hong Kong boasts the highest level ofincrease in e-government service users in a survey of Asia-Pacific markets, from 37 percent in 2002 to 43 percent in2003. This is doubtlessly driven by consumers’ increased con-fidence and familiarity with the Internet, but also by govern-ment e-initiatives such as esdlife and Digital 21.

Another major initiative in its e-government strategy isthe smart identity card launched by Hong Kong SAR govern-ment in June 2003. Offering increased security and variousvalue-added applications, the new ID card supports e-businessand e-government transactions. The smart ID card gives thecardholder the convenience of automated immigration clear-ance on arrival and departure, instant access to public libraryfacilities, secure electronic transactions over the Internet;other high-quality government services are planned for thefuture. As of May 15, 2004, Hong Kong’s ImmigrationDepartment has issued 1.34 million smart identity cards, ofwhich 310,000 (23 percent) have been embedded with e-Certsthat are free to use in the first year of issue. Given that therenewal of the e-Certs is voluntary and that the first year offree service has not expired, the government has no reliablebasis to predict the renewal rate of e-Certs. The accessibilityof the e-Cert embedded smart ID card creates a very favorableand convenient environment for conducting secure e-commerce,be it e-banking, online securities trading, shopping, or bet-ting. The promotion of e-Certs can help advance e-commerce,e-trade and e-finance in Hong Kong. Many Hong Kong resi-dents already have been trading stocks via smart identitycards with e-Certs, further guaranteeing trade security.

Sources: Compiled from Digital21 Strategy 2004, esdLife.com,smartid.gov.hk, info.gov.hk/digital21/eng/strategy2004/strategy_main.html (all accessed November 28, 2004).