products and customers. Key attributes:
(a) sense of pride
(b) willingness to share the credit (c) sense of ownership
(d) absence/elimination of mixed messages (e) shared vision and common direction (f) build consensus
(g) mutual respect and trust
(h) concern for the whole organization.
13 Organizational structure: autonomy and flexibility – the degree to which the structure facilitates knowledge activities.
Key attributes:
(a) decision-making responsibility at lower levels (b) decentralized procedures
(c) freedom to act (d) expectation of action
(e) belief the individual can have an impact (f) delegation
(g) quick, flexible decision making (h) minimum bureaucracy.
groups. A high level of trust among people is linked to increased profits and improved customer loyalty (Sonnenberg, 1994).
Schindler and Thomas (1993) note that trust improves produc- tivity in teamwork. The ties between trust,opennessand team- workfor sharing(TOTS) to occur constitute the TOTS model in Figure 3.1.
The TOTS model
1 Trust does not only apply to managers trusting employees to act in the organization’s best interest, but also to managers themselves to act in ways that earn trust from their workforce.
Also, as the business grows, so does the responsibility of the staff and hence a certain degree of freedom to practise their own initiatives must be given. Regardless of whether the driv- ing force for change is in eliminating waste, improving quality of service or product, workers at all levels need to be empow- ered to act in their personal capacity to make effective deci- sions be it in a group or as individuals. Empowerment requires management’s trust in employees.
2 Openness. Building on some existing level of trust, openness makes employees feel more comfortable in confiding in people knowing that their trust will never be broken. This establishes an open line of communication between all levels of the organ- ization and further encourages the sharing of knowledge. Trust coupled with appropriate rewards prompts employees to fur- ther contribute to the organization’s knowledge repository.
3 Teamwork. Managers can achieve trust by acting as part of a team. It is necessary under team conditions to offer help only
Fig. 3.1 The TOTS model
when asked, and not be seen as a person who just gives the orders and imposes the rules. Combined with openness and trust, teamwork creates a formidable weapon, which cannot easily be copied by competitors. Such communities of interest might already exist informally, but they need to be formally recognized for sharing to become part of the corporate culture.
Hence using existing teams or workgroups would be a good starting point.
Sharing: the desired result of creating an environment of trust, openness and teamwork.
Why is sharing difficult?
Sharing is by no means an easy task. Ask any child to share his or her favourite toy with you! The same is true for most of us in organizations. It is interesting then to note that the problem is probably even more acute given that most of us have gone through an education system and social indoctrination that frowned upon teamwork, emphasizing instead the need to be competitive, independent and self-reliant. This idea of individ- ual efforts and knowledge hoarding is perpetuated in the work- ing environment. Furthermore, hierarchical structures within organizations lead individuals to use knowledge hoarded as a means of advancement and hence the ubiquitous phrase
‘knowledge is power’. This is further demonstrated none more so than on our personal knowledge repositories, the personal computer. Passwords are required, reinforcing the notion that sharing is not encouraged. With locked filing cabinets and infor- mation access restrictions, the growth of the organization is severely impeded creating an environment counter to sharing.
Hence, strategies have to be in place to promote sharing, and questions have to be asked regarding recruitment criteria, man- agement styles, corporate structures, training, compensation and reward schemes, to help break the mould of ‘selfish’ organ- izations.
The barriers to knowledge management are reflected in two common employee attitudes:
1 Knowledge is power.’This attitude gives employees a sense of security and political influence within the organization.
Structurally, many organizations exhibit and even encourage such ‘turf’ battles. Dysfunctional internal rivalries are sus- tained through functional and/or product silos. To seek knowl- edge from these internal sources is seen as compromising
themselves – an admission of ignorance rather than of learning.
Consequently, individuals hoard their personal knowledge and refrain from sharing or learning new knowledge.
2 ‘Knowledge sharing is not my job.’Employees view knowledge management as a job ‘add-on’. They are paid to do their job, not for the time it takes them to do it. This attitude is perpetuated by the inadequacies of existing knowledge systems that often are not user-friendly. Furthermore given the extra effort required and the loss of ‘power’, the way work is structured and rewarded may run counter to nurturing a sharing and learning culture.
Attitudes that hinder knowledge management must be communi- cated and understood by managers and employees. This helps employees to accept the need for a culture change and its value for the organization and, ultimately, for themselves.