IST 430 - Section 50

Knowledge Management

Fall 2006

Course Information

COURSE NAME:	Knowledge Management - IST 430 Section 50
TERM:	Fall 2006
MEETING TIME:	Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:00 - 5:15 p.m.
MEETING PLACE:	BU 113
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION:	Introduces concept of Knowledge Management and the systems that enable us to acquire, store, distribute and process knowledge. Define what knowledge is, types of knowledge that exists. Understand how systems thinking is integral to understanding, management or knowledge. Economic issues. Acquiring, storing, distributing and processing knowledge.
PREQUISITES:	IST 221 or IST 305

Instructor Information

INSTRUCTOR NAME:	Dr. Sharen Bakke
OFFICE:	BU 341
OFFICE HOURS:	Tuesday, Thursday after class 7:45 p.m., Monday, Wednesday 2:00 - 4:00 p.m., and by appointment
PHONE NUMBER:	(216) 875-9803
HOME PHONE:	(440) 498-1021
E-MAIL:	missives@sharenbakke.com

I. Course Description and Objectives Top

Description:

This course provides students with the theoretical and practical background to understand the complex issues surrounding the creation, transfer and use of information and knowledge within and between organizations. Much of this course focuses on reading and discussing primary and secondary literatures to gain an appreciation of the organizational, psychological, cognitive, social and technical issues associated with knowledge management.

Objectives:

understand the fundamental concepts in the study of knowledge and its creation, use and management.
appreciate the role and use of knowledge in organizations and institutions.
become familiar with the basic concepts, methods, techniques, and tools for the support of knowledge management through computer-based systems.
critically evaluate current trends in knowledge management and their manifestation in business and industry.

II. Resources Top

Textbook

Knowledge Management Case Book:Siemens Best Practices, 2nd Edition

In addition to the case book, students are expected to print out any notes or materials posted on WebCT.

WebCT

How to Access and Use Your WebCT course web site

III. Student Expectations Top

Attendance - Students are expected to attend all class sessions and to actively participate in class discussions. "Active participation" means providing substantive, insightful comments about a topic (e.g., quality); asking stimulating and probing questions that further the discussion and everyone's understanding of the topic; and being an enthusiastic participant in cooperative learning exercises. This is especially relevant when discussing cases.
Use of cell phones, PDAs, pagers or other devices is not allowed in the classroom. Please ensure these devices are turned off before entering the classroom.

Missing class is not an excuse for failure to understand material or complete assignments. Material covered in class will not be covered again outside of class. It is up to you to read the material and get notes from another student if you miss class. Do not expect any special help or privileges if you do not attend class regularly.
Students with Disabilities - If you require accommodations to obtain equal access in this course, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester.

Written and Oral Communciations - Being able to communicate effectively is critical in the business world. Communication skills will be emphasized in this course. All written materials and presentations are expected to be of professional quality. This course presents multiple opportunities for practice and for receiving feedback. The goal is to use the feedback to improve your skills.

Late Assignments - All assignments must be turned in on time . Assigned work is to be turned in at the beginning of the class on which it is due, unless otherwise instructed. A late assignment will be reduced 10% of its total point value for each calendar day it is late. Assignments turned in more than one week past the due date will receive a score of "0". Research or course projects are not eligible for treatment under this late penalty; nonsubmitted projects will receive a score of "0".

Exam Policy - Examinations could be in class or take home. Students who are determined by the instructor to be involved in cheating will have their paper removed and/or will receive a score of "0" for that exam. In case of open book in class exams, the instructor reserves the right to review any and all materials that students intend to use and to prohibit materials that are deemed unacceptable. Admissible materials usually include the class textbook, class notes from this section of this course, and homework assignments.

Make-up Exam Policy - Make-up examinations will be given only in case of serious need and only when the instructor is notified prior to the examination time. If this is not done, the grade is automatically "0" for that examination. It is the responsibility of the student to contact the instructor to arrange a make-up time. Written verification of the student's inability to take an exam will be required within one (1) week of the exams.

IV. Course Grading Top

Final grade will be computed as follows:

Requirement	Number	Points each	Total Points
a. Case Study Analysis	1	250	250
b. KM in the News	1	150	150
c. Team Project	1	200	200
d. Midterm Exam	2	100	200
e. Final Exam	1	200	200
TOTAL POINTS			1000

Final letter grade determinations will be assigned according to the following percentages:

Letter Grade	Percent Range	Quality of Work
A	>=93%	Excellent - the majority of work submitted is consistently thoughtful, insightful, creative, and professionally presented.
A-	90 - 92.9%	Often of high quality, but not always meeting the exceptional caliber.
B+	87 - 89.9%	Good - consistently thoughtful but clearly of a "student assignment" flavor rather than of a professional/industrial flavor.
B	83 - 86.9%	Fair - generally thoughtful, well-presented work. Meets all requirements, but does not exceed basic expectations.
B-	80 - 82.9%	Generally attains the expected level of performance for the course requirements but occasionally "misses the mark" .
C+	77 - 79.9%	Work submitted is slightly better than average but rarely attains the expected level of performance.
C	73 - 76.9%	Average - assigned work is completed in a minimal fashion. Some assignments do not adequately meet expectations.
C-	70 - 72.9%	Work submitted was clearly produced by a student with little thought toward content, presentation or completeness.
D	60 - 69.9%	Work submitted was obviously prepared without effort or energy and does not meet requirements of the assignment
F	< 60%	Work submitted is of unacceptable quality.

V. Tentative Schedule Top

Day	Topic	Activity
Aug 29	Introduction to Knowledge Management (KM)	Review syllabus and select teams
Aug 31	Theoretical Foundations of KM	When You Say 'KM', What Do You Mean? and KM The Right Way
Sept 5	Case Discussion	Case Study 1.1 and 2.1
Sept 7	Theoretical Foundations of KM	Beating the Boomer Brain Drain Blues
Sept 12	Overview of the Principal Models of KM	Beneath the Buzz Service Catalogs
Sept 14	Defining knowledge goals	Who Knows Whom, and Who Knows What?
Sept 19	Identifying knowledge and acquiring knowledge	RoboBoss
Sept 21	Case Discussion	Case Study 3.1 and 3.3
Sept 26	Midterm I
Sept 28	Developing knowledge	Thanks for the Memories
Oct 3	Sharing and distributing knowledge	Culture of Collaboration
Oct 5	Using knowledge	Building a better battleship
Oct 10	Case Discussion	Case Study 2.3 and 2.4
Oct 12	Perserving knowledge	How to Salvage Your Company's Deep Smarts
Oct 17	Measuring knowledge	Are You Sure You Want to Save That?
Oct 19	Incorporating knowledge management	Less for Success
Oct 24	Case Discussion	Case Study 2.2 and 4.2
Oct 26	Midterm II
Oct 31	Knowledge Management Systems Life Cycle	Underwriting Knowledge
Nov 2	KM Tools and Knowledge Portals	The Brain behind the Big, Bad Burger and Other Tales of Business Intelligence
Nov 7	Case Discussion	Case Study 4.1 and 4.3
Nov 9	Who Owns Knowledge?	Why Three Heads Are Better than One (How to Create a Know-It-All Company)
Nov 14	Managing Knowledge Workers	Building a Better Battleship
Nov 16	Knowledge Transfer in the e-World	Know-It-Alls and Dial K for Knowledge
Nov 21	NO CLASS
Nov 23	NO CLASS	THANKSGIVING BREAK
Nov 28	Case Discussion	Case Study 6.1 and 6.3
Nov 30	Project Presentations
Dec 5	Project Presentations
Dec 7	Project Presentations
Dec 12	FINAL EXAM	Case Studies 5.1 - 5.3; 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

VI. Course Requirements Top

Case Study Analysis - 250 points

Student are expected to prepare the assigned case studies for discussion. Perform the following actions for each case:

Read the case thoroughly
Type up the answers for the questions that follow the case and print out two copies: one for you and the other to hand in.
Participate in the class discussion

The cases that will be studied are shown in the following table:

Section	Number	Title	Page Number
1. Knowledge Strategy	1.1	The Knowledge Strategy Process - an instrument for business owners	24
2. Knowledge Transfer	2.1	ShareNet - the next generation knowledge management	42
	2.2	SiemensIndustrialServices: Turning know-how into results	60
	2.3	Networked knowledge - implementing a system for sharing technical tips and expertise	74
	2.4	Practice exchange in a Best Practice Marketplace	89
3. Communities of Practice	3.1	The power of communities: How to build Knowledge Management on a corporate level using a bottom-up approach	108
	3.2	KECnetworking - Knowledge Management at Infineon Technologies AG	128
	3.3	The development of the Siemens Knowledge Community Support	147
4. Added Value of Knowledge Management	4.1	A guided tour through knowledgemotion: The Siemens Business Servcies Knowledge Management Framework	162
	4.2	KnowledgeSharing@MED - turning knowledge into business	177
	4.3	How to manage company dynamics: An approach for Mergers and Acquisitions Knowledge Exchange	187
5. Learning and Knowledge Management	5.1	Knowledge Master- a collaborative learning program for Knowledge Management	208
	5.2	The Siemens Management Learning Program	228
	5.3	E-learning and Knowledge Management, symptoms of a new Siemens reality	240
6. Visualizing more of the value creation	6.1	Getting real about knowledge sharing: the Premium-on-Top bonus System	260
	6.2	Four steps from knowledge networking to an organizational change	279
	6.3	Knowledge Management for the e-business transformation	291

Your contributions will be graded according to the following guidelines:

Excellent Contribution (80-100%)

Contributes consistently to discussions;
Contributions indicate thorough preparation and deep thought;
Frequently explains difficult points or concepts;
Provides positive direction for class discussions;
Able to build and develop strong arguments for position.

Good Contribution (70-79%)

Contributes consistently to discussions;
Contributions indicate thorough preparation and some thought;
Explains difficult points or concepts;
Occasionally builds arguments for a position.

Fair Contribution (60-69%)

Contributes to group discussions;
Gives indication of some preparation and thought;
Occasionally helps in developing an argument.

Poor Contribution (50-59%)

Contributes infrequently to discussions;
Gives little indication of preparation and thought;
Does not aid in providing a positive atmosphere for meaningful discussion.

Unsatisfactory Contribution (0-49%)

Never, or almost never contributes to discussions;
Gives no indication of preparation or thought;
Actively inhibits or impedes the course of class discussions

KM in the News - 150 points
Class lectures familiarize the student with the foundations of knowledge management and the case studies illustrate the difficulty that arises when analyzing the creation, implementation and the use of knowledge management systems. To ensure students are exposed to the current knowledge management developments and issues that occur in organizations, topical knowledge management events are included as a regular feature of the class schedule.

Read the article carefully
Turn in a one page summary containing the following:
- Summary on the article
- Key points
- KM tools discussed (if any)
Participate in the class discussion

Team Project - 200 points Top
Student teams (size depends on the number of students in the class) are expected to critique the knowledge management resources of a particular organization. This report will be presented in one of the last three classes of the semester. Click here for more information

Midterm Exam - 200 points
Two midterm exams are scheduled. Each exam will account for 100 points. These exams may be a combination of short essay questions, multiple choice or True and False questions.

Final Exam - 200 points
A comprehensive final exam will be given during Final Exam Week. This exam is scheduled on December 12 between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m.

VII. Policies Top

The following policies apply to all students in this course.

Course Drop Deadline For Fall 2006 - Friday, Sept 8th, 2006.

Course Withdrawal Deadline For Fall 2006 - Friday, Nov 3rd, 2006.

Withdrawal before the deadline results in a "W" on the official transcript; after the deadline a grade must be calculated and reported.

Academic Honesty
Cheating means to misrepresent the source, nature, or other conditions of your academic work (e.g., tests, papers, projects, assignments) so as to get undeserved credit. The use of the intellectual property of others without giving them appropriate credit is a serious academic offense. Violations will be subject to disciplinary action as specified in the CSU Student Conduct Code. A copy can be obtained on the web page at: http://www.csuohio.edu/student-life/student_handbook/index.html

Academic honesty is expected and required. HELPING fellow students is acceptable. COPYING IS NOT acceptable, and will result in loss of credit for the assignment, and possibly failure of the course for all students involved. If you give help to another student, then it is your responsibility to make sure they fully understand the concepts.

If copying is suspected, both (or all) students involved will receive zeros for that assignment at the least, and possibly a failure for the course. DO NOT GIVE OTHERS YOUR WORK .

VIII. How to Access and Use Your Course Web Site Top

This course uses WebCT to organize and present online content and to manage the classroom. In addition, students can track their progress, interact with fellow students through chat and e-mail, and even make online presentations. The following section provides brief instructions for accessing WebCT.

From the CSU Home Page select the Academics option then WebCT on the right-hand side of the screen or (Click here)
Select " 'MyWebCT' Login area for those with WebCT IDs." If you don't have a WebCT ID select the "Create your 'My WebCt ID' " option and follow the directions to create your ID and password.
Enter your username and password.
Use the "Open Enrollment" option to add this course to your MyWebCT page. Click here for instructions to add the course.