Topic: Knowledge Information Systems in practice: develop your case study

Order Description
You are asked to write a reflective report identifying, exploring, analysing and
discussing the development of knowledge management (KM hereafter) and
knowledge information systems within an organisation or business company in
relation to a specific project, product or service. You can choose to focus on steps
and actions undertaken by the selected organisation in order to improve their KM
strategy with regard to a particular aspect or issue, such as:
? The introduction of a new product or service operated by an organisation’s
competitors in their market of reference, which may have pushed the
organisation to reconsider their KM strategy in a given period of time or
market scenario;
? Operational, tactical or strategic modifications adopted within the organisation
itself that generated a significant improvement in terms of profits, cost saving,
resource efficiencies;
? Overall adjustments imposed by economic, social and cultural changes at
local and global levels that have pushed the organisation to reconsider and
modify its KM strategy.
These and other examples need to be explored and analysed with regard to contents
discussed within the KIS course. Particular attention should be given to linkages
between theories and models analysed in the course, and challenges related to the
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realisation of projects by organisations and companies. These may include
successful results as well as failures or negative outcomes.
The assessment is designed to evaluate your capabilities in observation, analysis,
reflection and synthesis. You can select the organisation independently from its
product, service or market of reference. What it is really important is the development
of a coherent discussion regarding aspects associated with knowledge management.
For instance, with regard to a given project within the organisation or business
company you select, you may wish to focus on:
? Processes of converting information into knowledge and vice versa.
? Benefits of having adopted a specific knowledge management strategy that
makes an effective use of knowledge and information systems.
? Processes of creating KM programmes using knowledge management life
cycle.
? Linkages between KM strategy and wider organisational level strategies
? Strategies related to involving different layers of employees within the
knowledge creation/management process, from top- management to middle
managers and front-line operators
? Different types of systems used or that can be used by different departments.
? Use of different levels of systems in different organisational departments to
generate different types of information and knowledge, including the
interaction between systems.
? Challenges faced by team/departments in particular situations and relative
solutions applied.
? Comparisons with different organisations, markets, situations and contexts
Graphical techniques such as rich picture technique, system network analysis,
statistic graphs etc. can be used in order to support your discussion and to enhance
your framework. Important components within the organisation, such as specific
department or functions (e.g. customer relation management), may need to be
analysed in relation to the issue and aspect under investigation. A critical analysis
should also address issues related to creative thinking and problem solving put in
place within teams and/or departments of the selected organisation.
You are required to develop this assignment by resembling the structure of an
academic research paper or journal article. This means that you will need to provide
an introductory section in which you clearly define your research question (suggested
300-400 words), a literature review including other relevant research conducted on
the organisation/business company you selected (700-1000), your elaboration and
analysis of the organisation with regard to the specific aspect/issue/scenario (800-
1100), a critical discussion including your reflective views, (1000-1300), and
conclusions (500-700). Of course, this is just a rough idea: you can develop this
assignment as you wish, just try to be balanced and rational with regard to word
usage.