**7. The enterprise's information and knowledge system (EIKS)**

The enterprise's information and knowledge system (EIKS) consists mainly in a set of individuals and digital information systems (ref. Fig. 9).

EIKS rests on a socio-technical context, which consists of individuals in interaction among them, with machines, and with the very EIKS. It includes:


time. The information technologies and the tangible technical resources enhance their competence, while value-adding processes and organizational infrastructures are structuring their activities. Nevertheless, their social interactions are essential factors, which leverage their potentialities, and that actually enable them to achieve effective results. Therefore, from our perspective, socio-technical environment, and value-adding processes are fundamental components of the Knowledge Management

> Enterprise 's Activities (sector, key value-chain elements, geographical distribution, size, market, mass or batch manufacturing processes, product lifecycle, oral or

Relations and Interactions between ICT, Structure, and

Social and Intellectual Capital Management Involvement

Elements Key Issues

written culture)

Running Processes Business Processes

**7. The enterprise's information and knowledge system (EIKS)** 

individuals and digital information systems (ref. Fig. 9).

them, with machines, and with the very EIKS. It includes:

from information and communication technologies (ICT)

People: their roles, their tasks Capability to learn and Innovate

Porter's Primary and Support Activities :

Design and Development Processes Innovative Product and Services Processes

Table 3 represents the operating level of MGKME. The operating level of MGKME contains the elements of MGKME that focus on the underlying components of the Knowledge Management System, and consist of managerial guiding principles, ad hoc infrastructures, generic KM processes, organizational learning processes, and methods

The enterprise's information and knowledge system (EIKS) consists mainly in a set of

EIKS rests on a socio-technical context, which consists of individuals in interaction among

Digital Information Systems (DIS), which are artificial systems, the artefacts designed

 An Information System (IS), constituted by individuals who, in a given context, are processors of data to which they give a sense under the shape of information. This information, depending of the case, is passed on, remembered, treated, and diffused by

System.

**I** 

U N D E R L Y I N G LEVEL Sociotechnical Environment

Value-adding Processes

Table 2. MGKME's underlying Level

and supporting tools for KM.

them or by the DIS.


Table 3. MGKME's operating Level

 A Knowledge System (KS), consisting of tacit knowledge embodied by the individuals, and of explicit knowledge formalized and codified on any shape of supports (documents, video, photo, digitized or not). Under certain conditions, digitized knowledge is susceptible to be stored, processed and spread with the DIS. In that case, knowledge is no more than information.

We insist on the importance to integrate the individual as a component of the system. In fact, relying to our assumptions, we argue that knowledge resides primarily in the heads of individuals, and in the social interactions of these individuals. Knowledge is dependent of the individual's interpretative frameworks, and the context of his action. Consequently, as mental models and interpretative frameworks are directly forged by cultural factors, it induces to stress the role of cultural factors when social interactions, information sharing and knowledge transfer are essential to enable efficiency in the global economy. Here, knowledge transfer

Three Postulates that Change Knowledge Management Paradigm 19

Enterprise's Strategies; (iii) Monitoring KM Maturity Study; and (iv) Establishing KM Initiative Program. Questions which must be considered focus notably on achieving

 How to articulate the general KM initiative with the Enterprise's strategic orientations? How to make the Enterprise's members, whatever are their hierarchical level, aware of

How to assess the Enterprise's KM maturity and its capacity to implement KM projects?

How to establish *Ad-hoc* organizational structures, and to attribute roles to

How to create and support organizational learning processes leading towards more

The strategic orientation phase is crucial and can avoid getting KM resources outcomes unused. We argue that, most of time, IT approach leads confusing notions of information and knowledge, and misunderstanding the goals: do we have to develop an Information System or do we have to implement an EIKS that integrate people as users and components of the system? Therefore, the strategic orientation phase must help to build a general KM vision that makes a clear distinction between technology as a support to share individual's tacit knowledge, and

alignment of the KM strategy on the organization's strategy:

 How to identify IS needs, KS needs, and EIKS needs? How to define the KM initiative outline, and the agenda?

KM interest for them, and the Enterprise?

What are the activities to develop and promote?

information sharing, and knowledge transfer?

What are predictable impacts?

What are the indicators to set up?

Fig. 10. The Strategic Orientation Phase

stakeholders?

How to gather constructive conditions?

must be understood as transmission, plus absorption and use of knowledge (Davenport and Prusack 1998 p.101). Therefore, the project manager should consider the individual (knowledge worker and decision-maker) both at once as a user, and a component of the EIKS. In EIKS, the information and knowledge portals have become essential for the knowledge workers who have to share with colleagues disseminated all around the world.

Fig. 9. The enterprise' information and knowledge system (EIKS)
