Knowledge Retention

As the baby boomer generation approaches retirement age, many organizations are facing the potential crisis of lost knowledge. Devised to help those organizations who are dependent on the accumulated knowledge of stakeholders, this book details a proactive approach to knowledge retention. Written by Jay Liebowitz, one of the most sought after knowledge management experts, this text explains how to identify at risk knowledge areas, and then demonstrates how to keep those areas from becoming knowledge vacuums. To reinforce his points, the book contains case studies from The Aerospace Corporation, Chevron, and Knowledge Harvesting Inc., who have become models for the implementation of knowledge retention strategies.

A. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUNDl,2 This report reviews and interprets research on the nature and magnitude of the effects of those factors which influence how well knowledge and skills (K&S) are retained over relatively long periods of nonuse. Our interest lies in the kinds of knowledge domains and skills that military personnel must master to function effectively on their jobs. The practical concern impelling this study is that K&S degradation or loss (which we will refer to as "decay") can and does occur, often and severely enough, to jeopardize military preparedness. There are occasions in all the military services when personnel who have just completed their training do not receive an opportunity to practice or use their new capabilities for weeks or months. In the case of reservists who may be called back to active duty, the period of nonuse of relevant military job skills may be counted in terms of years. B. OBJECTIVES The overall objective is to critically analyze the relevant scientific literature which relates the processes involved in learning to those of memory, taking into account the characteristics of the learner and the learning tasks. More specifically, we have focused on the following sub-objectives: 1. Identify, describe and rank the influence and the interactions of the important major variables that affect long-term retention (LTR); 1 I am indebted to Dr. Jesse Orlansky, Institute for Defense Analyses, for his encouragement and guidance through all phases of this report.

In 1963 an initial attempt was made in my The Psychology of Meaningful Verbal Learning to present a cognitive theory of meaningful as opposed to rote verbal learning. It was based on the proposition that the acquisition and retention of knowl edge (particularly of verbal knowledge as, for example, in school, or subject-matter learning) is the product of an active, integrative, interactional process between instructional material (subject matter) and relevant ideas in the leamer's cognitive structure to which the new ideas are relatable in particular ways. This book is a full-scale revision of my 1963 monograph, The Psychology of Meaningful Verbal Learning, in the sense that it addresses the major aforementioned and hitherto unmet goals by providing for an expansion, clarification, differentiation, and sharper focusing of the principal psychological variables and processes involved in meaningful learning and retention, i.e., for their interrelationships and interactions leading to the generation of new meanings in the individual learner. The preparation of this new monograph was largely necessitated by the virtual collapse of the neobe havioristic theoretical orientation to learning during the previous forty years; and by the meteoric rise in the seventies and beyond of constructivist approaches to learning theory.

How an organization works is largely a function of what it knows—i.e., the collective knowledge about all aspects of the enterprise, from competitive intelligence to formal systems and policies to the ways in which individuals solve problems and share their expertise. Organizational knowledge is not to be found in manuals and web sites, but in the day-to-day interactions among employees, suppliers, customers, investors, and other stakeholders. How Organizations Remember is based on a 10-month study of a technology firm with locations in three countries (Australia, US, and Ireland); the company has undergone rapid growth and expansion, which have had a profound impact on power structures and organizational culture, and hence, on the ways in which knowledge is created and disseminated. The author discovered that what is remembered is diverse, and of differing value within and across the organization. How knowledge is remembered is equally diverse, and ranges from computer files to cartoons on the wall, from stories to the way objects are placed on a desk. Knowledge is influenced by external influences as well as internal influences; knowledge may become a competitive advantage, but may also contribute to inertia. The book combines theoretical perspectives and empirical findings to generate insights that contribute to both research and practice in organizational learning, innovation, culture, and behavior.

Executives today recognize that their firms face a wave of retirements over the next decade as the baby boomers hit retirement age. At the other end of the talent pipeline, the younger workforce is developing a different set of values and expectations, which creates new recruiting and employee retention issues. The evolution from an older, traditional, highly-experienced workforce to a younger, more mobile, employee base poses significant challenges, particularly when considered in the context of the long-term orientation towards downsizing and cost cutting. This is a solution-oriented book to address one of the most pressing management problems of the coming years: How do organizations transfer the critical expertise and experience of their employees before that knowledge walks out the door? It begins by outlining the broad issues and providing tools for developing a knowledge-retention strategy and function. It then goes on to outline best practices for retaining knowledge, including knowledge transfer practices, using technology to enable knowledge retention, retaining older workers and retirees, and outsourcing lost capabilities.

A significant body of research indicates teachers are suffering from stress, which leads to a variety of physical ailments, drinking, and high turnover rate. This research assessed a comprehensive, educational intervention wellness program aimed at increasing teachers' knowledge of health and wellness. This research implemented an instructional intervention wellness program to increase teachers' knowledge of health and wellness, delivered in web-based and face-to-face formats. The delivery formats were compared to determine, which one was more effective in improving wellness knowledge retention for grades K-5 educators. Fifty teachers completed the wellness intervention. A paired sample t-test and factorial MANOVA was used to determine differences in increased knowledge. The results of paired samples t-tests for both the web-based and the face-to-face participants were statistically significant. The results of the factorial MANOVA were not significant, suggesting a need for further research.

As knowledge economies become increasingly important around the world, it is essential that organizations are able to transform their knowledge into a competitive advantage. This textbook offers an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge management written specifically for postgraduate students in business and management schools. Knowledge Management presents classic and advanced concepts, models and frameworks using a clear logical structure, which covers building knowledge competence, the knowledge lifecycle, and integration of knowledge management with business decision making. An overall framework illustrates links between chapters and ensures readers can gain a body of actionable knowledge rather than learning isolated, uncontextualized topics. Based on cutting-edge research findings and covering the most advanced IT and IS technologies, this book emphasises the need for knowledge management to span boundaries across organizations, supply chains and partnerships, rather than being limited to individual learning and sharing within businesses. Knowledge Management is international in scope and includes real world case studies and role play scenarios to show how theories are applied in practice, and "think back" and "critique discussion" questions to encourage reflective learning and critical thinking. This indispensable text provides a dynamic picture of the evolution of knowledge management and demonstrates its full potential to enable better business decisions. Accompanying online resources include PowerPoint slides for lecturers and exercise questions for students.

Knowledge Management (KM) is strongly rooted in the discipline of Knowledge Engineering (KE), which in turn grew partly out of the artificial intelligence field. Despite their close relationship, however, many KM specialists have failed to fully recognize the synergy or acknowledge the power that KE methodologies, techniques, and tools hold for enh

Information is considered essential in every business model. Effective usage of this information to direct goals and drive missions can lead to successful enterprises. Knowledge Integration Strategies for Entrepreneurship and Sustainability is a critical reference source that expounds upon the critical methods in which new information is integrated into existing models for starting new companies and the ways in which these models interact and affect each other. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics, such as tacit knowledge utilization, knowledge retention in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and knowledge dynamics in supply chain management, this book is geared toward academicians, researchers, and students seeking current research on the effect of information management in the interdisciplinary world of business creation as well as enterprise stability and longevity.

Knowledge management is the process of creating value from an organization's intangible assets. It is generally concerned with four major types of capital: human, the brainpower of the employees; structural, such as intellectual property rights or databases; social, knowledge acquired from customers and stakeholders; and competitive, knowledge learned about or from an organization's competitors. This concise, easy-to-read book provides guidance on the value and importance of knowledge management for organizations. Many organizations are reluctant to invest in knowledge management (KM) and competitive intelligence (CI) initiatives for their company's use. In his newest book, Jay Liebowitz discusses how value-added benefits can be derived from such efforts, with concepts and cases presented. Making Cents Out of Knowledge Management focuses on demonstrating ways to show the value of knowledge in organizations and discusses methods to measure knowledge management outcomes. Reinforcing these concepts are representative cases from leading practitioners and educators of how organizations have been doing this worldwide.