Essay on "Incorporating Knowledge Management in Organization"

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[EXCERPT] . . . .

open economy' a 'closed economy', discuss potential economic advantages economic disadvantages a country open economy.

Incorporating knowledge management at the Army National Guard G6

The military institutions have always represented the backbone of a country's security and safety system. Within the United States, they are part of the national symbols and the trusted organizations of the entire population. The scope of the military institutions is that of ensuring safety of the people and peace within the country.

In rapidly changing times however, the means in which the military institutions come to complete their roles and functions change and they become more demanding. In the specific case of the Army National Guard, more and more emphasis is being placed on the organization's ability to integrate all its strategies into a single unified effort. As the pressures increase then, the organization has to seek new means of responding to the challenges.

One specific response in this sense is represented by the integration of business principles in the completion of military operations. Specifically, while the army remains a non-profit institution, it should implement some lessons from the business community, which is focused on efficiency and result maximization. At this particular stage, attention is placed on the integration of knowledge management at the Army National Guard (ARNG).

2. The Army National Guard

Before proposing the implementation of knowledge management at the Army National Guard, it is necessary to briefly introduce the organization. The Army National Guard operates thr

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ough a total of 54 guards, located one in each of the fifty states, and the others in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Territories of Guam and the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia. During typical times, the ARNG is ruled by state governments, but in case of emergencies, the United States President is able to call in the guards.

In times of war or other emergency situations, the Army National Guard responds to the President, who can mobilize troops and use them for federal purposes. In such situations, the scope of the ARNG is to restore peace, and in times of peace, its scope is to preserve it.

"While federalized, the units answer to the Combatant Commander of the theatre in which they are operating and, ultimately, to the President. Even when not federalized, the Army National Guard has a federal obligation (or mission.) That mission is to maintain properly trained and equipped units, available for prompt mobilization for war, national emergency, or as otherwise needed" (Website of the Army National Guard, 2009).

The scope of the Army National Guard is as such a strictly military one, but in order to accomplish it, it is necessary for the institution to also engage in adjacent operations, such as the management of its people, the management of its resources or the adequate usage of information. In order to accomplish these tasks, it has to continually evolve and modernize, and, at this stage, a question is being raised relative to the integration of knowledge management at the Army National Guard.

3. Knowledge management and its benefits

The first step in creating a plan for the implementation of knowledge management at the Army National Guard is represented by the full comprehension of the concept of knowledge management. In a general setting, knowledge management refers to the collection and processing of information in such a manner that it supports the company in attaining its overall objectives.

The specialized literature presents a series of definitions for the concept of knowledge management, but the researchers have yet to come to a universally accepted definition. Still, a definition is presented below; it has been retrieved from the CIO website and it is as relevant as any other definitions that are available. According to the CIO editors then:

"KM is the process through which organizations generate value from their intellectual and knowledge-based assets. Most often, generating value from such assets involves codifying what employees, partners and customers know, and sharing that information among employees, departments and even with other companies in an effort to devise best practices" (Levinson).

While this definition does not argue the role of information technology in knowledge management, it has to be noted that knowledge management is indeed not a synonymous with it. In other words, the integration of it within the institutional context does not necessarily imply that the firm is engaging in knowledge management. On the other hand however, knowledge management process cannot be completed in the absence of informational systems.

The integration of knowledge management within organizations is an imperative measure in these rapidly changing times as it allows the institution to recognize the new threats and adapt to them. According to the prestigious Forbes magazine, the integration of knowledge management within firms is a necessary process due to three pivotal capabilities of knowledge management, namely:

The ability to support decision making processes within the organization

The provision of support for learning to become an ongoing and routine process, rather than a sporadic effort, and last

The ability to stimulate cultural change and innovation (Quast, 2012).

In the specific military context, these benefits of knowledge management are felt and enhanced, but they are further developed to respond to specific needs of the army. Knowledge management in the army context then improves mission command, knowledge sharing and training efforts. Better said:

"KM enhances mission command, facilitates the exchange of knowledge, supports doctrine development, fosters leaders' development, supports lessons learned, supports training and enhances professional education. Ultimately, KM enables the Army to become an adaptable organization that is able to learn and change" (United States Army Combined Arms Center).

4. Plan for knowledge management incorporation

As it has already been mentioned, the integration of knowledge management is essential in any institution, but even more so in the military organizations, where the safety of an entire state depends on the institution's access to information, ability to process that information correctly, to transmit it and so on. In other words, knowledge management at the Army National Guard is not an option, but a stringent necessity.

In such a setting then, it is now important to devise a customized plan for the implementation of knowledge management at the Army National Guard. Within the literary sources, there exist several models to implementing and managing knowledge, but in practice, it has to be noted that these does not exist a model for guaranteed success. In other words, each institution has to devise its own implementation and management plan, based on its own particularities. In the case of the Army National Guard then, the plan will be tailored to the specific traits of the institution, the scopes it serves, its vision, mission and so on.

At this level, it is noted that the future knowledge management plan at the Army National Guard has to be developed and implemented in such a manner that it supports the following:

Innovation and adaptability, alongside with communications and technologic integration

Further security and integration at the level of the cyberspace and in terms of war fight (important at the level of readiness), security, defense, intelligence operations, business systems and cyber operations

Efficient use of all organizational resources, especially the resources in the field of Information Technology, where it is sought to create efficiencies

The integration of it within all institutional processes and operations and the provision of support towards financial stability

Preparedness for any types of intervention and ongoing support to the civil society.

Based on these characteristics of the Army National Guard, it becomes obvious that the knowledge management plan to be developed and implemented has to be complex and able to serve multiple purposes. Additionally, it has to be tailored to the specific needs of a military institution, but also integrate all specifics of the knowledge management field. In such a setting then, the plan proposed at this stage includes the following:

(1) the analysis of the current infrastructure

(2) the alignment of knowledge management with the objectives of the institution

(3) the design of the infrastructure for knowledge management

(4) the audit of the existing knowledge assets and systems

(5) the design and creation of the knowledge management team

(6) the creation of the knowledge management blueprint

(7) the development of the knowledge management system

(8) the management of change

(9) Deployment of the knowledge management effort, and last

(10) the evaluation of the performances of the new knowledge management system (Pearson Higher Education).

These ten steps to knowledge management implementation at the Army National Guard can be further classified into four larger categories, namely the first phase of infrastructural evaluation (steps 1 and 2); the second phase of analysis, design and development of knowledge management (steps 3 through 7); the third phase of knowledge management deployment (steps 8 and 9) and the last phase of metrics on performance evaluation.

In the first endeavor, the Army National Guard would focus on the assessment of the infrastructure they employ for information management. This infrastructure is normally updated as the army invests in its technologies,… READ MORE

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Quoted Instructions for "Incorporating Knowledge Management in Organization" Assignment:

“

Need to write about to incorporate *****"Knowledge Management*****" into my organization (Army National Guard G6) or any military organization and what is the benefit of doing so? I have included our current strategic plan (Includes my jobs purpose and mission, etc) which may help personalize for some verbiage. We currently use Microsoft SharePoint 2003 and will be migrating all info on SharePoint sight to Microsoft 2010. But how can an organization incorporate Knowledge Management and what are the benefits of doing so?

Purpose: Develop a strategic plan to communicate to the States, NGB Leadership, Army CIO/G6, Department of Defense (DoD), Interagency partners and other stakeholders the focus of the Army National Guard (ARNG) CIO/G6 in accomplishing major initiatives within the ARNG in support of the Director Army National Guard (DARNG) and Chief National Guard Bureau (CNGB). Timeframe for these activities include October 2014 ***** September 2019.

Vision: An innovative, agile, and adaptable organization providing mission-critical information technology and communication resources and services to the ARNG in a dynamic operational environment committed to developing quality partnerships that foster effective communication and collaboration.

Mission: As the Executive Agent for the CNGB*****s Enterprise Network, the ARNG CIO/G6 will provide GuardNet to Joint Forces Headquarters (JFHQ) and ARNG operating and generating forces in support of State-based, information-enabled expeditionary and Defense Support to Civil Authority (DSCA) missions. The ARNG CIO/G6 will further provide integration, security and defense of the ARNG segment of the cyber domain while exploiting knowledge management capabilities, enabling the global collaborative environment for joint warfighting, first response, business systems, intelligence operations, cyber operations, and access to the Army*****s LandWarNet, all while providing the best value for America.

Strategic Priorities:

1. Efficient use of IT resources. (ITMR)

2. ARNG warfighter readiness.

3. Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA) Support.

4. Cyberspace defense. (Provide Information Security)

Goals and Objectives:

1. Ensure the Efficient Use of IT resources

a. Integrate ARNG G6/CIO as part of a joint NGB IT Enterprise.

i. Continue to manage GuardNet and federate with DoD Joint Information Environment (JIE)

ii. Continue to modernize the network

b. Integrate IT Management into NGB Business Processes

i. Demand Management

ii. IT Portfolio Management (PfM)

iii. Leverage IT to enable integration of all business processes.

2. Realize IT Efficiencies and Improve Effectiveness

a. Information Technology Management Reform (ITMR)

i. Governance

ii. Consolidate multiple Data Centers to an Enterprise Data Center

iii. Eliminate and/or Regionalize State DOIMs

iv. Expect Army to request Congressional approval to re-appropriate ARNG IT funding to the Army for *****perceived*****

IT efficiency gains

b. Provide Responsible Financial Management

i. Leverage IT resources from the Army and Air National Guard

ii. Provide 37% of the Army*****s Operational Force with 10% of the total Army IT Budget, supporting 95% of the

Domestic Response capabilities.

iii. Support T-10/T-32 Soldiers, Technicians & JFHQ-S at 3002 facilities for less than $280m.

3. Enable ARNG readiness

a. Support warfighter readiness

i. Operationalize GuardNet

ii. Realize *****˜Armory as a Docking Station*****

iii. Federate with JIE to provide interoperability with Domestic Mission Partners

b. Develop Staff Officers to Ensure they are Value Added

i. Provide Joint qualified and experienced professionals

ii. Interchangeable between DoD, NGB, States and interagency

iii. Generalists who can perform functions across ARNG staff

iv. Set standards of excellence to develop resilient, confident and capable professionals in technology, cyber and leadership.

4. Enable Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA).

a. Enable States, the Adjutant Generals (TAGs) to Services:

i. Training

ii. Mission Readiness

iii. Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA)

iv. Support Army Mobilizations

v. Support TAG Mission Command

vi. Provide Information Security

vii. Value Proposition for all Stakeholders

b. Resource CNGB and Governors (TAGs) to Fulfill their Mission

i. Enable the statutory requirement that CNGB be the conduit of info to/from T-32 forces and AC USAF, AC Army and DoD

ii. Provide trusted flexible communication capabilities to meet National Guard dual use mission command requirements for CNGB, DARNG, DANG, TAGs, ARNG commanders and ANG commanders within the joint environment

5. Enable Cyberspace Defense

a. Protect and Defend ARNG Cyber Domain

i. Provide Information Security

ii. Continue to develop Continuity of Operations (COOP)

iii. Provide Knowledge Management

b. Support expanding role of ARNG operation in Cyberspace

i. Provide trained and experienced operators in defensive counter measures

ii. Provide cyber security assessment team guidance and training

6. Enterprise Architecture.

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