Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Knowledge ...

A S<strong>of</strong>t Systems Approach to Solving Knowledge
Management Problems in Organisational Change
Environments
John T Young
RMIT University, Melbourne Australia
john.young@rmit.edu.au
Abstract: Many organisations are undergoing imposed change in an attempt to become lean and more efficient.
Frequently this results in staff reduction and early retirements and rapid cultural change. Organisations may be
in danger <strong>of</strong> loosing <strong>the</strong>ir ‘memory’ as long serving employees with critical knowledge and experience move on.
Knowledge is considered <strong>the</strong> driver <strong>of</strong> contemporary organisations and although it may be managed by
structured systems, it is also heavily affected by human activity systems. This paper presents a practical
approach to solving knowledge management problems in organisations that are undergoing change. S<strong>of</strong>t
systems methodology is applied to a number <strong>of</strong> organisations to generate hi<strong>the</strong>rto un-recorded, unknown,
suppressed or forgotten information which may be captured in knowledge management systems. S<strong>of</strong>t system
methodology is an enquiring technique which seeks to provide input and perspective from participants in
situations that are complex, subjective and messy. It also seeks to establish a level <strong>of</strong> mutual accommodation in
<strong>the</strong> hearts and minds <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> participants which can accelerate organisational learning and can contribute to <strong>the</strong>
motivation and commitment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> participants. Two case studies are presented which illustrate <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> s<strong>of</strong>t
system methodology in developing trust and creating a willingness to share information. They were selected
from a series <strong>of</strong> case studies that were conducted by <strong>the</strong> author across a broad range <strong>of</strong> industries using
qualitative research and <strong>the</strong> application <strong>of</strong> s<strong>of</strong>t system methodology. The first case presented here relates to <strong>the</strong>
imposed merger <strong>of</strong> two independent municipalities. Significant staff reduction occurred resulting in a knowledge
drain and <strong>the</strong> new merged entity, with new management, had to continue <strong>the</strong> operational processes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
municipalities. Solutions which addressed <strong>the</strong> information and knowledge required for continued operation were
developed. The second case relates to family owned manufacturer <strong>of</strong> industrial clothing facing competitive and
logistics problems. Solutions were developed using knowledge generated from employees and participants o<strong>the</strong>r
than <strong>the</strong> management team.
Keywords: Knowledge management, S<strong>of</strong>t systems methodology, Problem solving, Organisational learning
1. Introduction
The management <strong>of</strong> knowledge in organisations in recent years has been enhanced by <strong>the</strong>
introduction <strong>of</strong> computer technology and <strong>the</strong> internet, which has provided both a vast source <strong>of</strong>
information and a place to store it. However, knowledge, resulting from information and rational
thinking, along with experiences is also stored in human memories, and in many cases is not
documented or stored in a way that is accessible to o<strong>the</strong>rs. In fact, certain elements <strong>of</strong> knowledge
may be retained by individuals as a form <strong>of</strong> power or security and jealously guarded.
As organisations grow, <strong>the</strong> management become more remote from <strong>the</strong> workforce, <strong>the</strong> divergence <strong>of</strong>
information and subsequent knowledge increases. New knowledge is being continuously created
adding to <strong>the</strong> challenge <strong>of</strong> knowledge management. Collecting, storing and managing this plethora <strong>of</strong>
knowledge can be difficult, especially at times <strong>of</strong> intense change, especially with <strong>the</strong> move to leaner
organisations. Individual may become more reluctant to share <strong>the</strong> basis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir security or sense <strong>of</strong>
self attainment. O<strong>the</strong>rs may leave <strong>the</strong> organisation under duress and without a plan for <strong>the</strong> transfer <strong>of</strong>
significant knowledge as part <strong>of</strong> a succession plan. These situations are not uncommon and create
risks <strong>of</strong> repeating errors or more seriously, making decisions without <strong>the</strong> benefit <strong>of</strong> vital circumstantial
knowledge. In every major system failure, <strong>the</strong>re is <strong>of</strong>ten an individual found, whose knowledge <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
circumstance could have prevented <strong>the</strong> failure, but <strong>the</strong>ir knowledge was not available to <strong>the</strong> decision
makers at <strong>the</strong> time.
In order to facilitate <strong>the</strong> sharing <strong>of</strong> knowledge and to break down barriers, ei<strong>the</strong>r real or perceived,
whilst maintaining <strong>the</strong> dignity and security <strong>of</strong> individuals, a process <strong>of</strong> trust building was applied to a
number <strong>of</strong> case studies. The process used was s<strong>of</strong>t systems methodology (SSM) and <strong>the</strong> outcome <strong>of</strong>
<strong>the</strong> process was to turn tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge and continuous learning. (Gao, Meng
et al. 2002)
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