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

Emmanuel Innocents Edoun and Valdenisa Norris
presented in <strong>the</strong> literature. It equally provides a framework within which management can balance its
KM focus and establish and communicate its strategic KM direction (D Binney 2009). In <strong>the</strong> South
African school context, KM direction is determined and communicated through a process/system
called Whole School Evaluation (WSE). During this process a SWOT (Strengths, Weakness,
Opportunity and Threats) Analysis is done to assist school in sustaining KM.
The paper also applies a knowledge management approach to provide direction for <strong>the</strong> KM spectrum
and <strong>the</strong>n gives a description <strong>of</strong> a simple classification approach that relates forces to KM strategies.
This paper is organised as follow: a problem statement , literature review, methodology, case study
and analysis, findings, recommendations and conclusion.
2. Problem Statement
The objective <strong>of</strong> this paper is <strong>the</strong>refore to look at knowledge management as a moral purpose that
thrives in improving global education through knowledge management strategies. With this aim in
mind this paper seeks to address <strong>the</strong> following questions.
How can a local solution have an impact into creating a concept <strong>of</strong> “Global Knowledge Village”?
How can school leaders/ managers ensure that <strong>the</strong> global socio-economic gaps are bridged
through <strong>the</strong> sharing <strong>of</strong> knowledge?
2.1 Review <strong>of</strong> Literature
This paper argues that knowledge management is dynamic and seeks to address data, process and
information as elements that constitute <strong>the</strong> core <strong>of</strong> managing knowledge. Data represents facts and it
becomes information when one understands <strong>the</strong> relationships between <strong>the</strong> pieces <strong>of</strong> data (Friehs
1995). Information is only knowledge when it takes on a social life. Meaning that sharing and
interaction amongst people makes information a source <strong>of</strong> knowledge. Knowledge is linked to people
and is seen as a social phenomenon that can be used to improve and change social issues/problems
for instance poverty or natural disasters that affects humans and <strong>the</strong> environment (Fullan
2002).Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore this study holds that in an organisational context, <strong>the</strong>re are patterns in relations <strong>of</strong>
data and information that have <strong>the</strong> capacity to represent knowledge. So <strong>the</strong> value <strong>of</strong> any information
is always connected to a system or a situation and cannot be evaluated in an isolated manner. By
including <strong>the</strong> information into a context <strong>of</strong> experience, knowledge can be created, as <strong>the</strong> contextuality
develops knowledge (Roehl 2000).
From <strong>the</strong> above analysis this study <strong>the</strong>refore seeks to understand what is knowledge? Knowledge is
defined as (i) expertise, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; <strong>the</strong>
<strong>the</strong>oretical or practical understanding <strong>of</strong> a subject; (ii) what is known in a particular field or in total;
facts and information; or (iii) be absolutely certain or sure about something(Oxford Dictionary).
Denham Grey (1995) defines knowledge as <strong>the</strong> full utilisation <strong>of</strong> information and data, coupled with
<strong>the</strong> potential <strong>of</strong> people's skills, competencies, ideas, intuitions, commitments and motivations. He
argues that knowledge is <strong>the</strong> basis for, and <strong>the</strong> driver <strong>of</strong>, our post-industrial economy and <strong>the</strong>refore is
<strong>the</strong> result <strong>of</strong> learning which provides <strong>the</strong> only sustainable competitive advantage. Takeuchi & Nonaka
(1995) argue that knowledge is about beliefs, commitment and action to achieve some end. It is also
about meaning, being context-specific and relational. Their view shows that <strong>the</strong>re is no knowledge
without people who create, process, interpret and transfer it. Friehs (2003) argues that in this society,
knowledge is <strong>the</strong> primary resource for individuals and for <strong>the</strong> economy overall.
Knowledge is <strong>the</strong> entirety <strong>of</strong> abilities that people use for solving problems. It comprises <strong>the</strong>oretical
knowledge as well as general wisdom, attitudes, etc. Knowledge relies on data and information and in
relation to <strong>the</strong>m is always bound to a person. Individuals construct and represent <strong>the</strong>ir expectations
on <strong>the</strong> connection between cause and effect (Probst/Raub/Romhardt 1999).
For <strong>the</strong> processing <strong>of</strong> data from information to knowledge, this data needs to be managed efficiently
which eventually raises <strong>the</strong> question <strong>of</strong> what is management and its implication to knowledge?
Peter Drucker (1993) defined management as supplying knowledge to find out how existing
knowledge can best be applied to produce results, in effect, what we mean by management. But
knowledge is now also being applied systematically and purposefully to determine what new
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