Knowledge Management: From Brain to Business (PDF 5.5 - Asian ...

wealth or some similar form of wealth creation. Many organizations are good at several of
the seven characteristics I have named. They might be good at marketing, they might be
good at product development or they might be a learning organization. But it is extremely
difficult to integrate all seven of those such that the output of an organization’s abilities is
maximized. Further on I will show some metrics which will give some indication of how those
organizations are able to exceed their competitors and create a holistic knowledge-driven
organization.
This is the framework we used for MAKE. These are the characteristics that we believe are
essential for any company to compete in the knowledge economy. In addition, beneath these
eight criteria is a set of 150 different processes and sub-processes that we have identified as
contributors, so it is much more complex than just the eight that I am talking about today.
MAKE Studies
In the studies that we conducted, we looked at the macro processes as the key drivers. So,
how did we conduct the MAKE studies and how do we use the information?
The MAKE studies are nine years old. The MAKE research program was established in 1998
by Teleos in association with the KNOW Network, to identify and recognize those
organizations which are leaders at creating intellectual capital and shareholder wealth (or in
the case of public and non-profit organizations, increasing societal capital) by transforming
enterprise knowledge into superior products, services and solutions.
This will be the 10th year of conducting the study. We attempted to create a method of
identifying and recognizing those organizations in the knowledge economy that were
outperforming their competitors or their peers in ability to create wealth or shareholder value.
The Internet enabled us to conduct our studies electronically, and to use pools of experts.
Unlike traditional benchmarking studies which require significant resources and time to reach
a result, the methodology that we chose provided a rapid means to identify the leading
organizations.
The following process was used:
• Delphi research methodology
• Panel of experts consisting of senior executives and knowledge management or
intellectual capital experts
• Three rounds of consensus-building to identify the MAKE winners:
o Round 1: Nominations
o Round 2: Finalists
o Round 3: Winners
We use the Delphi methodology, which was developed in the 1950s by the Rand Corporation
in the United States. It is essentially a tool for reaching consensus. By putting together a
group of experts in a particular field and asking them a series of questions, they will be able
to come to a conclusion through discussions, insights, and their own expertise.
When this was applied to the MAKE studies, we put together large global or regional panels
of business leaders and experts in knowledge management, intellectual capital and
organizational learning. A typical panel is made up of 750 to 3,000 individuals. We then go
through three rounds of the study. In the first round, we ask our expert panel to nominate
organizations which they believe are the very best in the knowledge economy. We show
them the eight main criteria that we use and we ask them what the leading organizations are
to the best of their knowledge. We also ask them to provide us with some background
information, whether personal experience or case studies, and financial results.
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