Origin of the Knowledge Life Cycle - DKMS · 4The alternation between KLCs and OLCs is both basic...

Copyright © 2002 Executive Information Systems, Inc.Reproduction Without Permission Strictly Prohibited 1

Origin of theKnowledge Life Cycle

Joseph M. Firestone Ph.D.CKO

Executive Information Systems, Inc.Co-CEO

[email protected]

www.dkms.comwww.kmci.org

Joseph M. Firestone Ph.D.CKO

Executive Information Systems, Inc.Co-CEO

[email protected]

www.dkms.comwww.kmci.org


Knowledge Life Cycles (KLCs) andOrganizational Learning Cycles (OLCs)

4Knowledge life cycle frameworks are gettingincreasing attention as people begin toaccept that Knowledge Management is aboutmanaging KLCs and their processcomponents.

4Alongside the KLC concept though, manyothers have been concerned with theOrganizational Learning Cycle (OLC) and itsrole in knowledge processing and KM. Someeven believe that there are no KLCs and thatonly OLCs exists.


The KLC: A Separate Framework

4I’ll show that while the KLC is comprised ofOLCs, it is a separate construct and that, infact, KLC processes originate in OLCs andthen feed back into them.

4The alternation between KLCs and OLCs isboth basic to knowledge processing andgrounded in human psychology, both at theindividual and group levels of interaction.

4This alternation is the foundation ofknowledge management as a distinct processand discipline.


The Organizational Learning Cycle


X1

X3

X2

a

Goa

l Sta

te (t

0)

Perce

ived

Actua

l Stat

e (t 0)

X1, X2, X3 = TransactionOr Attribute Dimension

a = The Perceived Pre-decision Instrumental Behavior Gap

The Gap Motivating Action


The Decision Execution Cycle

Monitoring

Planning &Decision Making

EvaluatingActing

PreviousKnowledge

The DECapplies to any

businessprocess


businessprocess

PreviousKnowledge


A M

AA

InformationSystems

Documents

OtherCultural

Artifacts

M M

Mental and Artifact-based Knowledge Content found in:

M M

Individuals Communitiesof Practice

Teams Groups OtherAgents

Previous Knowledge: TheDistributed Organizational Knowledge Base

Previous Knowledge: TheDistributed Organizational Knowledge Base


Single-Loop learning involves adjustmentof behavior based on previously developed

general and specific knowledge in the DOKBand new knowledge of specific events and conditions!

Single-Loop learning involves adjustmentof behavior based on previously developed

general and specific knowledge in the DOKBand new knowledge of specific events and conditions!

GoverningKnowledge:The DOKB

Events AndConditions

Actions

Single-Loop Learning

Single-Loop Learning:Based on Argyris



Actions


Double-Loop Learning


Double-Loop learning involves adjustment of behavior based on creative problem-solving resulting in change

in the previous general and specific knowledge in the DOKB!

Double-Loop learning involves adjustment of behavior based on creative problem-solving resulting in change

in the previous general and specific knowledge in the DOKB!

Double-Loop Learning(loosely) Based on Argyris


Karl Popper’s Tetradic Schema:A Framework for Adaptation

P1 → TS→ EE → P2

A Problem

TentativeSolutions

Error Elimination

NewProblem

4Tentative Solutions are produced by ‘Knowledge Claim Formulation’

4Error Elimination occurs by means of ‘Knowledge Claim Evaluation’

4The result of EE is Falsified TSs, Undecided TSs and Surviving TSs.



Actions


Double-Loop Learning

ProblemTheoriesError

Elimination


Since DLL involves adjustment of behavior after creative problem-solving, I identify it with Popper’s Theory.

Since DLL involves adjustment of behavior after creative problem-solving, I identify it with Popper’s Theory.

Double-Loop Learning —Combining Argyris and Popper


The Social Psychological Foundation


The Flow of Behavior Among Agents

Goal Directed Agent (I)Decision Execution Cycle

Decisions ï Desired Transactions and Ecologyï Memory, Values, Attitudes,Situational Orientations, Goals

Goal Directed Agent (I)Decision Execution Cycle

Decisions ï Desired Transactions and Ecologyï Memory, Values, Attitudes,Situational Orientations, Goals

Social EcologySocial, Cultural, Geographical,

Economic Conditions

Social EcologySocial, Cultural, Geographical,

Economic Conditions

Tra

nsac

tions

I ð

j, k

, . .

. n Transactions j, k, . . . n ð i

Agent Behavioral Process

The Network of Agent Behavioral Processesj, k, . . ., n, including Social Ecology and

Goal- Directed Agents j, k, . . ., n.

The Network of Agent Behavioral Processesj, k, . . ., n, including Social Ecology and

Goal- Directed Agents j, k, . . ., n.


AgentBehavior

AgentBehavior

ValueOrientation

Predispositions

ValueOrientation

Predispositions

AttitudinalPredispositions

AttitudinalPredispositions

SituationalOrientations

SituationalOrientations

Pre-behavior Situationincluding the Behavior

of Other Agents

Pre-behavior Situationincluding the Behavior

of Other Agents

The ImmediatePre-behavior Context


System Predispositions to Behavior Defined at the Kth

Level of Specificity

System Predispositions to Behavior Defined at the Kth

Level of Specificity

The External Pre-behavior Situationincluding Material/Ecological

Conditions, Social Conditions, andthe behavior of Other Agents. All

Defined at the Kth Level of Specificity

The External Pre-behavior Situationincluding Material/Ecological

Conditions, Social Conditions, andthe behavior of Other Agents. All

Defined at the Kth Level of Specificity

Goal-Striving Tendency FromMotivational Systems Defined

At the Kth-1Levelof Specificity

Goal-Striving Tendency FromMotivational Systems Defined

At the Kth-1Levelof Specificity

Directed Transactions and/orCumulated Transactions

Directed Transactions and/orCumulated Transactions

Goal-Striving TendencyFrom Motivational Sub-System

Defined at the Kth Levelof Specificity

Generalization: A Motivational Subsystem


The Incentive System of an Agent

ENVIRONMENTAL

STI

MULI

Value Orientation

Availability X Expectancy X Incentive

Attitude Level 1Availability X Expectancy X Incentive

Attitude Level nAvailability X Expectancy X Incentive

Discrete Situational OrientationAvailability X Expectancy X Incentive

Goal-Striving Tendency



Behavior

ENVIRONMENTAL

STI

MULI

Value Orientation

Availability X Expectancy X Incentive

Attitude Level 1Availability X Expectancy X Incentive

Attitude Level nAvailability X Expectancy X Incentive

Discrete Situational OrientationAvailability X Expectancy X Incentive




Behavior

En

viro

nm

enta

l Sti

mu

liE

nvi

ron

men

tal S

tim

uli


EnvironmentalEncouragement/Resistance4An agent interprets environmental stimuli in terms of

whether they constitute resources and opportunities(social ecology) or cooperation (transactions).

4This is environmental encouragement4An agent interprets environmental stimuli in terms of

whether they constitute constraints (social ecology)or conflict (transactions)

4This is environmental resistance or inertia4Any situation involving instrumental behavior has

an environmental encouragement/resistance mix


Reactions to theEncouragement/Resistance Mix4To social encouragement the agent responds with

goal-striving tendencies and transactions perceivedas contributing to reaching the goal state. This I callsteering behavior

4To social resistance the agent responds in a varietyof ways depending on its expectancy concerning theease or difficulty involved in closing the instrumentalbehavior gap in the face of social resistance. Ifresistance is seen as “moderate” the agent willrespond with coping behavior


Coping Behavior

4There are two classes of coping behavior:0A habitual pattern of regulatory behavior applying

previous knowledge more or less according to aprocedure, routine, or rule. This corresponds tosingle loop learning

0A novel development and selection of decisionalternatives involving learning new ways of copingwith the environmental resistance. This, of coursecorresponds to double-loop learning andPopperian problem-solving

4Habitual/regulatory coping behavior continues theinstrumental behavior toward the original goal


Problem-Solving Life Cycles4But problem-solving represents a temporary

interruption of instrumental behavior in which a newproblem is defined: a problem viewed in terms of agap between what we know and what we need toknow to cope with environmental resistance

4So a problem-solving situation in the context of copingbehavior arouses its own incentive system, theincentive to learn, and this motivation reinforced bythe initial motivation toward goal attainment, driveswhat we might call a problem-solving, or adaptive lifecycle.

Problem-solving Life Cycles are basic to the motivation of all intelligent agents!

Problem-solving Life Cycles are basic to the motivation of all intelligent agents!


Monitoring(Sensemaking)


EvaluatingActingThe DEC

applies to anybusinessprocess


businessprocess

DLL includingthe

PLC/DOKB

DLL includingthe

PLC/DOKB

DLL includingthe

PLC/DOKB

DLL includingthe

PLC/DOKB

The Decision Execution Cycle Sometimes“Kicks” off the Problem Life Cycle (PLC)


Problem-Solving Life Cyclesand Decision Execution Cycles






businessprocess

DLL Loopincluding the

problem


problem

PreviousKnowledge

PreviousKnowledge






businessprocess


problem


problem

PreviousKnowledge

PreviousKnowledge






businessprocess


problem


problem

PreviousKnowledge

PreviousKnowledge






businessprocess


problem


problem

PreviousKnowledge

PreviousKnowledge






businessprocess


problem


problem

PreviousKnowledge

PreviousKnowledge






businessprocess


problem


problem

PreviousKnowledge

PreviousKnowledge

Problem

New Knowledge

The Problem Life Cycle

The Problem Life Cycle is a process composed of many DecisionExecution Cycles all motivated by the learning incentive system!

The Problem Life Cycle is a process composed of many DecisionExecution Cycles all motivated by the learning incentive system!


Sense Making4 Recently, writers in knowledge management such as Ralph

Stacey and David Snowden have begun to rely on ideas about“sensemaking” developed by Karl Weick over the past 30 years

4 While the perspective presented here is different in many waysfrom Weick’s, it has many similarities to that perspective. Inparticular, the importance of the following characteristics iscommon to sensemaking and the transaction framework0 identity construction ((the idea that agents and systems create their

own identities in the process of adapting to their environments)

0Monitoring (sensemaking) after action

0Sensemaking partly shapes (enacts) sensemaking environments(social interaction shapes social ecology)

0Sensemaking occurs in social settings (monitoring occurs in thesocial interaction framework)

0Sensemaking (and DEC activity) is ongoing


Behavioral BusinessProcesses, the KLC, and KM


The Activity to BusinessProcess Hierarchy

The Business Process Level

BP1

The Cluster of Task Patterns Level

CTP1

TP1The Task Pattern Level

The Task Level T1

The Activity Level A1

Business ProcessesUltimately break down to activities, and activities, as we have seen, areproduced by Decision Execution Cycles.

Business ProcessesUltimately break down to activities, and activities, as we have seen, areproduced by Decision Execution Cycles.


The Business Processing Environmentand Business Outcomes

Business Outcomese.g. Profit, Revenue, ROI

Business Processes are performed and managed byagents. Agents, if they’re groups, have an internal culture.At the same time the cultural component of social ecology

also impacts the agent decision execution cycles thatultimately comprise the business processses.

Business Processes are performed and managed byagents. Agents, if they’re groups, have an internal culture.At the same time the cultural component of social ecology

also impacts the agent decision execution cycles thatultimately comprise the business processses.

Business Processing Environmente.g., Sales, Marketing,

Business Process Management


Business Processing Environmentand Business Problems

Business Outcomes

Business ProcessingEnvironment

Problems

Since Business ProcessingEnvironments are comprisedof Decision Execution Cycles,they will, from time-to-time, spawnlearning problems

Since Business ProcessingEnvironments are comprisedof Decision Execution Cycles,they will, from time-to-time, spawnlearning problems


And Knowledge Processes

Business Outcomes


Problems Knowledge Processes

Problems require problem-solving processes.In organizations we call these knowledge processes

Problems require problem-solving processes.In organizations we call these knowledge processes


And Knowledge Outcomes: the DOKB

Business Outcomes



Knowledge Outcomes:The DOKB

The Knowledge Life Cycle (KLC)

The Knowledge Life Cycle is the ProblemLife Cycle! It is comprised of DECs.

The Knowledge Life Cycle is the ProblemLife Cycle! It is comprised of DECs.

The DOKB impacts Business Processingthrough the DEC

The DOKB impacts Business Processingthrough the DEC


Feedback Loop

Knowledge Processes

Knowledge Sets

CKC - Codified Knowledge Claim IKCS - Info About Knowledge Claim StatusCOK - Codified Organizational Knowledge OK - Organizational KnowledgeDOKB - Dist’d Org’l Knowledge Base SKC - Surviving Knowledge ClaimFKC - Falsified Knowledge Claim UKC - Undecided Knowledge Claim

IndividualAnd GroupLearning

InformationAcquisition

CKCKnowledge Validation Process FKC

Knowledge Production

InfoAboutUKC

UKC

SKC

InfoAboutSKC

InfoAboutFKC

Knowledge Integration

Searching

Teaching

Sharing

KnowledgeClaimFormulation

Broad-casting

Feedback(including thedetection ofproblems)

Business Process Environment

OK

External Inputs

Business Process Behaviorsof Interacting Agents

DOKB ‘Containers’- Agents (Indiv. & Groups)- Artifacts (Docs., IT, etc.)

The KLC: A More Granular View (From McElroy, 2003)

DistributedOrganizational

KnowledgeBase

Copyright © 2002 Macroinnovation Associates, LLCReproduction Without Permission Strictly Prohibited


Nested Knowledge Processes

CoP KPCoP KP

Team KPTeam KP

Group KPGroup KP

Individual KPIndividual KP

Organization KPOrganization KP

Each levelhas its ownKnowledgeLife Cycle

Each levelhas its ownKnowledgeLife Cycle


And Knowledge Management

Business Outcomes



Knowledge Outcomes:The DOKB

Knowledge ProcessingProblems

KM Knowledge Processes

Other KM Processes


Conclusion4 I’ve shown that the KLC is a separate framework

from the DEC/OLC.

4KLC processes both originate in the DEC/OLC, arecomprised of DECs themselves and then feed backinto DECs at the business process level.

4Yet KLCs are not the same as DECs. Rather, theyare higher level processes or value networks,patterns of DECs integrated by motivation towardachieving knowledge production and integrationgoals, rather than primary business goals common insales, marketing, manufacturing, and other businessprocesses.


Conclusion (Two)4We have seen that the alternation between KLCs and

OLCs is both basic to knowledge processing andgrounded in human psychology, both at the individuallevel and group level.

4 It is an alternation between different types ofmotivation, and this alternation is the foundation of adistinction between business processing andknowledge processing and between the latter andknowledge management.

4This last distinction is the basis of knowledgemanagement as a distinct process and discipline.Without it there can be no knowledge management.


The End

Questions?Call me at 703-461-8823

or write to:[email protected]


Back-up Slides on the KLC


What is Knowledge?


What Is Knowledge?The KMCI View

4 World 1 “knowledge” – encoded structures in physicalsystems (such as genetic encoding in DNA) that allowthose objects to adapt to an environment

4 World 2 “knowledge” – beliefs and belief predisposition(in minds) about the world that we believe have survivedour tests, evaluations, and experience;

4 World 3 sharable linguistic expressions, that is,knowledge claims about the world, the beautiful and theright, that have survived testing and evaluation by theagent (individual, group, community, team, organization,society, etc.) acquiring, formulating, and testing andevaluating the knowledge claims.

4 The distinction between World 2 and World 3 Knowledgeis Karl Popper’s


What Is Knowledge?The KMCI View (Two)

4The notion of World 1 knowledge is my ownextension

All three types of knowledge are aboutencoded structures in one kind of system or

another, that arguably help the systemsinvolved to adapt.

Issue: What should be the primary focus ofKM?

All three types of knowledge are aboutencoded structures in one kind of system or

another, that arguably help the systemsinvolved to adapt.

Issue: What should be the primary focus ofKM?


Knowledge and Validation

4 The difference between information and knowledge isvalidation

4 But what is validation? It is:0Testing and evaluation of knowledge claims (World 3) or0Testing and evaluation of beliefs (World 2)

4 Testing and evaluation of knowledge claims is public andsharable in the sense that the claims themselves aresharable and the tests and their results are sharable.That is why world 3 knowledge is objective

4 Testing and evaluation of beliefs is private and personal4 It is this difference that makes world 2 knowledge

subjective


Knowledge and Validation (Two)

4Validation is not the same thing as justification4Justification is the process of proving that a

knowledge claim is true4Validation never proves anything with certainty4 It simply provides (a) a record of how well

competing knowledge claims stand up to our testsor (b) personal experience of how well competingbeliefs stand up to our tests.

In our view, justification of knowledge claims andbeliefs is impossible, but validation of them is not

In our view, justification of knowledge claims andbeliefs is impossible, but validation of them is not


Variation in Validation

4 Since validation is just our process of testing andevaluating knowledge claims or beliefs, the practice of itwill vary across individuals, groups, communities, teams,and organizations

4 A particular entity may use validation practices based onexplicit rules or specified criteria, to compare knowledgeclaims, but it need not

4 Agents are free to change their tests or criteria at anytime, to invent new ones, or to apply ad hoc tests andcriticisms in validation

That is, validation is a free-for-all, it is just the process bywhich knowledge claims and beliefs run the gauntlet of

our skepticism and our criticism

That is, validation is a free-for-all, it is just the process bywhich knowledge claims and beliefs run the gauntlet of

our skepticism and our criticism


InfoAboutSKC

InfoAboutSKC

SKCSKC

InfoAboutUKC

InfoAboutUKC

UKCUKC

InfoAboutFKC

InfoAboutFKC

FKCFKC

OK = OrganizationalKnowledge (Artifactual)

OK = OrganizationalKnowledge (Artifactual)

UKC - Undecided KnowledgeClaimsSKC - Surviving KnowledgeClaimsFKC - Falsified KnowledgeClaims

To: Knowledge Integration

From: Knowledge Production


Knowledge Life Cycle Categories4 Information Acquisition4 Individual and Group Learning4Knowledge Claim Formulation4Knowledge Claim Evaluation4OK: Falsified, Undecided, and Surviving Knowledge

Claims and Meta-information about these claims4Knowledge and Information Broadcasting4Knowledge and Information Searching and retrieving4Teaching4Knowledge and Information Sharing4The Distributed Organizational Knowledge Base


KM Categories

4Knowledge Management - Interpersonal Behavior

0Leadership (hiring, training, motivating, monitoring,evaluating, etc.)

0Building relationships with individuals and organizationsexternal to the enterprise

4Knowledge Management - Knowledge ProcessingBehavior (Knowledge Production and Integration andtheir sub-processes)


KM Categories (Two)

4Knowledge Management - Decision-Making KMActivities

0Changing knowledge process rules at lower KM andknowledge process levels

0Crisis Handling

0Allocating Knowledge-related and KM Resources

0Negotiating agreements with representatives of otherbusiness processes

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