Introduction
The competition for the business organisations in the global world has become very difficult and the organisations develop the knowledge assets in order to get a competitive advantage in the market. An individual learns from everyday experience in life where the individual collects the data and transform the data into information and the information helps in the learning process of the individual. Apple is one of biggest US-based business organisation that produces electronic products and various services for the consumers all over the world and the techniques used in the organisation for managing the knowledge and information has helped Apple to become one of the highest growing tech giants around the globe. This report will explain and evaluate how knowledge and information are managed in the workplace of Apple and will provide recommendations to develop the knowledge sharing framework in Apple so that the organisation can manage the knowledge and information within the organisation effectively.
Explanation of the relationship between data, information and knowledge
The random facts and symbols without any significant meaning are called data and the data is the collection of raw materials and facts of an event that is not filtered and synchronised and bears no significant meaning to the individuals. For example, some random numbers are data and the random number bears no significant meaning to an individual and has a few values to the individual.
Information is the processed and filtered data and the synchronisation of data that express meaningful explanation is called information. The data of an event is collected and then process and the transformation of data bears significant meaning for the occurred event (Koenig, 2011). For example, a random collection of data bears no significant meaning to the individuals but if the numbers are processed and filtered it can turn out to become mobile phone number of someone and the transformation of raw numbers into a mobile phone number bears significant meaning to the individuals and it is information.
Information is power in the digital world and the processing of information that helps to learn and gain experience of someone about something is called knowledge. For example, information about the mobile phone numbers of the UK can be analysed by someone and it can provide knowledge of someone about the pattern of a mobile phone number within the UK such as all the numbers start will the same code in the UK and it is called knowledge.
Knowledge is gained experience and learning and the use of knowledge effectively is called wisdom. For example, the wisdom of the mobile phone operators in the UK helps to manage the numbers of users in the UK and the millions of mobile phone is of different number starting with the same regional codes (Stevens, 2010). The wisdom of mobile phone operators about permutation and combination and communication of the operators with all the relevant agencies within the UK helps to manage the numbers of mobile phone users in the UK.
The relationship between data, information, knowledge and wisdom is explained below:
Figure: DIKW Pyramid
Source: (Stevens, 2010).
The DIKW Pyramid is used in explaining the relationship between data, information, knowledge and wisdom and data is base of the process. The data is the collection of raw material and details of an event without any significant meaning and if the data is processed and analysed effectively it provides meaning which is called information (Brewer and Brewer, 2010). The analysis of the information helps to learn and gain experience and the learning and gain experience from information is knowledge. That is how the information is transformed into knowledge and the use of the knowledge effectively that helps to forecast the future as well as wisdom. From the above discussion, it is cleared that data, information, knowledge and wisdom are interrelated and maintains the pyramid to form from one to another.
Explanation of the relationship between individual knowledge and organisational knowledge
An individual analyses information and learn from the information that helps to develop the experience of an individual and it is called individual knowledge. For example, a person learns new things in daily life and store the information in the mind of the person that helps to develop the experience of the person. The knowledge of an individual is developed by a person in order to ease the life of the person so that the person can use the knowledge effectively for the greater good of oneself. For example, an individual learns that touching fire can burn flesh and skin with tremendous pain and the knowledge of the nature of fire of an individual helps the person to keep safe distance from fire and use the fire in an effective way without causing any harm to himself and the knowledge is stored in the brains of an individual and passed through the generation (Webb, 2017).
An organisation is a place where a group of people work with hand to hand with specific objectives in mind. The collective operations of a group of people in an organisation help to meet the organisational objectives of the organisation. The organisational knowledge is the collective knowledge of individuals and the collective knowledge is called organisational knowledge. For example, the knowledge of individuals working in Apple helps the organisation to run effectively and the knowledge is stored and shared within the organisation for ensuring effectiveness (Whelan and Carcary, 2011). The organisational knowledge is built in Apple with the contribution of the knowledge of the employees in the organisation. For example, there are people working in the marketing department of Apple as well as in the manufacturing department. The entire department in Apple develops the knowledge of particular operation such as marketing department develops the knowledge of the organisation about effective marketing that helps to run the organisation effectively. The knowledge of the marketing department of Apple is developed by the individual’s knowledge of the employees working in the marketing department of the organisation (Webb, 2017). That is how the individual knowledge and organisational knowledge is interrelated and organisational knowledge cannot be thought without the accumulation of individual’s knowledge working in organisations.
Application of analysis and modelling techniques for identifying knowledge assets
Knowledge assets are the developed knowledge and the analysis and modelling techniques help to identify knowledge assets. There are various types of information and information can from anywhere and there are different types of information sources that help to identify knowledge assets and they are given below:
The capturing of valuable information helps both an individual and organisation to identify knowledge assets and the process is given below:
The use of information sources and the process of capturing valuable information is the application used by an individual and organisation in order to identify knowledge assets effectively.
Explanation of requirements for creating, storing, applying and integrating knowledge
The movement of information between people and systems is called information flow and information flow is required for creating and transferring knowledge. For example, the information about knowledge of people flows from one person to another with the form of books, literature and review and the effective flow of information helps to create, store, apply and integrate knowledge (Kebede, 2010). The philosophies of great men and scientist of previous time reach the people searching for the information with the information flow. When the information is huge and it becomes difficult to analyse the information, it is called information overload.
The information is required to be stored and shared effectively and the storing of information and sharing the information helps to maintain the information lifecycle. The information lifecycle is the process where it is demonstrated how the information is created, stored, applied and integrated to ensure the information movement and flow and the process helps to create and storing knowledge. The searching for valuable information and using identifying valuable information helps to develop the knowledge assets. The relevant information needs to be searched and effective searching for information helps to develop knowledge. The identification of relevant information helps to create knowledge and identification of relevant information is required for knowledge assets (Kebede, 2010). The process of creating, storing, applying and integrating knowledge which is required for managing knowledge and information is explained below:
Knowledge Acquisition: To create new ideas and knowledge is knowledge acquisition with using the relevant information. The process is to search relevant information and analysing the information and the information helps to develop new information and ideas which is called knowledge acquisition. For example, Apple requires highly skilled and talented employees in the organisation to meet the organisational objective which is to provide the best quality products and services to the consumers in the market. Apple provides training and motivates the employees to develop their skills and used the knowledge assets of the organisation to prepare the strategy for training the employees of the organisation (Hislop et al, 2018). There are many problems that may occur in the process and the creative team of the organisation generates new ideas and techniques and applications in the knowledge of the organisation to solve the problem of the organisation. That is how the knowledge acquisition of Apple helps the organisation to create new knowledge in the organisation.
Knowledge retention: The knowledge of an organisation needs to be preserved in order to access the knowledge in need and apply in the organisation effectively. The soaring of information has been developed by the individual’s overages and the storing of knowledge helps an individual to use the knowledge effectively. For example, in the ancient times, the storing of the knowledge was to memorise the information and the system for storing knowledge have been developed over times for retention of knowledge. The use of paper has enabled to preserve the knowledge in the written forms in paper and the technological revolution has enabled with a digital database that is also used in the retention of knowledge. For example, the knowledge of Apple is stored in the database of the organisation and the organisation takes the risk management measures to ensure the security of the knowledge of the organisation. The organisation uses cyber-security to risk management of the knowledge of the organisation and both written forms and digital database is used in the organisation for storing the knowledge of the organisation.
Knowledge Transfer: The knowledge needs to be transferred for the application of the knowledge and the knowledge sharing was used in the ancient period for the preservation and storing of knowledge (Lindblom and Tikkanen, 2010). For example, the knowledge in ancient times was memorised and transferred from generation to generation orally for the storing and preservation of the knowledge. The knowledge transfer uses modern communication system and database management for the transformation of knowledge. For example, the knowledge of Apple is used by the employees of the organisation by accessing the database of the knowledge assets of the organisation that helps to develop the knowledge and skills of the employees working in the organisation. The employees working in the organisation also transfers the knowledge in the training sessions of the organisation in order to develop the skills and knowledge of the employees working in the organisation. The developed communication channel and database management system helps Apple to transfer the knowledge of the organisation effectively that ensures the effective function of the organisation.
Explanation of the contribution of knowledge assets have on an organisation
The knowledge assets for an organisation are very important as the effective function and meeting the objectives of the organisation depends on the knowledge assets of an organisation. The contribution of knowledge assets in an organisation is explained below:
Evaluation of knowledge requirements for Apple
The information and technology is the fastest growing business around the world and Apple provides electronic products and various technical services to the people. The quality of products and services along with the commitments of the organisation has helped Apple to become one of the biggest Tech giants in the world and people around the world loves the products and services of Apple despite high prices for products and services. The knowledge requirements for Apple are evaluated below:
Knowledge management
Knowledge management basically refers to the matter of sharing, creating, utilizing and managing the existing organisational information and knowledge to have better organizational goal accomplishment. Knowledge management paves the way of better utilization of soft resources and organizational better operation By making proper documentation of organizational data, reservation of data, information dissemination, research activity, information gathering, and the knowledge management can be done. In the arena of IT world, Apple Inc. is the IT giant who are doing better knowledge management and picking up their expected target accomplishment.
How knowledge management enhance Apple Inc.
The above mentioned things are happened within Apple Inc. due to ensuring better knowledge management. In order to make proper positioning in the market and for enhancing more turnover, they often update their information, maintain privacy and conduct research activity (Apple, 2019). All these knowledge management practices contribute for better organizational mission and vision accomplishment.
Evaluation of Apple’s framework for enabling knowledge sharing
There are techniques that are adopted by the organisations only to ensure effective knowledge sharing within the organisation as the process help to develop the skills and knowledge of employees. Knowledge sharing ensures the proper functions of the organisations and also ensures increasing productivity of the organisation. The framework of Apple to enable knowledge sharing is evaluated below:
Recommendations for improvements in the current framework of Apple
The knowledge sharing framework of Apple has been discussed above and there are some changes that are very necessary to make in the knowledge sharing framework of Apple as the risk of data management in sharing the data of the organisation needs to be considered and the organisation needs to concentrate on the security of the database of the organisation. The recommendations for change in the framework of Apple are given below:
Conclusion
Knowledge is power and the management of knowledge is important for retention of power. The organisations use knowledge and information management techniques in organisations in order to create new ideas and create new knowledge assets. The knowledge and information management helps an individual or organisation to create, store and apply knowledge. The knowledge sharing in the organisation ensures the sharing of skills and techniques from employees to employees that ensure the productivity of the organisation. The management of risk for sharing knowledge and cyber-security is necessary for the preservation of data within the organisation.
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