A Norm-based Approach for Profiling Business Knowledge

Knowledge is a key asset for any organisation to sustain competitive advantages, but it is difficult to identify and represent knowledge which is needed to perform activities in business processes. The effective knowledge management and support for relevant business activities definitely gives a huge impact to the performance of the organisation as a whole. This is because that knowledge have the functions of directing, coordinating and controlling actions within business processes. The study has introduced organisational morphology, a norm-based approach by applying semiotic theories which emphasise on the representation of knowledge in norms. This approach is concerned with the identification of activities into three categories: substantive, communication and control activities. All activities are directed by norms; hence three types of norms exist; each is associated to a category of activities. The paper describes the approach briefly and illustrates the application of this approach through a case study of academic activities in higher education institutions. The result of the study shows that the approach provides an effective way to profile business knowledge and the profile enables the understanding and specification of business requirements of an organisation.

Authors:

• Nazmona Mat Ali
• Kecheng Liu

Keywords:

• Business knowledge
• Business process
• Norms
• Semiotics
• Organisational morphology

References:

[1] K. J. Fadel and M. Tanniru, "A Knowledge-Centric Framework for
Process Redesign", in Proceedings of the ACM SIGMIS CPR
Conference on Computer Personnel Research Atlanta, Georgia, USA,
ACM New York, NY, USA, 2005.
[2] R. Burlton, "Business Process Management: Profiting From Process",
United State of America, Sams Publishing, 2001.
[3] K. Liu, "Semiotics in Information Systems Engineering", Cambridge,
Cambridge University Press, 2000.
[4] D. Chandler, "Semiotics: The Basic", New York, NY, Routledge, 2007.
[5] R. Stamper, "Information Systems as a Social Science". The IFIP
TC8/WG8.1 International Conference on Information System Concepts:
An Integrated Discipline Emerging Deventer, the Netherlands, Kluwer,
B.V., 1998.
[6] E. Braf, "Knowledge or Information: What makes the difference?", in
Liu, K., Clarke, R. J., Andersen, P. B., Stamper, R. K. & Abou-Zeid, E.-
S. (Eds.) Organisational Semiotics: Evolving a science of information
systems. Massachusetts, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2002.
[7] J.-B. P. L. Faucher, A. M. Everett, and R. Lawson, "Reconstituting
Knowledge Management", Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 12,
2008, pp. 3-16.
[8] M. Alvesson, and D. Karreman, "Odd couple: making sense of the
curious concept of knowledge management". Journal of Management
Studies, 38(7), 2001, pp. 995-1018.
[9] R. Stamper, K. Liu, M. Hafkamp and Y. Ades, "Understanding the
Roles of Signs and Norms in Organisation", Journal of Behaviour and
Information Technology, Vol. 19, 2000, pp. 15- 27.
[10] E. Braf, "Multiple Meanings of Norms", in H. W. M. Gazendam, R. J.
Jorna and R.S. Cijsouw (Eds.) Dynamics and Change in Organisations:
Studies in Organisational Semiotics, Netherlands, Kluwer Academic
Publishers, 2003.
[11] R. Stamper, K. Liu and K. Huang, "Organisational Morphology in Reengineering",
the 2nd European Conference on Information Systems.
Nijenrode University, Breukelen, The Netherlands, 1994.
[12] Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, at http://www.utm.my/aboututm/aboututm.
html [accessed 29/3/2010].
[13] K. Ousmanou, " A Method for the Articulation of Users- Requirements
for Personalised Information Provision", School of Systems
Engineering. Reading, University of Reading, 2007.
[14] T. Thellefsen, "Knowledge Profilling: The Basis for Knowledge
Organisation", Library Trends, Vol. 52, 2004, pp. 507-514.
[15] K. E. Edwards and N. L. Gibson, "Knowledge Profiling as Emergent
Theory in Community-Based Participatory Research", Progress in
Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, Vol.
2.1, 2008, pp.73-79.
[16] L. Smith, "Norms in Human Development: Introduction", in L. Smith
and J. Voneche(Eds.) Norms in Human Development, New York,
Cambridge University Press, 2006.
[17] T. H. Davenport and L. Prusak, "Working Knowledge: How
Organizations Manage what they Know", Harvard Business School
Press, 2000.