1. Introduction
Knowledge Management (KM) is a critical discipline within organisations aimed at maximising the utility of knowledge assets to enhance decision-making, innovation, and efficiency. It involves various practices organisations use to identify, create, represent, distribute, and enable the adoption of insights and experiences. Such insights and experiences comprise knowledge embodied in individuals or in organisational processes or practices. In the contemporary digital landscape, the role of Information Technology (IT) in KM is paramount. This document delves into how emerging IT trends, such as the digital divide, metadata, and Dublin Core, are applied within the realm of KM.2. The Digital Divide
The term "digital divide" refers to the gap between individuals, households, businesses, and geographic areas at different socio-economic levels about their opportunities to access information and communication technologies (ICTs) and their Internet use.3. Digital Divide Definition
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2001) "The term 'digital divide' refers to the gap between individuals, households, businesses, and geographic areas at different socio-economic levels with regard both to their opportunities to access information and communication technologies (ICTs) and to their use of the Internet for a wide variety of activities." United Nations (UN) (2019) "The digital divide is the gap between those who have easy access to the Internet and digital communication technologies, and those who have limited or no access at all." National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) (1999) "The digital divide is defined as the disparity between those who have access to digital technologies and those who do not, often influenced by factors such as income, education, race, and geographic location." This divide can exist on multiple levels, including global, national, and within organisations, impacting the efficiency and inclusivity of KM practices.-
a) Access to Information: Access to information is fundamental in the KM process. The digital divide can create significant barriers to accessing information:
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• Socio-economic Barriers: Individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds may need more financial means to afford the latest technology or high-speed internet, which are crucial for accessing and sharing knowledge.
• Geographical Barriers: Rural and remote areas often need more infrastructure for reliable internet access, limiting the ability of residents to participate fully in digital knowledge sharing.
b) Solutions to Bridge the Digital Divide: Addressing the digital divide involves multifaceted strategies:
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• Infrastructure Development: Governments and organisations must invest in infrastructure to provide high-speed internet access in underserved areas. For instance, national broadband initiatives can significantly enhance connectivity in remote regions.
• Affordability Programs: Implementing subsidised technology programs can make ICTs more affordable for lower-income individuals. Public libraries and community centres often serve as hubs for free internet access and digital literacy training.
• Digital Literacy Education: Providing education and training in digital literacy is crucial. Such programs should teach individuals how to effectively use digital tools and access online resources, enhancing their ability to contribute to and benefit from KM systems.
c) Inclusivity in Knowledge Management: Inclusivity in KM ensures that all individuals within an organisation can participate in knowledge sharing:
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• User-friendly KM Systems: KM systems should be designed to be user-friendly and accessible to individuals with varying levels of digital literacy. This includes using intuitive interfaces and training sessions to familiarise employees with the system.
• Mobile Accessibility: With the increasing use of mobile devices, KM systems should be optimised for mobile access, allowing users to access knowledge resources on the go.
• Support for Multiple Languages: In multinational organisations, KM systems should support multiple languages to accommodate a diverse workforce.
4. Knowledge Management Definition
Ikujiro Nonaka (1994) "Knowledge Management is the process of creating, sharing, using, and managing the knowledge and information of an organization." Thomas H. Davenport (1994) "Knowledge Management is the process of capturing, distributing, and effectively using knowledge." Karl Wiig (1997) "Knowledge Management is the systematic, explicit, and deliberate building, renewal, and application of knowledge to maximize an enterprise's knowledge-related effectiveness and returns from its knowledge assets."5. Impact on Organizational Knowledge
Organisations must recognise the digital divide within their workforce and implement strategies to mitigate its impact:-
• Equitable Access: Ensure all employees have equitable access to KM tools and resources regardless of digital proficiency. This might involve providing additional support and training to those who need it.
• Encouraging Participation: Create an inclusive environment that encourages participation from all employees. This can be achieved by recognising and valuing contributions from individuals with diverse backgrounds and levels of expertise.
6. Metadata Definition
National Information Standards Organization (NISO) (2004) "Metadata is structured information that describes, explains, locates, or otherwise makes it easier to retrieve, use, or manage an information resource." International Organization for Standardization (ISO) (2009) "Metadata is data that defines and describes other data." Library of Congress (2015) "Metadata is a set of data that describes and gives information about other data."7. Metadata
Metadata plays a pivotal role in Knowledge Management by providing critical information about data that helps its organisation, discovery, and use. It can be categorised into three main types: descriptive, structural, and administrative metadata, each serving unique purposes within KM systems.-
a) Descriptive Metadata: Descriptive Metadata provides information about the content and context of data, making it easier to find and understand:
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• Elements: Typical elements include title, author, subject, keywords, and abstract.
• Purpose: Helps users identify and locate resources. For example, in a digital library, descriptive metadata allows users to search for books by author, title, or subject.
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• Elements: Includes file types, database schemas, and data organisation within a system.
• Purpose: Ensures data can be effectively stored, retrieved, and used across different systems. For instance, a content management system's structural metadata helps organise articles into categories and subcategories.
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• Elements: Includes creation date, file size, rights management information, and usage restrictions.
• Purpose: Supports the management and preservation of data over time. In digital archives, administrative metadata ensures that digital objects are adequately maintained and accessible for future use.
8. Application of Metadata in Knowledge Management
The effective use of metadata enhances KM systems in several ways:-
• Enhanced Searchability: Metadata improves the searchability of knowledge resources by providing detailed descriptions and categorisation. Users can perform precise searches based on various metadata elements.
• Efficient Resource Management: Structural and administrative metadata facilitate the efficient management of knowledge assets, ensuring that they are organised and remain accessible over time.
• Interoperability: Metadata standards enable interoperability between different KM systems, allowing seamless exchange and integration of knowledge resources.
9. Metadata Standards and Schemas
Adhering to established metadata standards and schemas ensures consistency and compatibility across KM systems:-
• Dublin Core: A widely used metadata schema that provides a simple and flexible framework for describing a wide range of resources.
• MARC (Machine-Readable Cataloging): A standard library encodes bibliographic information, making sharing and managing library catalogues easier.
• MODS (Metadata Object Description Schema): A schema that provides rich descriptions of digital objects, often used in digital libraries and repositories.
10. Dublin Core
The Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI) has developed a set of vocabulary terms that can be used to describe a wide range of resources. Dublin Core is renowned for its simplicity and flexibility, making it a popular choice for metadata in KM systems.-
a) Elements of Dublin Core: The Dublin Core standard consists of 15 core elements, each serving a specific function in the resource description:
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Title: The name given to the resource.
Creator: The entity primarily responsible for making the resource.
Subject: The topic of the resource.
Description: An account of the resource.
Publisher: The entity responsible for making the resource available.
Contributor: An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource.
Date: A point or period in time associated with the resource.
Type: The nature or genre of the resource.
Format: The file format, physical medium, or resource dimensions.
Identifier: An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context.
Source: A related resource from which the described resource is derived.
Language: The language of the resource.
Relation: A related resource.
Coverage: The spatial or temporal topic of the resource.
Rights: Information about rights held in and over the resource.
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• Resource Description: Applying Dublin Core elements to describe knowledge resources, ensuring each resource has a comprehensive and consistent set of metadata.
• Metadata Repositories: Storing metadata in centralised repositories that support efficient indexing and retrieval.
• Integration with KM Systems: Integrating Dublin Core metadata into existing KM systems to enhance the discoverability and usability of knowledge assets.
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• Simplicity: Its straightforward structure makes it easy to implement and use, even for users with limited technical expertise.
• Flexibility: Dublin Core can be adapted to describe various resources, from documents and images to multimedia and web pages.
• Interoperability: As a widely adopted standard, Dublin Core facilitates the sharing and integration of metadata across different systems and platforms.
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• Digital Libraries: Libraries use Dublin Core to catalogue digital collections, making it easier for users to search and access e-books, articles, and multimedia resources.
• Institutional Repositories: Universities and research institutions use Dublin Core to manage institutional repositories, ensuring that research outputs are well-described and accessible to the academic community.
• Content Management Systems: Websites and content management systems employ Dublin Core to organise and describe web content, improving search engine optimisation (SEO) and user navigation.
11. Conclusion
In conclusion, integrating current IT trends, such as addressing the digital divide, utilising metadata, and implementing Dublin Core standards, significantly enhances the effectiveness of knowledge management systems. By ensuring equitable access to technology, leveraging detailed metadata for resource organisation, and adopting standardised metadata schemas, organisations can optimise their KM practices for better accessibility, interoperability, and usability of knowledge assets. This comprehensive approach not only improves the efficiency of knowledge management but also fosters a more inclusive and collaborative organisational culture.12. References
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• Gill, T. G. (2008). Metadata and the World Wide Web. Digital Libraries, 11(2), 38-45.
• Greenberg, J. (2005). Understanding Metadata and Metadata Schemes. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 31(4), 416-418.
• Hillmann, D. (2005). Using Dublin Core. Dublin Core Metadata Initiative.
• Norris, P. (2001). Digital Divide: Civic Engagement, Information Poverty, and the Internet Worldwide. Cambridge University Press.
• Van Dijk, J. (2020). The Digital Divide. Polity Press.
• Weibel, S., Kunze, J., Lagoze, C., & Wolf, M. (1998). Dublin Core Metadata for Resource Discovery. Internet Engineering Task Force.
• Nonaka, I. (1994). A dynamic theory of organizational knowledge creation. Organization Science, 5(1), 14-37. doi:10.1287/orsc.5.1.14
• Davenport, T. H. (1994). Saving IT's soul: Human-centered information management. Harvard Business Review, 72(2), 119-131.
• Wiig, K. M. (1997). Knowledge management: Where did it come from and where will it go?. Expert Systems with Applications, 13(1), 1-14. doi:10.1016/S0957-4174(97)00018-3
• National Information Standards Organization. (2004). Understanding Metadata. Bethesda, MD: NISO Press. Available at: https://www.niso.org/publications/understanding-metadata-2004
• International Organization for Standardization. (2009). ISO/IEC 2382:2015 Information technology - Vocabulary. Geneva: ISO. Available at: https://www.iso.org/standard/63598.html
• Library of Congress. (2015). Metadata Object Description Schema (MODS) User Guidelines. Washington, DC: Library of Congress. Available at: https://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/userguide/
• Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2001). Understanding the Digital Divide. OECD Publications. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/internet/ieconomy/1888451.pdf
• United Nations. (2019). Digital Divide. In United Nations E-Government Survey 2019. New York: United Nations. Retrieved from https://publicadministration.un.org/egovkb/Portals/egovkb/Documents/un/2019-Survey/2019_UN-E-Government_Survey.pdf
• National Telecommunications and Information Administration. (1999). Falling Through the Net: Defining the Digital Divide. NTIA. Retrieved from https://www.ntia.doc.gov/legacy/ntiahome/fttn99/contents.html