Topic outline

  • Ako-E3020 Knowledge Management in Practice  (5 op)

    Ryhmässä tehtävä harjoitustyö – case assignment: (ryhmän koko 3-5 opiskelijaa). Kurssille osallistuvat opiskelijat voivat jo ennen kurssin alkua miettiä onko heillä mahdollisesti tiedossa organisaatiota, jossa kurssin ryhmätyön voisi toteuttaa.

    Case assignment will be completed in a group of 3-5 students. The student groups are expected to find the case organization by themselves. Use following criteria for finding and selecting your case organization and its challenge:

    • Select an organization where information/knowledge are the main inputs and outputs of work
    • Select an organization that gives you access to e.g. interview few employees (knowledge workers)
    • Select an organization that has a need or potential to develop its knowledge utilization (somehow related to the themes of course)

    In previous similar courses students have analyzed and resolved e.g. following challenges: "how to manage knowledge in a multisite organization”, "how to apply effectively ICT in intraorganizational knowledge sharing”, "managing knowledge in interorganizational collaboration”, "how to transform knowledge management project into knowledge management process”, "how to improve collaboration between different professions”, "how to improve sharing of tacit knowledge”. You may discuss with the course personnel about the suitability of your case organization and its challenge.

    The case assignment should focus to a) analyze how the case organization currently utilizes information/knowledge/competences, b) find out if there are unutilized opportunities or specific challenges related to knowledge management or utilization of information/knowledge/competence resources, and c) provide solutions that will help improving the performance of the organization. Use scientific literature, interviews in the case organization, and publicly available information of the case organization in your case assignment. The output includes a written report (should not exceed 20 pages).

    If you wish to leave your case organization anonymous, that is possible too. You can refer to "organization X”. However, provide enough information on the case organization so that a reader can understand something about its operations, organizational design, etc. This can be explained in 1-2 paragraphs. If you wish, see example on pp. 88-95 http://lib.tkk.fi/Diss/2008/isbn9789512291168/isbn9789512291168.pdf

    Assessment and scoring of the case assignment is based on:

    • Objectives of the assignment (clarity, ambition, relevance, scope, originality) + style, design, layout (max 5 points)
    • Comprehensiveness of the analysis (max 5 points)
    • Reasoning and argumentation with appropriate reference material, correct usage of the subject specific terms and models/theories, achievement of the objectives defined by the group, ability to critical thinking (max 10 points)
    • Practical relevance of the paper, production and argumentation of own ideas, implementation potential of the development ideas (max 10 points)