MBA632 Knowledge Management Report Sample

Assignment Task

Individually, you are required to analyse the core components of the Knowledge Management Systems and develop a suitable Knowledge Management Plan. You will need to apply learnings from the topics covered in weeks 1 and 3.

Instructions

This is an individual assessment. In which you are required to analyse an organisation you are familiar with (preferably the organisation/company you worked for in the past or you are currently working for, etc.).

The findings presented in the written analysis must be based on primary research and should be reinforced by examining relevant secondary data. Therefore, you will need to have access to the primary data of the organisation researched. You must also incorporate theories and concepts of Knowledge Management discussed in weeks 1 to 

3.

In order to prepare this assessment you need to follow two steps.

Step-1

• Identify and critically analyse the core components of the Knowledge Management Cycle in the organisation you are familiar with (preferably the organisation/company you worked for in the past, you are currently working, etc.).

• Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the current Knowledge Management Systems, and summarise recommendations that might improve the current Knowledge Management Systems in the same organisation.

Step-2

• Develop a Knowledge Management Plan for the organisation, aided by requisite technologies that enable the storage and dissemination of knowledge.
The format of your analysis should follow:

• An Introduction that summarises the purpose of the Analysis.

• A brief overview of the organisation you researched.

• Core components of the Knowledge Management Cycle (KMC) in your researched organisation, including analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the current Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) and recommendations that might improve the current Knowledge Management Systems.

• Knowledge Management Plan aided by requisite technologies that enable the storage and dissemination of knowledge within the researched organisation.

• A conclusion.

• Reference list.

Solution 

Introduction 

The term "knowledge management" (KM) refers to the practice of systematically collecting, analysing, applying, and disseminating an organisation's accumulated body of information and knowledge (Oktari et al.2020, p.101881). Keeping data in a readily accessible location is essential for effective knowledge management. Knowledge management facilitates and promotes communication, cooperation, and the use of up-to-date data. Also, it gives people the freedom to introduce new ideas and make the cultural shifts that are essential to the organisation's innovation and the fulfilment of evolving business demands (Chaudhuri et al. 2020, p. 2). This report will focus on the knowledge management systems of Amazon. The first section states the major components of the knowledge management cycle used by Amazon. The strengths and weaknesses of their knowledge management system and recommendations have been provided. Lastly, the plan for using those recommendations also have been stated. 

A brief overview of Amazon

Amazon, founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994, is a multinational e-commerce and cloud computing company(Aboutamazon.com 2022). He founded it with the business of selling books online. The company has expanded to become the largest online retailer and marketplace, cloud computing provider through AWS, and smart speaker maker in the world. To boot, Amazon Prime has over 200 million subscribers and provides a variety of premium membership tiers (Aboutamazon.com 2022).

Core components of the Knowledge Management Cycle (KMC)

The operation of the knowledge management system is comprised of a total of six stages that are arranged in a circular pattern. Because of the system's cyclical nature, one's knowledge is always being expanded (Mousavi et al. 2021, p. 45). Because the environment is constantly changing, the knowledge contained inside an efficient KM system is never finished. It has to be consistently updated to take into account any newly acquired knowledge. If the knowledge does not maintain its knowledge, there is a good chance that it will become obsolete in the near future.

Create knowledge: When people find and use unconventional solutions to traditional issues, they create a body of known knowledge. It is not unusual for new knowledge to be brought in from outside sources (Dimitrakaki 2022, p. 289). Amazon raises users' level of understanding through its use of customer-generated content like ratings, reviews (both positive and negative), and images, as well as data mining to determine what other users "like you" have purchased or paired together (Delfanti 2021, p. 47). Many other online sites have copied Amazon's social features since they're so successful.

Capture knowledge: It is vital to offer any new information with the right weight and form and document any know-how. To capture knowledge, customers may vote on the helpfulness and relevancy of each review, and Amazon also allows consumers to ask follow-up questions to the user, encouraging community moderation (Athayde et al. 2019, p. 57).

Refine knowledge: Before taking any significant action, companies should refine their knowledge by placing freshly obtained knowledge in the proper context. In this regard, unambiguous facts, in addition to human comprehension, are required to be documented (tacit characteristics) (Haider and Kayani 2020, p. 50). Simplifying articles through content management is a noble goal of Amazon, but it can be challenging to determine which details are essential to include and which can be left out. They get the people who create the documents and those who use them to help (Al-Rahmi et al. 2019, p. 47253). Once they have that down, they start breaking up those lengthy knowledge articles into more manageable chunks.

Store knowledge: A knowledge repository is a location where pertinent information is stored appropriately to facilitate the discovery and use of that information by other employees (Jaziri 2019, p. 249). The Go Shop's ability to seamlessly monitor and predict the purpose of everyone in the store is due in large part to the Computer Vision based Machine Learning that serves as its backbone. Surprisingly, Amazon provided a lot of specifics on how they used this technique. (Ferraris et al. 2018, p. 529)

Manage knowledge: Amazon is a leading retailer that manages knowledge management so it can boost its competitive advantage and bottom line (Castagna et al. 2020, p. 3899). It is crucial to remember that information and communication are cornerstones of developing a successful operational plan.

Disseminate knowledge: Knowledge must be communicated to make it available to everybody who requires it at any time they need it, regardless of where they are situated within the organisation or when they require it (Sadq, Sabir and Saeed 2018, p. 15). In Amazon, knowledge management systems (KMSs) are IT infrastructures that disseminate the knowledge of information across a wide range of end users. These kinds of frameworks aim to enhance the comprehension, collaboration, and alignment of activities that fuel knowledge management (Durst and Zieba 2019, p. 8).

Strengths and weaknesses of the current Knowledge Management Systems (KMS)

The corporation primarily employs a bottom-up strategy, wherein information from lower levels is sent to upper management (Muninger et al. 2019, p. 123). A consumer, for instance, may file a formal complaint with higher-ups about the level of service they were provided. This kind of data is crucial for making decisions and fixing errors that might damage the company's reputation. For effective decision-making in the future, management must enhance collecting tactics (Onyusheva and Seenalasataporn 2018, p. 54). According to the approach, knowledge inside the firm is seeded at lower levels than usual, without much backing from upper management. The method is strategic since it focuses on factors that significantly affect how an organisation functions (Nisar et al.2019, p. 270). The corporation also uses a top-down method, whereby management directs employees to oversee the organisation's knowledge. The corporation also heavily relies on market trials and blunders as a method of information management administration. It is important to note that the corporation has put out projects in the past that have not been successful in the market (Onyusheva and Seenalasataporn 2018, p. 54). The business devises a strategy framework to guarantee that trials and pilots are carried out to collect relevant data. When it comes to implementing strategies for managing information, upper management ought to be a driving force. In order to maintain and expand its position as a market leader and profitable business, Amazon has to do a better job of managing the information it collects and stores. The correct operational strategy relies on a number of factors, two of which are information and communication. In order to obtain an advantage in the market ,MBA assignment expert  it is helpful to design a framework that can regulate the particulars of the execution of knowledge management (Dillaway 2021, p. 187). 

Recommendations

The corporation has recently come under fire due to its poor leadership decisions. Much work can be done to guarantee that each worker is adequately trained and competent for the job. There is no reason to ignore the potential of digital data collection and dissemination methods for boosting business processes. For instance, using big data analytics may be important in accumulating a sizable body of knowledge that can be used later in the decision-making process (Dixit et al. 2019, p. 23). Companies all around the globe that have used effective methods of communication as well as knowledge management have flourished in their respective fields. Gathering relevant data helps facilitate organisational transformation and the implementation of effective change management techniques.

The second piece of advice is for the corporation to refine its methods of managing its employees to facilitate the free flow of information better. Various models have been used recently to help the company collect data internally and externally (Dixit et al. 2019, 24). Incorporating the bottom-up methodology aids in data collection, which may be used to guide strategic decisions. A similar need exists to expand its exposure to other regions to gain insight into the industry as a whole. A potential key to boosting Amazon's success is enhancing the company's methods of information management and safeguarding sensitive data.

Knowledge Management Plan

Conclusion

Amazon is among the best e-commerce sites for encouraging in-depth customer feedback. This is because the business recognises the importance of client input and strives to incorporate it into its operations. It puts customer reviews on the homepage of the product and provides users with many options for filtering and sorting the data. Also, customers may rate the reviewers themselves.

Reference

Aboutamazon.com 2022. US About Amazon. About Amazon. [online] Available at: [Accessed 7 September 2022].

Al-Rahmi, WM, Yahaya, N, Aldraiweesh, AA, Alturki, U, Alamri, MM, Saud, MSB, ... & Alhamed, OA 2019, ‘Big data adoption and knowledge management sharing: An empirical investigation on their adoption and sustainability as a purpose of education’, Ieee Access, vol. 7, pp. 47245-47258.

Athayde, S, Mathews, M, Bohlman, S, Brasil, W, Doria, CR, Dutka-Gianelli, J, ... & Kaplan, D 2019, ‘Mapping research on hydropower and sustainability in the Brazilian Amazon: advances, gaps in knowledge and future directions’, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, vol. 37, pp. 50-69.

Castagna, F, Centobelli, P, Cerchione, R, Esposito, E, Oropallo, E & Passaro, R 2020, ‘Customer knowledge management in SMEs facing digital transformation’, Sustainability, vol. 12, no. 9, pp. 3899.

Chaudhuri, R, Chavan, G, Vadalkar, S, Vrontis, D & Pereira, V 2020, ‘Two-decade bibliometric overview of publications in the Journal of Knowledge Management’, Journal of Knowledge Management.

Delfanti, A 2021, ‘Machinic dispossession and augmented despotism: Digital work in an Amazon warehouse’, New Media & Society, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 39-55.

Dillaway, ME 2021, ’The New” Web-Stream” of Commerce: Amazon and the Necessity of Strict Products Liability for Online Marketplaces’, Vand. L. Rev., vol. 74, pp. 187.
Dimitrakaki, I 2022, ‘Organizational Knowledge as a Source of Competitive Advantage-Amazon Case Study’.

Dixit, A, Clouse, C & Turken, N 2019, ‘Strategic business location decisions: Importance of economic factors and place image’, Rutgers Business Review, vol. 4, no. 1.

Durst, S & Zieba, M 2019, ‘Mapping knowledge risks: towards a better understanding of knowledge management’, Knowledge Management Research & Practice, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 1-13. 

Ferraris, A, Mazzoleni, A, Devalle, A & Couturier, J 2018, ‘Big data analytics capabilities and knowledge management: impact on firm performance’, Management Decision.

Haider, SA & Kayani, UN 2020, ‘The impact of customer knowledge management capability on project performance-mediating role of strategic agility’, Journal of Knowledge Management. 

Jaziri, D 2019, ‘The advent of customer experiential knowledge management approach (CEKM): The integration of offline & online experiential knowledge’, Journal of Business Research, vol. 94, pp. 241-256. 

Mousavi, R, Hazarika, B, Chen, K & Razi, M 2021, ‘The Effect of Online Q&As and Product Reviews on Product Performance Metrics: Amazon. com as a Case Study’, Journal of Information & Knowledge Management, vol. 20, no. 01. 

Muninger, MI, Hammedi, W & Mahr, D 2019, ‘The value of social media for innovation: A capability perspective’, Journal of Business Research, vol. 95, pp. 116-127.

Nisar, TM, Prabhakar, G & Strakova, L 2019, 'Social media information benefits, knowledge management and smart organisations', Journal of Business Research, vol. 94, pp. 264-272.

Oktari, RS, Munadi, K, Idroes, R & Sofyan, H 2020, ‘Knowledge management practices in disaster management: Systematic review’, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, vol. 51, pp. 101881.

Onyusheva, I & Seenalasataporn, T 2018, ‘Strategic Analysis of Global E-Commerce And Diversification Technology: The Case Of Amazon’, Com INC. The EUrASEANs: journal on global socio-economic dynamics, vol. 1, no. 8, pp.48-63.

Sadq, ZM, Sabir, HN & Saeed, VSH 2018, 'Analysing the Amazon success strategies', Journal of process management and new technologies, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 12-16.