In the new millennium, the increasing importance of knowledge, and knowledge management, (KM), to organizations challenges the nature, role and boundaries of HRM in significant ways. In addition to the challenges posed to HRM in general ways in which specific functional areas of HRM (employee resourcing, career management, HRD) can respond to these challenges, as well as the implications of KM for HRM and the role of HRM in facilitating innovation and creativity. In today’s scenario, there’s a need to develop a model of KM and HRM that goes beyond earlier accounts by outlining a critical model of knowledge creation, knowledge migration and knowledge profiles. In terms of knowledge migration, HR may play a major enabling role in helping identify the potential of knowledge migrants through assessment and selection; by helping facilitate knowledge migration through appropriate communication, reward and recognition schemes; and by enhancing knowledge migrations’ likelihood of success and retention through training and development, as well as by developing organizational processes that facilitate knowledge migration, knowledge appreciation, and knowledgeable action.
Training and development is considered to be particularly vital to professionals and knowledge workers. Training is a “planned and systematic effort to develop knowledge through learning experience in order to achieve effective performance in an activity or range of KM activities”. It is also crucial in the context of knowledge sharing; knowledge acquisition, as well as the responsiveness to knowledge because it provides an opportunity for people to, not only gain or create new knowledge, but also to share their knowledge flow.The use of extensive training and development programs should be able to enhance the general level of self-efficacy among organizational employees and as a result, employees will have enhanced competence, aptitude and the ability to exchange knowledge with others. Training in team building should enhance levels of cognitive, structural and relational social capital that will also help to motivate KM activities. Training in creativity and experimentation can help overcome some restrictions in knowledge acquisition, knowledge dissemination and knowledge sharing, such as a recipient’s lack of motivation, absorptive capacity and retentive capacity. KM activities can happen effectively in formal training sessions.
Questions:
What is the role of Knowledge Management in HRM?
How does Training and Development motivate the employees in transmitting the knowledge?