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An Exploratory Study of the Knowledge Needs of Student Groups
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- Author(s) / Creator(s)
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Student groups share many characteristics with small non-profit organizations, however little study has been done on the knowledge needs of these groups. An exploratory study was conducted on a student group at a large university in Alberta, Canada to ascertain what knowledge needs the groups has and what knowledge management solutions could meet these needs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of the group to conduct a knowledge audit which mapped the flow of knowledge within and outside the group as well as what gaps and sinks exist. The group makes use of online technologies like Google Drive to store their created knowledge but much tacit and experiential knowledge is lost as group members leave after a one or two year period. Communication issues also exist between senior and junior members with changes in the organizational culture which are dependent on the culture of the current senior cohort of students. The group also has little recorded history, including lists of prior members, and would benefit from formalized procedures for preserving their achievements. Suggestions include formalized knowledge capturing via transition reports from each position as well as the creation of a manual for new and current members to refer to in order to avoid knowledge duplication and to record best practices.
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- Date created
- 2015-02-06
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- Type of Item
- Conference/Workshop Poster