Knowledge management (KM) is the collection of methods relating to creating,sharing,using and managing the knowledge and information of an organization. It refers to a multidisciplinary approach to achieve organizational objectives by making the best use of knowledge.
Knowledge transfer is the sharing or disseminating of knowledge and the providing of inputs to problem solving. In organizational theory,knowledge transfer is the practical problem of transferring knowledge from one part of the organization to another. Like knowledge management,knowledge transfer seeks to organize,create,capture or distribute knowledge and ensure its availability for future users. It is considered to be more than just a communication problem. If it were merely that,then a memorandum,an e-mail or a meeting would accomplish the knowledge transfer. Knowledge transfer is more complex because:
The knowledge economy, or knowledge-based economy,is an economic system in which the production of goods and services is based principally on knowledge-intensive activities that contribute to advancement in technical and scientific innovation. The key element of value is the greater dependence on human capital and intellectual property as the source of innovative ideas,information and practices. Organisations are required to capitalise on this "knowledge" in their production to stimulate and deepen the business development process. There is less reliance on physical input and natural resources. A knowledge-based economy relies on the crucial role of intangible assets within the organisations' settings in facilitating modern economic growth.
Futurists are people whose specialty or interest is futurology or the attempt to systematically explore predictions and possibilities about the future and how they can emerge from the present,whether that of human society in particular or of life on Earth in general.
Futures studies,futures research,futurism or futurology is the systematic,interdisciplinary and holistic study of social/technological advancement,and other environmental trends;often for the purpose of exploring how people will live and work in the future. Predictive techniques,such as forecasting,can be applied,but contemporary futures studies scholars emphasize the importance of systematically exploring alternatives. In general,it can be considered as a branch of the social sciences and an extension to the field of history. Futures studies seeks to understand what is likely to continue and what could plausibly change. Part of the discipline thus seeks a systematic and pattern-based understanding of past and present,and to explore the possibility of future events and trends.
Erich Jantsch was an Austrian-born American astrophysicist,engineer,educator,author,consultant and futurist,especially known for his work in the social systems design movement in Europe in the 1970s.
Strategic foresight is a planning-oriented discipline related to futures studies. In a business context,a more action-oriented approach has become well known as corporate foresight.
In futurology,especially in Europe,the term foresight has become widely used to describe activities such as:
Technology forecasting attempts to predict the future characteristics of useful technological machines,procedures or techniques. Researchers create technology forecasts based on past experience and current technological developments. Like other forecasts,technology forecasting can be helpful for both public and private organizations to make smart decisions. By analyzing future opportunities and threats,the forecaster can improve decisions in order to achieve maximum benefits. Today,most countries are experiencing huge social and economic changes,which heavily rely on technology development. By analyzing these changes,government and economic institutions could make plans for future developments. However,not all of historical data can be used for technology forecasting,forecasters also need to adopt advanced technology and quantitative modeling from experts’researches and conclusions.
A hybrid organization is an organization that mixes elements,value systems and action logics of various sectors of society,i.e. the public sector,the private sector and the voluntary sector. A more general notion of hybridity can be found in Hybrid institutions and governance.
Market environment and business environment are marketing terms that refer to factors and forces that affect a firm's ability to build and maintain successful customer relationships. The business environment has been defined as "the totality of physical and social factors that are taken directly into consideration in the decision-making behaviour of individuals in the organisation."
The Strategic Management Society (SMS) is a professional society for the advancement of strategic management. The society consists of nearly 3,000 members representing various backgrounds and perspectives from more than eighty different countries. Membership is composed of academics,business practitioners,and consultants. The society has been credited with being a factor in the development of strategic management as a legitimate field of scholarly endeavor. The SMS publishes the Strategic Management Journal,Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal and the Global Strategy Journal.
Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition,entrepreneurship is viewed as change,generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business,which may include other values than simply economic ones.
Innovation management is a combination of the management of innovation processes,and change management. It refers to product,business process,marketing and organizational innovation. Innovation management is the subject of ISO 56000 series standards being developed by ISO TC 279.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to futures studies:
Technology scouting is an element of technology management in which
Corporate foresight has been conceptualised by strategic foresight practitioners and academics working and/or studying corporations as a set of practices,a set of capabilities and an ability of a firm. It enables firms to detect discontinuous change early,interpret its consequences for the firm,and inform future courses of action to ensure the long-term survival and success of the company.
Human resource planning is a process that identifies current and future human resources needs for an organization to achieve its goals. Human resource planning should serve as a link between human resource management and the overall strategic plan of an organization. Ageing workers population in most western countries and growing demands for qualified workers in developing economies have underscored the importance of effective human resource planning.
Andy Hines is an American futurist,head of graduate studies in Foresight at the University of Houston,and author of several books on strategic foresight. Hines is a professional futurist,co-creator of the framework foresight method,Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Foresight at the University of Houston,Principal of foresight consulting firm Hinesight,and former organizational futurist at Kellogg Company and Dow Chemical. He has written extensively on futures studies,strategic foresight,foresight research methods,the role of organizational futurists,and the consumer landscape.
Horizon scanning (HS) or horizon scan is a method from futures studies,sometimes regarded as a part of foresight. It is the early detection and assessment of emerging technologies or threats for mainly policy makers in a domain of choice. Such domains include agriculture,environmental studies,health care,biosecurity,and food safety.
