Question 1

The culture that develops within a group of organisational employees working on a team project is an example of human knowledge.

Accepted Answer

The culture within a team is an example of social knowledge, as it involves shared norms, values, and practices developed through group interactions.

Question 2

Several factors may contribute to an employee's ability to produce knowledge work.Which of the following individual characteristics will impact on a worker's ability to produce knowledge work?

Accepted Answer

The ability to produce knowledge work can be influenced by a variety of factors, including the employee's personality, which affects their motivation and approach to work; the structure of the organization, which can either facilitate or hinder knowledge sharing and innovation; and the national culture, which shapes attitudes towards work, innovation, and collaboration. All these factors collectively impact a worker's ability to produce knowledge work.

Question 3

According to knowledge work as an individual characteristic, the individual, not the job or profession, contributes value to the organisation in the form of knowledge.

Accepted Answer

The characteristic of knowledge work emphasizes the importance of the individual's contribution of knowledge to the organization, rather than the specific job or profession they hold.

Question 4

There are different types of innovative people-adapters and innovators.In general, innovators are likely to take fewer risks than adapters.

Accepted Answer

Innovators are actually more likely to take risks than adapters as they are often the ones introducing new ideas and concepts that may not have been tried before. Adapters may be more cautious in their approach to change and innovation, preferring to follow established practices and processes.

Question 5

According to Argyris and Schön (1996) when an organisation undergoes organisation-wide change in order to fill a perceived gap between current and desired performance it engages in a process of:

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to Argyris and Schön (1996) when...

Question 6

Which of the following statements about knowledge work as a profession is true?

Accepted Answer

Information technology and science are often seen as industries that lead in the pursuit and achievement of knowledge acquisition, making statement A true. Educational level can certainly be an advantage in knowledge work, but it is not a requirement, so statement B is false. Organisational hierarchy can sometimes be a hindrance to knowledge work, as creativity and experimentation often require a more flexible and decentralized approach, so statement C is false. Taylorism is a management approach that emphasizes efficiency and standardization, and while it involves some degree of knowledge work, it is not a good example of the kind of knowledge work that is typically associated with professions such as technology, science, law, or medicine.

Question 7

An organisation develops procedures to follow when appraising the performance of employees.This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Procedures for appraising the performance of employees are part of structured knowledge, which are formalized and codified procedures and processes that are typically shared within an organization. This includes policies, rules, regulations, and other types of procedural knowledge that are used to standardize practices and ensure consistency and quality of outcomes.

Question 8

Knowledge management and knowledge transfer are essentially the same concept.

Accepted Answer

While knowledge transfer is the process of moving knowledge from one person or place to another, knowledge management involves organizing, storing, and sharing knowledge for the benefit of the organization as a whole. Knowledge management may include strategies for capturing, storing, indexing, and retrieving knowledge, as well as processes for creating and disseminating new knowledge within the organization. Knowledge transfer is just one aspect of knowledge management.

Question 9

In order to cut costs, an organisation decides to implement a policy where all forms must be completed electronically and submitted via email.This is an example of an innovation.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of an innovation as the organisation is implementing a new method of submitting forms electronically in order to cut costs.

Question 10

All organisations are learning organisations.

Accepted Answer

Not all organizations are learning organizations. A learning organization actively creates, captures, transfers, and mobilizes knowledge to enable it to adapt to a changing environment. Some organizations may not engage in these practices systematically.

Question 11

HRM must be aware of how to manage knowledge, because organisational knowledge resides in the minds of employees.

Accepted Answer

HRM must have knowledge management strategies in place to capture and leverage the knowledge that employees possess. Knowledge management involves processes and activities that facilitate the creation, sharing, and use of knowledge within an organization. As knowledge resides in the minds of employees, HRM must understand how to manage this knowledge effectively.

Question 12

There are three classifications of knowledge work.The two which are the most similar are:

Accepted Answer

The two classifications that are most similar are "knowledge work as a profession" and "knowledge work as an individual activity." Knowledge work as a profession refers to knowledge workers who are professionally trained and work within a specific field, while knowledge work as an individual activity refers to knowledge work done independently by individuals without specific professional training. Both classifications focus on the individual aspect of knowledge work. Therefore, option C is the most appropriate answer.

Question 13

When knowledge is encoded and exchanged electronically in an organisation this is a form of which characteristic of knowledge management?

Accepted Answer

When knowledge is encoded and exchanged electronically, it is a form of technological infrastructure in knowledge management.

Question 14

According to Kelloway and Barling (2000), the concept of knowledge work as an individual activity implies knowledge work is a product of:

Accepted Answer

According to Kelloway and Barling (2000), the concept of knowledge work as an individual activity implies that knowledge work is a product of education level and organizational hierarchy for both white-collar and blue-collar workers. Therefore, both options a and c are correct, making option D the best choice.

Question 15

While innovation focuses on the introduction of new processes or systems, creativity focuses on the development of those new systems.

Accepted Answer

The answer of While innovation focuses on the introduction of...

Question 16

The CEO called a meeting of employees to discuss the reasons and procedures surrounding a program of organisational change.These employees were engaging in:

Accepted Answer

The employees are participating in knowledge transfer, as they are receiving information and sharing knowledge about the program of organisational change. Knowledge management typically involves the processes of creating, sharing, using and managing knowledge and information within an organisation. Knowledge control involves putting restrictions on the use or dissemination of knowledge, while knowledge creation refers to the processes of generating new knowledge.

Question 17

Knowledge work is the behaviour that results in the end product of knowledge being delivered.

Accepted Answer

Knowledge work refers to activities that involve the creation, dissemination, and application of knowledge to produce a desired outcome. It can include research, analysis, writing, problem-solving, and decision-making that delivers a final product of knowledge. Therefore, the statement is true.

Question 18

Knowledge work as an individual activity means work that employees perform with their head, not their hands.

Accepted Answer

Knowledge work involves mental activities such as analyzing, problem-solving, and strategizing, rather than physical labor.

Question 19

An organisation develops a procedure for customer service that incorporates the concept of emotional intelligence.This is an example of which step in the knowledge creation process?

Accepted Answer

The answer of An organisation develops a procedure for customer...

Question 20

The Human Resources department of an organisation develops a policy outlining the practices and guidelines that should be followed when recruiting employees.This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

The policy developed by the Human Resources department is a codified and documented form of knowledge, which is known as explicit knowledge. This knowledge can be easily communicated and transferred to others, making it distinct from tacit knowledge, which is difficult to articulate or share. This policy represents the collective knowledge of the organisation and is an example of organizational knowledge. It is not an intangible knowledge because it is a concrete and tangible document that can be accessed and referred to by employees.

Quiz 4: Managing knowledge, Innovation and Creativity in Organisations