A knowledge mapping approach to facilitate strategic human resource and knowledge management

A key challenge facing organisations is how to effectively connect employees who seek knowledge with those who have the necessary knowledge. From case studies conducted in three separate knowledge intensive organisations, briefly introduced in this paper, we found that locating and measuring expertise were major challenges with no current satisfactory solutions. We offer a method to map intellectual capital within organisations distinct from previous expertise location methods in several significant ways. First, it includes the measurement of knowledge value within the context of the organisation's strategy and activities. Second, it addresses concerns with existing methods such as subjectivity associated with self-reporting, currency, and validation by incorporating several innovative techniques such as 360 degree peer review, data mining, and feedback loops. Thirdly the mapping approach incorporates all types of knowledge including tacit and explicit knowledge.