KM professionals and facilitators need to understand and appreciate the role and power of questions in knowledge work. Further, we need to be able to apply questions in order to create and discover knowledge. There are some compelling reasons for this including:

• Questions are strong attractors in the chaos of ideas, they gather, focus, attract and energize the conversation.

• Only? questions have the power to beak our current midsets, they set in motion the deep relection needed to alter our beliefs.
• It is the place and the space 'between not knowing and our desire to know' where we are most attentive, self-aware and alive. Questions hold the key to this special area.
• Compelling and quality questions drive knowledge creation and expansion in a fundamental way. Knowledge emerges around good questions.
• Questions energize and glue our conversation, draw people into the circle to participate and gather diverse opinions.
  

A New Framework for Examining Knowledge Management Adoption for Participatory Networks: Crossing All Four Levels of the Digital Divide

Author: Todd Marshall (Syracuse University)

Introduction

By: Dr Nhamo W. Samasuwo, Learning and Innovation Subunit, Development Programme Services Unit (DPSU) Independent Development Trust (IDT), South Africa

Introduction

Emerging Technologies and innovative schemes includes frontier technologies such as Biotechnologies, Nanotechnologies, ICT, etc… together with innovative opportunities such as Techno-Entreprise Incubators, Technopoles, Science and Technology Parks, creative cities, etc… Based on Track 5 of KMAfrica2009.

Udo Richard Averweg - Information Services, eThekwini Municipality and University of KwaZulu-Natal

Stella Anne Jory - Afrika Leadership Development Institute

Abstract

Intranets are very much suited to use as a strategic tool in knowledge management (KM) due to their ability to support distribution, connectivity and publishing. The Intranet should be seen as integral to an organisation’s KM system and should be tailored to suit and enhance an organisation’s knowledge-sharing activities. The question arises: To what extent does an organisation’s existing Intranet facilitate knowledge-sharing? This question is explored by selection of a large organisation – the eThekwini Municipality, Durban South Africa – as the field of application. Derived from a mixed methodology approach, the results of a recent survey are presented.

Introduction