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Knowledge Value

Knowledge Value Jonathan Poland

Knowledge value is the value that is derived from knowledge, skills, and information. It can be a measure of the economic, social, or personal value of knowledge and can be influenced by a variety of factors, such as the demand for the knowledge, the rarity or uniqueness of the knowledge, and the value that the knowledge creates for an individual or organization.

In the context of business, knowledge value can be understood as the contribution that knowledge makes to the overall performance and value of an organization. This can include the value of knowledge as a competitive advantage, the value of knowledge in improving efficiency and productivity, and the value of knowledge in developing new products or services.

The value of knowledge can also be understood in terms of its social or personal value. For example, knowledge can have social value if it is used to address social problems or improve the lives of individuals. It can also have personal value if it helps an individual to achieve their goals or improve their personal well-being.

There are several factors that can influence the value of knowledge, including the demand for the knowledge, the rarity or uniqueness of the knowledge, and the value that the knowledge creates for an individual or organization. Additionally, the value of knowledge can be influenced by the context in which it is used, such as the industry or sector in which an organization operates, and the goals and objectives of the individual or organization.

In conclusion, knowledge value is the value that is derived from knowledge, skills, and information. It can be a measure of the economic, social, or personal value of knowledge and can be influenced by a variety of factors, such as the demand for the knowledge, the rarity or uniqueness of the knowledge, and the value that the knowledge creates for an individual or organization. Understanding the value of knowledge is important for individuals and organizations in order to maximize its potential and to make informed decisions about how to use it. The following are common ways to value knowledge.

Cost

The cost that was paid to generate the knowledge. For example, the amount you paid employees to develop a document.

Market Value

The estimated market value of knowledge. Currently, the market for knowledge assets isn’t particularly liquid such that it is difficult to benchmark prices accurately.

Economic Value

An estimate of the future impact of knowledge on your revenue and costs.

Goodwill

When one firm acquires another, intangible assets such as brands are accounted for with a concept known as goodwill. This represents the difference between the price of the acquisition and the value of its assets. In cases where knowledge is the primary intangible asset, goodwill is more-or-less the price that was paid for that knowledge. This serves as concrete evidence of the value of knowledge in an industry.

Quality of Life

Knowledge has value to individuals as it may improve their quality of life in a variety of ways. Access to education, information and other knowledge related resources such as museums are valuable to individuals and communities as measured by quality of life.

Knowledge Transfer

Knowledge Transfer Jonathan Poland

Knowledge transfer is the process of transferring knowledge, skills, and information from one person or group to another. It is an important aspect of organizational learning and development, and it can involve a variety of activities, such as training, mentoring, coaching, and sharing of best practices.

There are several benefits of knowledge transfer, including increased efficiency, improved performance, and increased innovation. By transferring knowledge from one person or group to another, organizations can leverage the expertise of their employees and build a collective knowledge base that can be used to solve problems and improve processes. Knowledge transfer can also help to build a culture of continuous learning and development within an organization, which can be beneficial for employee retention and engagement.

There are several approaches to knowledge transfer, including formal and informal methods. Formal methods of knowledge transfer include training programs, workshops, and conferences, which can be structured and planned in advance. Informal methods of knowledge transfer include mentoring, coaching, and sharing of best practices, which can be more flexible and spontaneous.

In order to be effective, knowledge transfer must take into account the needs and learning styles of the individuals or groups involved. It is important to consider the type of knowledge being transferred, the level of expertise of the individuals involved, and the resources and tools that are available to support the transfer of knowledge. Additionally, it is important to create an environment that is conducive to knowledge transfer, such as one that is open to learning and collaboration.

In conclusion, knowledge transfer is the process of transferring knowledge, skills, and information from one person or group to another. It is an important aspect of organizational learning and development

Here are a few examples of knowledge transfer:

  1. Training programs: These are structured programs that are designed to transfer knowledge and skills to individuals or groups. Training programs can be delivered in a variety of formats, such as in-person workshops, online courses, or virtual classrooms.
  2. Mentoring: This is a form of knowledge transfer in which an experienced individual provides guidance and support to a less experienced individual in order to help them develop their skills and knowledge.
  3. Coaching: This is a form of knowledge transfer in which an experienced individual provides guidance and support to an individual or group in order to help them achieve specific goals or improve their performance.
  4. Sharing of best practices: This is the process of sharing successful approaches, methods, or techniques with others in order to improve the efficiency or effectiveness of an organization or process.
  5. On-the-job learning: This is a form of knowledge transfer that occurs while an individual is performing their job duties. It can involve learning through observation, trial and error, or guidance from more experienced colleagues.
  6. Knowledge management systems: These are systems that are designed to capture, organize, and share knowledge within an organization. They can include databases, knowledge bases, or social networking platforms that allow individuals to share and access information.
  7. Collaboration: This is the process of working with others in order to share knowledge and ideas and solve problems. Collaboration can occur through in-person meetings, online forums, or other forms of communication.

In conclusion, there are many different ways to transfer knowledge, including training programs, mentoring, coaching, sharing of best practices, on-the-job learning, knowledge management systems, and collaboration.

Research Types

Research Types Jonathan Poland

Research is the process of systematically seeking and interpreting knowledge through inquiry, observation, experimentation, and analysis. It is a way of discovering and understanding new ideas, solving problems, and making informed decisions. Research can take many forms, including scientific experiments, surveys, interviews, and observations, and it often involves the collection and analysis of data in order to draw conclusions and make informed decisions. Whether in academia, industry, or another setting, research is an important tool for advancing knowledge, solving problems, and making informed decisions. The following are common types of research.

Information Gathering

All research requires an information gathering phase whereby you seek out information that is relevant to an inquiry, problem or decision. In many cases, research ends here as you find the answers you are seeking. For example, in order to develop a business case for a new non-alcoholic beer product a marketing analyst researches whether or not non-alcoholic beer improves athletic performance. The analyst finds several studies that provide ample data that can be referenced by the business case.

Data Analysis

The process of inspecting, cleansing, transforming, and modeling data with the goal of discovering useful information. For example, an electric car company that analyzes traffic patterns to determine optimal locations for charging stations.

Information Analysis

Developing interpretations of information. For example, a competitive analysis that attempts to formulate the strategy of a competitor based on their public statements and disclosures.

Basic Research

Basic research is the development of new foundational knowledge without regard to its applications. For example, a project to detect and measure the gravitational waves from supermassive black holes.

Applied Research

Applied research aims to solve a practical problem. For example, medical research that investigates a potential treatment for a disease.

Supporting a Theory

Seeking evidence for a hypothesis. For example, a hypothesis that a particular person can tell if milk or tea was added to a cup first by taste. This can be tested with a double blinded controlled experiment that asks the person to identify which cups had tea added first by tasting each cup. This is a well known experiment known as the Lady Tasting Tea devised by Ronald Fisher in 1935 that confirmed the claim of fellow scientist Muriel Bristol that she could taste whether milk or tea had been added first to a cup.

Refuting a Theory

An attempt to refute a theory that has been previously confirmed with data. It is not enough for a scientific theory to be confirmed by an experiment. A theory can be provisionally accepted based on data that supports it. It is then up to the scientific community to refute the theory. A theory that is confirmed by multiple studies and multiple attempts at refutation may be strongly accepted. In some cases, strongly accepted theories are eventually refuted.

Original Research

Research that seeks to answer unknowns. For example, an analysis of the chemical composition of a rare plant that is previously unstudied.

Secondary Research

Secondary research involves the collection, analysis and interpretation of existing research. For example, a review that looks at the results of hundreds of studies regarding an environmental issue to summarize findings and interpret the state of knowledge about the problem.

Exploratory Research

Research that seeks to provide direction to future research as opposed to completely solving a problem. This is typically fast and inexpensive and may rely on limited data. For example, a study that identifies three approaches that may increase the yield per acre of organic peaches. Such a study may point to several unknowns that represent direction for future research.

Qualitative Research

Research that is based on human observation and analysis as opposed to measurement. For example, market research based on ladder interviews that explore customer experiences with a product to generate a list of customer pain points. This may be more insightful than a survey that generates data but is less exploratory and in-depth.

Constructive Research

Research that designs a solution to a practical problem. For example, engineering research that proposes a novel way to store power generated by solar panels. This solution is then compared to existing methods to evaluate factors such as cost, efficiency and environmental impact. This is a common type of research in applied sciences.

Controlled Experiments

Experiments that occur in an environment such as a lab that allow an experiment to be fully controlled. For example, a test of the efficacy of an disinfectant that controls all dependent variables such as nutrients, temperature, humidity and light that may influence the growth of microorganisms.

Field Experiments

Experiments that occur in the real world. A field experiment may be controlled including being double-blinded and randomized. However, a field experiment often doesn’t control all dependent variables. For example, a clinical trial of a new vaccine that doesn’t control for factors such as lifestyle and diet.

Natural Experiment

A natural experiment is a real world situation that resembles an experiment without any control by researchers. For example, a population of people with similar lifestyles and diets where 30% of people are heavy coffee drinkers, 30% are light coffee drinkers and 40% don’t regularly consume coffee. Data regarding the health outcomes for this population might be used to investigate the health effects of coffee.

Observational Study

Research whereby researchers exert no control over conditions. This includes natural experiments and non-experimental research based on observation of the real world. For example, an observational study may simply capture data about a population such as an estimate for the number of people who self-identify as snowboarders by state.

Longitudinal Study

Research that observes or applies an experiment to same population over time. For example, a study that observes veterans of a war over a period of 30 years to look at data in areas such as health, employment and quality of life. Longitudinal studies can be short term or long term, experimental or observational.

Cohort Study

A longitudinal study based on a cohort, a group of people who share a characteristic of interest. For example, a study that looks at 50 year outcomes of people who graduated from a prestigious university in a five year period.

Retrospective Cohort Study

A study based on historical data for a cohort. For example, a study that identifies a cohort of people who have a particular disease at a point in time and then looks at historical air quality data for the areas where these people historically resided.

Case-control Study

Research that selects groups based on outcomes to look at the factors that may have contributed to those outcomes. For example, comparing the students who did and didn’t drop out of a particular university.

Case Study

A detailed analysis of a single example. For example, an analysis of the life of an individual who lives to an unusually old age to identify any factors that may have contributed to this longevity. This is typically exploratory research that points to possible areas of study.

Cross-sectional Study

Research that captures information about a population at a point in time. For example, the current average family income in a city.

Research & Development

Research aimed a producing a new product or service. For example, research that investigates new lightweight materials for possible incorporation into the design of baseball bats.

Feasibility Study

Research that seeks to validate a method, design or practice. For example, an aircraft manufacturer that investigates the feasibility of converting airports to support large double-deck aircraft.

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