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Semantic Web


Seen by some as the next evolution of the World Wide Web, the Semantic Web links up information in such a way as to be easily processable by machines on a global scale. Much of the data on the Web is difficult to use on a large scale because there is no global system for publishing data. The Semantic Web, thought up by Tim Berners-Lee, is still very much in its infancy. Although the future of the project appears to be bright, there is little consensus about the likely direction and characteristics of the early semantic web. However, it is expected that as more and more people want to publish data, semantic webs may take off. A large number of semantic web applications may be used for a variety of different tasks, increasing the modularity of applications on the Web.

Senge, Peter


Founding Chair of the Society for Organizational Learning, a global community of corporations, researchers, and consultants committed “to increase our capacity to collectively realize our highest aspirations and productively resolve our differences” through the mutual development of people and institutions. The Journal of Business Strategy named Senge a “Strategist of the (20th ) Century,” one of twenty-four men and women who have “had the greatest impact on the way we conduct business today” (September / October 1999). Senge believes that vision, purpose, reflectiveness, and systems thinking are essential for organizations to realize their potential.

Senge is also the author of several books, including the widely acclaimed, The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization (1990). Since its publication, more than a million copies of The Fifth Discipline have been sold. In 1997, Harvard Business Review identified it as one of the seminal management books of the past 75 years. His most recent book, Presence: Human Purpose and the Field of the Future, co-authored with C. Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski and Betty Sue Flowers, outlines a new theory about change and learning.

Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)


A modular approach that attempts to increase the flexibility of available software resources. Existing application platforms make top executives feel their hands are tied. The cost of switching to a platform can be
exceedingly high. SOA is an attempt to minimize these costs through the use of a more modular approach. Software is typically designed to support a business context. Services are designed without advanced knowledge of the tasks and uses they will be called upon to support. SOA helps to establish loosely coupled connections across existing applications and databases quickly and cost effectively. IT services can be accessed when needed from wherever they reside. Where the software is located becomes irrelevant as far as users are concerned. As John Hagel III and John Seely Brown mention in their book, The Only Sustainable Edge, software will become increasingly commoditized and will be able to switch from one module to another. Loosely coupled connections can consume a lot of computing and network resources. So coordination of distributed processing power is exceedingly important. For SOAs to
become economically applicable, computing power must be made flexibly available.


SOAs can leverage vast resources which are already available and make them accessible as services. This is unlike previous generations of architectures that demanded removal of existing technology platforms and heavy investments in new ones. SOA can enhance the potential of social software by making it easier to connect social software tools with existing software resources such as databases, electronic documents and analytic tools. This can greatly enhance problem solving among the
people mobilized by the social software. However, many more obstacles must be overcome before SOA becomes more popular. Businesses must develop a shared meaning regarding the content of business tasks. Currently, such architecture is used more to publish and distribute business information, not to automate business processes.

Single-Loop Learning


Learning which involves using knowledge to solve specific problems based on existing assumptions, and based on what has worked in the past. If a room is becoming too cool, one would adjust the thermostat setting, not question whether the air-conditioning system is over
designed. In short, single-loop learning is limited in scope and does not lead to challenging the accepted wisdom. So, this kind of learning is lower level learning that takes many things as given.

Skyrme, David J.


A leading authority in knowledge management, Skyrme’s book Creating the Knowledge-Based Business is described by many practitioners as “the Bible of Knowledge Management”. His book Measuring the Value of Knowledge is considered an outstanding contribution to the field of intellectual capital measurements. His other books include: Knowledge Networking: Creating the Collaborative Enterprise and Capitalizing on Knowledge: From e-business to k-business. Skyrme’s website: www.skyrme.com provides valuable information for knowledge management practitioners.

SOA


See Service Oriented Architecture.

Socialization


One of the four components of Takeuchi and Nonaka’s seci model. It is the process of sharing experiences and thereby creating tacit knowledge such as shared mental models and technical skills. In socialization, knowledge sharing takes place through observation, imitation and practice. A good example is how the organizational culture is shared across employees in a company. Similarly, apprentices learn from their masters through observation, imitation and practice. On-the-job training and mentoring can also be viewed as forms of socialization. The key to socialization is shared experience. As Takeuchi and Nonaka put it59, “Without some form of shared experience, it is extremely difficult for one person to project herself into another individual’s thinking process. The mere transfer of information will often make little sense if it is abstracted from embedded emotions and nuanced contexts that are associated with shared experiences.”

Brainstorming can facilitate socialization. So can interactions
between product development engineers and customers.



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