IAKM – ECKM PAPERS AWARDS – FIRST EDITION
The commitment of our International Association for Knowledge Management to promote high quality publications in the field of KM continues. After the launch, in 2015, of the IAKM Book Series on Knowledge Management and Organizational Learning (published by Springer), this year has seen another important initiative: the first IAKM PAPERS AWARDS Competition, in collaboration with the European Conference on Knowledge Management (ECKM).
The topic of this inaugural edition was “KM in Education and Education in KM”, and was chaired by Sandra Moffett (Ulster University, UK), Alexeis Garcia-Perez (Coventry University, UK) and Ettore Bolisani (University of Padova, Italy). The competition included two paper awards: one for the “Best Paper” (characterized by the best combination of originality, importance of results, methodological soundness and quality of presentation) and the other for the “most innovative paper” (that presents particular aspects of originality and innovativeness, along with an overall high quality of methodology and presentation).
A special procedure was used. First, a track of ECKM was organized, with a specific Call for Papers. The submitted papers (13) were collected and subjected to a first reviewing process. After that, the final papers were accepted for presentation. In the end, 9 papers were presented at the Conference. A second assessment process led to the list of finalists, that are here reported.
BEST PAPER COMPETITION – FINALISTS 2016
MOST INNOVATIVE PAPER COMPETITION – FINALISTS 2016
The winners were announced during the 17th European Conference on Knowledge Management at Ulster University (Belfast, Northern Ireland), on 1st September 2016.
The Best Paper Award was assigned to Frank Cervone for the paper “What Might the Curriculum in Knowledge Management Programs Tells us About the Future of the Field?”. The Most Innovative Award was won by Gulbakhyt Sultanova, Serik Svyatov and Nurzan Ussenbayev for their paper “The Efficiency of Universities in Transmitting Competencies: Employability Readiness of Students”. Below are the abstracts of these papers as presented at the Conference.
All the finalists will be invited to submit a revised version of their paper for a Special Issue of VINE – The Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems.
The topic of this inaugural edition was “KM in Education and Education in KM”, and was chaired by Sandra Moffett (Ulster University, UK), Alexeis Garcia-Perez (Coventry University, UK) and Ettore Bolisani (University of Padova, Italy). The competition included two paper awards: one for the “Best Paper” (characterized by the best combination of originality, importance of results, methodological soundness and quality of presentation) and the other for the “most innovative paper” (that presents particular aspects of originality and innovativeness, along with an overall high quality of methodology and presentation).
A special procedure was used. First, a track of ECKM was organized, with a specific Call for Papers. The submitted papers (13) were collected and subjected to a first reviewing process. After that, the final papers were accepted for presentation. In the end, 9 papers were presented at the Conference. A second assessment process led to the list of finalists, that are here reported.
BEST PAPER COMPETITION – FINALISTS 2016
- “Students’ Perception on Developing Conceptual Generic Skills for Business”, by Constantin BRATIANU and Elena Mădălina VĂTĂMĂNESCU
- “What Might the Curriculum in Knowledge Management Programs Tells us About the Future of the Field?”, by Frank CERVONE
- “Using enterprise social networks as a knowledge management tool in higher education” by Niall CORCORAN and Aidan DUANE
MOST INNOVATIVE PAPER COMPETITION – FINALISTS 2016
- “Lifewide, Lifelong Comprehensive Approach to Knowledge Management Education – Emerging Standards” BY Denise BEDFORD, Johel BROWN-GRANT and Marion GEORGIEFF
- “The Efficiency of Universities in Transmitting Competencies: Employability Readiness of Students” byGulbakhyt SULTANOVA, Serik SVYATOV and Nurzan USSENBAYEV
The winners were announced during the 17th European Conference on Knowledge Management at Ulster University (Belfast, Northern Ireland), on 1st September 2016.
The Best Paper Award was assigned to Frank Cervone for the paper “What Might the Curriculum in Knowledge Management Programs Tells us About the Future of the Field?”. The Most Innovative Award was won by Gulbakhyt Sultanova, Serik Svyatov and Nurzan Ussenbayev for their paper “The Efficiency of Universities in Transmitting Competencies: Employability Readiness of Students”. Below are the abstracts of these papers as presented at the Conference.
All the finalists will be invited to submit a revised version of their paper for a Special Issue of VINE – The Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems.
2016 IAKM –ECKM BEST PAPER
What Might the Curriculum in Knowledge Management Programs Tell us About the Future of the Field?
Frank Cervone - University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
Abstract: Knowledge management is a young discipline that has been evolving since its emergence in the late 1990s and exactly what KM is has been a consistent source of discussion throughout the life of the discipline. Today, KM generally is considered a distinct discipline at the intersection of overlapping interests such as management and information science. Unlike other professional fields of study, it is not subject to the specific curricular requirements of an external agency or accreditor. With no formal body overseeing KM academic programs, there is no guarantee there is a consistent body of knowledge being taught to students in KM programs. In the current study, the curriculum of selected knowledge management programs at universities in the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia have been analysed within current and historical contexts to understand the scope and nature of the requirements in knowledge management programs. By comparing the results from programs, a baseline understanding of overall requirements has been developed, which may provide benefits for the profession. This baseline provides a clearer understanding of the skills and knowledge elements that are present, or absent, in current academic programs. In addition to better informing the KM community of what graduates of these programs may know, this information can provide a basis for academic program improvement and, ultimately, better use of KM in professional practice.
Keywords: knowledge management academic programs, knowledge management curriculum, postgraduate and masters level academic programs, postgraduate curriculum administration
What Might the Curriculum in Knowledge Management Programs Tell us About the Future of the Field?
Frank Cervone - University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
Abstract: Knowledge management is a young discipline that has been evolving since its emergence in the late 1990s and exactly what KM is has been a consistent source of discussion throughout the life of the discipline. Today, KM generally is considered a distinct discipline at the intersection of overlapping interests such as management and information science. Unlike other professional fields of study, it is not subject to the specific curricular requirements of an external agency or accreditor. With no formal body overseeing KM academic programs, there is no guarantee there is a consistent body of knowledge being taught to students in KM programs. In the current study, the curriculum of selected knowledge management programs at universities in the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia have been analysed within current and historical contexts to understand the scope and nature of the requirements in knowledge management programs. By comparing the results from programs, a baseline understanding of overall requirements has been developed, which may provide benefits for the profession. This baseline provides a clearer understanding of the skills and knowledge elements that are present, or absent, in current academic programs. In addition to better informing the KM community of what graduates of these programs may know, this information can provide a basis for academic program improvement and, ultimately, better use of KM in professional practice.
Keywords: knowledge management academic programs, knowledge management curriculum, postgraduate and masters level academic programs, postgraduate curriculum administration
2016 IAKM – ECKM MOST INNOVATIVE PAPER
The Efficiency of Universities in Transmitting Competencies: Employability Readiness of Students
Gulbakhyt Sultanova, Serik Svyatov and Nurzhan Ussenbayev- Narxoz University, Kazakhstan
Abstract: To increase the efficiency of universities in transmitting competencies, a new approach for measuring the performance of students has to be adopted. For this purpose, a newly introduced Employability Readiness Indicator (ERI) should complement a traditional Grade Point Average (GPA). While GPA is internally defined at universities and measures student’s success in courses completed, ERI is connected with the labour market and measures the level of competencies developed in different courses. The minimum efficiency in transmitting competencies is reached if GPA approximates ERI and both increase. In this research, factors that can contribute to minimising a discrepancy between two indicators and maximising their values will be examined. After identifying these factors, educational policy changes can be made in a more efficient way.
Keywords: knowledge economy, higher education, student assessment, competency development, transferable competencies, graduate employability
The Efficiency of Universities in Transmitting Competencies: Employability Readiness of Students
Gulbakhyt Sultanova, Serik Svyatov and Nurzhan Ussenbayev- Narxoz University, Kazakhstan
Abstract: To increase the efficiency of universities in transmitting competencies, a new approach for measuring the performance of students has to be adopted. For this purpose, a newly introduced Employability Readiness Indicator (ERI) should complement a traditional Grade Point Average (GPA). While GPA is internally defined at universities and measures student’s success in courses completed, ERI is connected with the labour market and measures the level of competencies developed in different courses. The minimum efficiency in transmitting competencies is reached if GPA approximates ERI and both increase. In this research, factors that can contribute to minimising a discrepancy between two indicators and maximising their values will be examined. After identifying these factors, educational policy changes can be made in a more efficient way.
Keywords: knowledge economy, higher education, student assessment, competency development, transferable competencies, graduate employability
