Meeting with my project coordinator

I had a very productive meeting with my project coordinator yesterday evening. Aboubakr A. Moteleb consults and lectures in Knowledge Management and in fact ran the module that I attended and produced blog for this time last year called Knowledge Management Strategies by Fiona Hinds.

I arranged this meeting primarily because I wanted to discuss my first cut proposal with a view to develop linking activities and deliverables to my proposed objectives. I also start my new job of HR Systems and Information Manager for the same NDPB I have worked for, for the past 3.5 years on Monday. For this new job one of my objectives is to carry out this very piece of research. I therefore also wanted to have this fine tuned in preparation for my start. Following a short brief from me and discussion about my first cut proposal we focused on my research questions.  Aboubakr helped me to identify ways in which possible research methods might help to satisfy my research questions.

For research question 1 Interviewing and focus groups appear to be the most effective method of qualitative information gathering with regard to employees at my NDPB. I will formulate questions in such a way that I will be able to differentiate between the different stakeholders of HR e.g. employees, managers, recruiting managers. The questions will also help to tease out what these stakeholders believe are advantages and disadvantages about the current HR services and then what they envisage the advantages and disadvantages to be of the future HR services.

For research question 2. Once I have identified the different stakeholders, focus groups for each will be held in order to generate further discussion regarding the initial interviews. For research question 3 based upon the results from 1 and 2 and a literature review I can identify whether a Knowledge Management strategy might be able to focus and guide such change. Once at this stage I will also need to wade through the NDPB’s strategy documents to ensure that any proposals made are in line. Finally, for research question 4 I will need to identify what IT can be harnessed to enable this strategy. For example web 2.0 social tools and technology such as mashups, wikis and blogs.

On closing the meeting we agreed that I would create a project plan to reflect these activities with a premature deadline of July 2009 even though my actual deadline is in September 2009. Aboubakr believes that bringing the deadline forward allows for useful contingency time in the awful event that things go horribly wrong. Conversly it could be useful time to perfect and tweak what has been drafted in order to earn that gleaming distinction!

1.5 Choosing a project

Now it seems it is time for some real work. I started my project proposal months ago and changed it, and changed it, and changed it again. I was never totally happy with the proposals that I was drafting. They either did not have the right combination of my interest vs useful contribution to the subject or was just too far fetched. However, as of a month ago I identified my dream topic…Knowledege Management in HR. A perfect combination of my interests, experience and a topic that will allow me to work with a real client with real requirements and outcomes that could be implemented into the organisation. My FINAL first cut proposal can be found attached.

1.4 What is information systems all about?

(Cornford & Smithson, 2006) cites (Davis & Olson 1985)

“an integrated, user-machine system for providing information to support operations, management, and decision making functions in an organisation. The system utilises computer hardware and software; manual procedures; models for analysis, planning, control and decision making; and a database”.

(Cornford & Smithson, 2006) cites (Avgerou & Cornford 1998)

“we can start by using the term to refer to information and data handling activities in human organisations. Information handling in this sense is a purposeful activity sustained over time, and includes the activities of collecting information, storing it, directing it to appropriate places and utilising it in various tasks within the organisation”

Interesting how the definition has evolved over time!

1.3 The Research Process

“Research is a considered activity which aims to make an original contribution to knowledge”(Dawson C. W., 2005). It seems that I may have been going wrong here over the last four months as I have only been performing research as and when I feel like it. However in fairness I think that this blog is a very good step in the right direction to any of the four identified views of the research process.

Dawson cites others as he categorises research methods into sequential, generalise, circulatory and evolutionary. The evolutionary process method is probably the most interesting way of looking at research methods in that methods used to analyse and interpret data change over time therefore the analysis of the same information 10 years later when research techniques have evolved mean that the results will evolve too. Realistically I think that I will be dipping into all 4 methods but like the following simplistic starting point:

What am I looking for?

I am looking for evidence of the implementation of ERP systems affecting the dynamics of KM within HR.

Why am I looking for it?

I am looking for this evidence so that relevant preparatory work is carried out before the implementation of such a system.

How shall I set about it?

I shall set about it by performing a literature review, and then perhaps by conducting some quantitative and qualitative evidence gathering.

Where shall I start looking?

Journals, books, articles, HR teams in organisations with and without ERP systems.

This seems to be my starting point and I am now a bit more hopeful that my ideas will develop and create more questions to explore. The big question remains – will I discover something of importance that will be of use to anyone? Will I be presenting on this topic at a BCS seminar in a few years time? Well being able to give back to a community of professionals that I have learnt so much from is one of the things that drives me, so I hope so!

According to the passage on intellectual discovery my theory based start to this research is categorised as deductive reasoning or ontology. It is categorised as such because I have not observed the actual conclusions of my theory. I have wisely predicted that there will be likely disruption to KM within HR based on my existing knowledge and understanding of KM, ERP’s and HR but not witnessed it. Other methods of intellectual discovery are also discussed. I particularly like the method of Inversion where you try to look at things from the opposite perspective e.g. Why wouldn’t a KM strategy assist in implementing an ERP in HR? I have used this method of intellectual discovery before and it is amazing what you see from a reversed perspective that you do not see from the normal perspective.

I was particularly able to identify with the final paragraph. “It is also worth considering where you are going with your research before you spend several months perusing it” I have spent several months just generating ideas and then discarding them for this very reason. Choosing an interesting topic alone is difficult without having to think of whether it will continue to engage me, benefit myself and others and be in line with your plans for the future. I think that it is very important that all of these boxes are ticked in order continuously have passion and drive to research and write for the duration of the project.

1.2 Research

"Original investigation undertaken in order to gain knowledge and understanding" 
(Dawson C. W., 2005).  

Original

Is my idea something that has never been done before? Perhaps it has been researched before, but surely my thinking and approach will mean that there are different and possibly new outcomes. My theory is that the implementation of an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system will change the dynamics of KM (knowledge management) within HR and that therefore a KM strategy specifically for HR needs to be in place and reassessed before, during and after implementation.

Gain

Will my research in the area make a contribution to this existing area of knowledge? Has it ever been approached from this angle before? I have found someone on LinkedIn who claimed that he conducted a thesis in this are before but I am not sure what angle he took it from; I will need to find out more. Having mentioned the topic to HR and Knowledge Management professionals most are able to identify with theory and think that it is an interesting topic, but will anyone really gain from it apart from me and those few interested? How do I make sure that my research is not only interesting but informs and improves future projects in this area?

Knowledge

The reading passage on research goes on to discuss knowledge which is broken down into “a hierarchy consisting of data, information, knowledge and wisdom” (Dawson C. W., 2005). My Knowledge Management Strategies blog springs to mind. Where was this book when I was searching for the true definitions of Data, Information and Knowledge? It seems I wrote about their meanings and associations in a very similar way, however failed to identify their link to wisdom which is in essence the clever way in which you choose to use your knowledge.

1.1 Approaches to writing

Having read this passage am I now supposed to choose an approach to writing? And if so which approach should I take, the ‘top-down approach’ or the ‘evolutionary delivery’(Dawson C. W., 2005)? Well I know generally what I want to write about but not in much detail so I guess the evolutionary approach is best at this point in time. Though I do like the idea of having structure to what I need to cover in my writing. Perhaps a hybrid of both methods would be useful as theoretically planning what you are going to write about is not the same as actually doing it. When it comes to the writing I might find that a particular aspect was not as interesting as I thought and so wish not to cover it or alter the extent to which I wish to cover it, in which case it takes the evolutionary route. I am not sure at this time; in fact I do not think that I will make a conscious decision either way. Hopefully the words will just start flowing in a suitable style when I am ready!

Unit 1

Unit 1 learning outcomes include being able to describe research processes, classify research projects, describe research methods, describe the structural components of a research project and describe the primary milestones and deliverables all in a computing context. I now have 7 hours reading to do from any of 3 texts.

1. The essence of computing projects: a student’s guide by C.W. Dawson, Prentice Hall (2000) ISBN 0-13-021972-X

2. Projects in Computing and Information Systems: A Student’s Guide by Christian W.Dawson, Addison Wesley (2005) ISBN 0-321-26355-3

3. Project Research in information systems by T. Comford and S.Smithson, Macmillan (1996) ISBN 0-333-64421-2

I have purchased all of these books but have chosen to stick to text 2. I will post my notes and thinking re my Reading shortly.

Deadlines

I was assigned this project 4 months ago now as the final research module to complete my MSc. However with a full time job, business plans in the making and also trying to hold down a life the September 09 deadline has made it far too easy to put off. I have now however decided that i have to get serious. As I wade through my learning units I will make my journal notes on this blog. Similarly to my previous blog about Knowledge Management I am hoping that as my learning, thinking and ideas unfold and develop it will prove a useful resource for the final write up. I also invite challenges to my thinking to initiate dialogue and in turn learning for others too.