Problem Solving and Knowledge Management in the 21st Century
3.2 Background of the research problem
Knowledge management is described as the ability of an organization or company to use collective knowledge and problem-solving processes, to create and share amongst workmates, and their relations to the customers, in order to increase productivity at the workplace. Organizations are finding it increasingly important to have proper processes and structures for knowledge management and problem-solving skills in amongst its members to remain competitive in the market. Knowledge management is one of the pillars of globalization in organizations in the 21st century since it incorporates problem-solving, decision making, organizational performance enhancements and innovation. Organizations, therefore, need to adopt the best processes and structures that suit each company to ensure that they draw full potential of their workers thereby fully utilizing the full knowledge that they possess. Problem-solving and knowledge management processes ensure that organizations’ can be able to adopt the best practices for their organizations to achieve maximum usage in order to influence organizational performance positively. The research focuses on the best processes and practices to ensure that the organizations have a competitive edge especially with the changes in technology and expansive global economy. A research on problem solving and knowledge management practices in a company The Greeks and romans shared predominant mythologies that were handed down from one generation to the other. They had their gods that gave them help whenever they had a problem and used to communicate with them whenever they wanted help from them. The Greek people believed on those gods as they provided solutions to many challenges. All these gods and goddesses had different functions to perform as ordered by their king god. Although they had different functions, they had a common objective, and that is to help the Greeks and Romans
According to Greeks mythology the gods and the goddess were divided, and that division in Greek and Roman gods and goddesses came after the introduction of new religion and culture. These new cultures and beliefs that came is Christianity and some people turned away to worship other gods. Many people started to believe on new cultures and religions as they turned away from their gods.
There were twelve gods and goddess that lived in the mountain Olympus; these gods and goddess were known as the gods of Olympia. The twelve gods performed different functions get to be assigned by their chief god who was called Zeus. Zeus lived in mountain Olympia with his gods, and it is belief that he owned that mountain. There were other gods such as Poseidon, who was believed to be the creator of horses, and he was the god of droughts, earthquakes, floods, rivers and oceans. Hestia was the god of chastity and earth; Hera was the queen of women, birth and marriage. Hermes was a god of trade, writing and animal husbandry; Hephaestus was the god of fire crafts and blacksmith. Hades was the king of the dead; Demeter was the god of fertility, harvest and agriculture, Dionysus was a god of madness and festivals; Ares the god of bloodshed and war; Athena the goddess of wisdom, tracts and skills; Artemis was the god of wilderness and hunting; Aphrodite was the god of beauty and love and finally was Apollo the god of prophecy healing, music and poetry.
Romans were initially agriculturist, and they believed in spirits. Romans had a strong belief on developing a great city and the rise of a human being. They were later persuaded by the Greek into the worship of gods that the Greek were worshiping. Later on they were turned away from their beliefs and started worshiping the Greece gods and even named the gods Greek names. They also believed in the beliefs and the ways of the Greeks.
The Greeks also had their mythology in which they believed on their rituals and cults. The Greek mythology is firmly anchored in their arts more especially the paintings. Their myth occupied with explanations on heroes, heroines, gods, goddesses and the origin of the world. The ancient Greece myth was termed the Greece literature at the present times.
The romans religion was full of traditions, rituals, taboos, superstition, cults among others. Their religion was purely spiritual rather than having a relationship with those gods. It based on the beliefs that those spirits were to provide an answer in any problem that came later. The romans also believed on the beliefs of the Latin and Etruscans tribes. The two tribes of the Latin and Etruscans believed in a deity to become the gods of the Greek or its equivalent. Therefore, the roman religion was a mixed religion borrowed from different tribes.
Christianity begun and it created a lot of confusions more especially the romans whose beliefs were shaken more pointedly. Part of the romans said that Christianity was purely private issue but not public. Many romans never believed on foreign religions as they regarded Christianity; they thought that the religion’s bearers were likely to practice that and not romans.
The romans started to pour jokes on the new religion arguing that it had beliefs as those of pagans. It rumored all through citing that the new religion was to lead people astray and there it was not supposed to be done in Rome. They were rebuked with anger when they refused to worship the gods that had brought them that far. Their arguments that that those gods appeared long time before the coming of Jesus were brushed away with rejection.
The coming of Jesus Christ posed a political threat as many rulers of the world feared that Jesus was going to rule the whole world as it been alleged. It was early prophecies by the prophets that the fifty kingdoms are coming, and they attributed it to Jesus Christ. After his birth rumors spread that the king was born, the king will be a ruler of the whole world. They attributed him to politics rather than spiritual one. His reject in roman was a clear testimony that indeed they never wanted to hear anything about him. When Jesus was born every identified him as the messiah.
Although Jesus was the messiah, he was born in an amble Jewish family. When the Jewish gave the good news of the messiah the Romans developed hatred towards them. The romans fought the Jewish up to the point where they banned Jewish from entering the city of Jerusalem. After this war that the romans won, it stood out clear that the romans where the fifth kingdom which was prophesied by the prophets to come and rule the world. They argued that if Jesus was indeed the messiah he would have saved them from that fight with the romans. The Romans viewed Jesus that he was going to save the Jewish in the war. They thought Jesus was going to save their clansmen in the battlefield.
Many witchcrafts and sorcerers from Rome believed that it there powers was more than that of Jesus Christ. Therefore, they claimed to be the most powerful than God, who the Jewish claimed to worship. On the contrary, the Jewish also claimed that one of them being the messiah of the world they were going to win the war. It meant them to have disbelief on Jesus since they thought he was going to protect them in the war. They never understood that Jesus was the messiah of the whole world, and he didn’t come to be might in the world but a heavenly kingdom.
Jesus rejection by the Romans was partly agitated by the gods they were worshiping. They were content that whatever their gods said was possible more especially the win in the war against the Jewish. The Roman-Greece gods had feared a defeat from Jesus because they knew that powers of Jesus Christ were more than that of theirs. The roman administration remained adamant to allow Christianity within their territories or to recognize Jesus as the messiah.
The Romans started to look for Jesus and be subject to jail for claiming that he was the messiah. They saw it was an offence for one to call himself a king and yet there were kings in power furthermore he claimed to be the son of God. They accused him of blasphemy and treason thus a criminal. Therefore, his arrest warrant was released to be judged by Pontius Pilate. Under the authority of Pontius, Jesus was charged with a criminal offense and was executed and sentenced to be crucified on the cross in Golgotha. The king found him not guilty, but the public demanded him crucified. They wanted to kill Christianity since they were all aware that Jesus was their leader.
The Romans again started to mock the Jewish that the king they claimed they had been subjected to execution and was powerless. They again believed on their gods saying they were powerful. They abused the son of God saying he was powerless and if he was powerful he would have saved himself from Pilate soldiers. Mockery over Christianity again spread all over, and many Christians suffered a major setback as they their messiah. The medicine men claimed that their prayers were answered as they believed they had overthrown Christianity. The plot to crucify Jesus Christ was organized by the Roman medicine men and sorcerers and leaders who were likely to be declared powerless.
The fifth kingdom which was led by Jesus Christ came to an end when he was crucified and killed on the cross. After Jesus resurrection, he met the 12 disciples and promised them that he will come to take them to his heavenly kingdom. He organized to share with them a divine meal; Christians are still doing the same to share the love of Jesus Christ.
The refusal of the Jewish to worship the Roman gods made brought hatred between the two tribes. They mocked the Christians on grounds that they claimed that their God was alive that he gave His only son to the world to save the Christians, but he was subject to crucify and killed. They fought hard to disband the Christian religion, but all went into vain.
Jesus left his disciples and ascended to heaven with a promise to prepare them a place where they will be living with him. He left them with a helper who was the Holy Spirit to help the in crusading the holy gospel of God. He anointed and appointed leaders and apostles such as Paul to continue with his work of preaching the gospel. Disciples started preaching the holy gospel, but they were rejected by the romans again after even Jesus has defeated death.
Paul was one of the oldest leaders who were preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ not only for the Jews, but also to all people of the world. It is interesting that Paul wrote only two facts about Jesus Christ which implies that they were not together for a long time. Paul set Christianity as a Greek friendly dogma and therefore joining Christianity was an important step one can make in life. Paul represented a good picture of a Christian more than the Palestine, who had early presented Christianity to the Jews. Paul claimed that Christianity was for the Jewish and not anybody else. It was a plot that Paul used to move people away from worshiping idol they made to themselves and worship the true God. He crusaded against the worship of the idols and condemned the act. He urged them to start worship that was alive and able to save human beings.
The Roman authorities were confused on the new cult that was introduced to them known as Christianity. They hesitated to talk about because Christianity was talking about one god and yet their people believed that they had their gods that had protected them and their ancestors. Most of the Christian crashed with the officials of the Caesar administration citing they wanted freedom and to be allowed to worship their own God. Some Christians boycotted the worship of Caesar saying that they were disloyal to them, and people should not be forced to worship earthly gods.
Many Christians were persecuted due to the failure of worship the gods that the king was worshiping. The persecution started with a Christian known as Nero, who was killed for other Christians to see and turn away from Christianity. This incident made Emperor Nero to make an inquiry about the death of Nero and try to ascertain whether there was justice in the Caesar leadership. He discovered that Christianity had taken roots and therefore the death of Nero was likely to render the Caesar administration unpopular because Christianity was no longer a small sect.
During the first century, Christians severed a lot, and they established Judaism independently to worship God. Christianity remained unknown to the roman authorities as they never recognized to give the Christians freedom of worship. Rumors spread all over about the new cult known as Christianity; some alleged the new cult for cannibalism incest and child sacrifice.
During the second century, many Christians were persecuted because of the failure to pay reverence to the king’s gods. They were forbidden to meet in secret places to since The Caesar administration assumed that they would have to conduct their worship in those places. Many Christians lost their lives after being persecuted, and the king issued a decree to ban officially off the cult of Christianity because he claimed his people were going astray. Despite all that happened to them, the onset of Emperor Trajan seemed to bring hope to the Christians. Hope started mounting on Christians since he started defending the and claimed they should have a chance to worship.
AD111 was the time Nithynia, governor Pliny the Younger wrote a letter to Trajan also emperor seeking him to give guidance over the issue of Christianity because he claimed that the Christians had given him a lot of trouble about fighting for freedom of worship. Pliny expressed those troubles and admitted that the killings that had been done were to render him unpopular. Trajan in his wisdom he wrote back to Pliny informing him punishes them those who were brought to him in cases of Christianity. He advised him to punish those who claimed to be Christians because they had gods to worship. He further stated that Christianity was not to be allowed to lead their people astray from their gods. He continued by saying that those who repented were to be free on grounds that they have desisted the Christianity religion.
Hadrian, who was the king of Rome at that time, continued with his policy of persecuting the Christians. At this point the Romans had started understanding the ways of Christianity, many of them had joined Christianity, others went away to make themselves gods.
In AD 165-180 under Marcus Aurelius, there was a massive persecution of the Christians worse than that of Nero. Christianity was figured as the religion of the poor and slaves because even the royal family was worshiping the gods that they made to themselves. Later it emerged the concept of sacrifice as in the Christians wanted to die intentionally by worshiping a new faith. During this era of martyrdom, Christians was separated from those who worship the gods with the king.
However, this never shaken the Christians instead they were charged to remain faithful in God. Christians built temples and started a worship and praying God from such temples. Martyrdom reappeared again when the church began to rise again spiced by differing opinions about the church and the congregation. Christians were urged to practice piety of faithfulness as God commanded and what Jesus Christ was doing in this world. Jesus thought his disciple love and faith in the last super and commanded them to continue with the same after he had gone to heaven. They were also aware of the problems they were going through that time because it was the long time prophesied. Scriptures and testimonies by those who saw Jesus Christ ascending to heaven also gave them hope that one day in the second coming of Jesus Christ they will inherit the kingdom of heaven.
There was a movement comprising of the Jewish community whose main focus was on the scriptures. They opposed the truth claiming that it was devoid of the truth and therefore Christianity was a waste of time. They especially questioned and ignored that Jesus was the son of God, and yet he was born in the world. They termed Judaism as a blind truth and the Judaic community as hostile to Christianity. There was also “forthright critical comment on the life of Christ, with the claim that he was subject to condemn as a deceiver” (Deuteronomy 13:1-5).
Christianity despite the rejection it received the in the past day when people of Good were under tyrannical leaders. It has so many followers across the world, and it was given respect because it follows the footsteps of Jesus Christ and Christians have hope that Jesus will come to the world in the second time. He told the Christians not to lose hope but continued believing in him
Those who rejected Jesus Christ and termed him as just a human being like any they came to believe that indeed he was the son of God. Some refused to acknowledge that he was extraordinary and that no human being can ever compete with God. Some came to accept that Jesus was indeed the son of God after which he crucified and killed. Those who rejected him more especially the romans turned away from their gods and goddess after witnessing the resurrection of Jesus.
Many romans got converted, and they threw away their self-made gods and goddesses they were defeated by the power of God. Most of the Greeks and romans are stingy Christians are especially Catholics as they discovered later that indeed Jesus was the son of God.helps in enhancing maturity, dynamism and self-growth attributes to ensure the organization’s growth and competitiveness.
Problem-solving and knowledge management is important to organizations since majority face problems in managing the two aspects that are crucial to an organization’s growth and competitiveness in the larger global market. The research paper focuses on the problems that the organization may face due to implementing the wrong practices and processes for knowledge management and problem-solving techniques in the group. The research paper aims to identify some of the mistakes in the implementation of the management practices in an organization and also give the best practices and processes that a company should implement to ensure there is proper knowledge management programs. One of the problems is the consistent failure to align problem-solving and knowledge management practices with the organization’s strategic objectives. In order for an organization to get the best out of their employees and other programs in the company, they should align the management and problem solving programs with the strategic objectives that the company aims to implement in order to achieve their targets and goals. Organizations also create repositories without sufficiently addressing the need to manage content in the organization. It is important for an organization to ensure that they have implemented the necessary repositories and align them with their requirements and capability of the organization to ensure efficiency and productivity. In addition, there is a problem in understanding and connecting knowledge management to every employee’s daily working activities. Problem-solving and knowledge management aids in ensuring that the problem is well-addressed if the management team of the organization considers Knowledge management practices to improve on employee productivity. The research paper also looks at the problem of companies only addressing the problem of knowledge management and implementing it within the organization’s boundaries. There is also the problem of overemphasizing on formal learning techniques as the main method of acquiring and sharing knowledge within the company. It is paramount that the company assesses its knowledge management and problem solving techniques ass the main methods to alleviate these problems while at the same time improving on its scope and expansiveness to other regions in the global market. A competitive edge is only gained if an organization adapts the best knowledge management techniques that are essential to improving on the productivity to satisfy a large market in the global market.
The research paper aims to look at organizational structure and its implementation of knowledge management and problem solving techniques and processes in organizational operations. The paper, therefore, looks at organizational culture that gives one a clear indication of the knowledge management and problems solving practices adopted by the organization. In this regard, the company looks at the interpersonal trust in the company between the employees. This is important in assessing interaction and willingness of one person to freely work with their colleagues at the workplace. There is also an examination of group trust within the organization between the employees. Under this the research paper looks at the interaction of an individual to a group and the willingness of an individual to abide by the decisions of the group. There is also an analysis of organizational trust that exists amongst the employees of the company. It is an examination of the level of confidence that an employee has on his/her employer that in essence looks at the determination and belief of the employer to the corporate goal and faith in organizational culture. The final aspect that is examined is the institutional trust in the organizational. Under this concept looks at the belief and faith of the employee in the institutions that include; laws and policies that are aimed at protecting the employees. This highlights the context within which the research paper is written and analysed to properly examine the research problem of the research paper. The paper looks at how the organizational structures have been used and coordinate with all departments of the organization to enhance that there is connection between individual performance and business goals through knowledge management and problem solving skills in the organization.
Research problem: The need to adopt proper knowledge management and problem solving practices in the 21st century to improve global trending and gain a competitive edge in the market.
Proper knowledge management and problem solving systems are equivocal to all organizations that aim to venture into the global market and have a competitive edge in the broad market. The two attributes are very important to an organization since they create a high level of coordination and productivity among the employees thereby ensuring that the organization matches up with its competitors and a growing market. Adopting the right methods is imperative and essential to the organization and every company should ensure that it adopts practices that match its strengths and strategic planning to ensure that the two align to each other to enhance productivity. The problem is ensuring that there is adoption of the most practical and best practices through assessing the methods by organization and what the employees regard as the best and readily adaptable processes and structures.
3.3 Statement of the Research Problem, the Research Aim and Its Objectives
The research aims to solve the problem of adopting the wrong knowledge management and problem solving processes in an organization and the problems that arise as a result of adoption of wrong methods.
Aims and purpose of the research
To ensure that there is a direct link between knowledge management and problem solving techniques with the organization business strategies ensuring that there are measures in place to evaluate the success and contribution of each in the organizational development.
To ensure that the organization employees fulfil their individual missions that reaches the corporate objectives, goals and strategies of the organization.
Identifying the most important and valuable knowledge for the company and building on it to make the company grow and fully operational in the global market.
To ensure that there is proper management of business processes and operations using problem solving and knowledge management techniques.
To incorporate the knowledge management process as a tool to support innovation and encourage free flow of information and ideas in the company.
Ensure that there is an ability to acquire, assimilate, transform and use knowledge in a company to enhance its growth.
Objective of the study
The objective of the research is to ensure proper structures and processes for an organization to ensure it implements, the best problem solving and knowledge management practices within the organization to ensure growth and competitiveness in the larger global market.
3.4 Research Questions
In an effort to conduct a comprehensive and informed research of the research problem, the following questions were drafted to make the research conducted conclusive.
• Are the problem solving and knowledge management practices adopted by the organization linked to the organization’s business strategy?
• Are there measurements and evaluation processes to measure the success and contribution of the business strategies and contribution of each in this regard?
• Is there a working management plan to ensure that the company has the best structures and materials relevant in accessing required information?
• To what extent has the organization allocated required resources to achieve specific goals and requirements by the organization?
• Is there a mentoring program in place for the employees in the company to appraise their knowledge and problem solving skills? Are they sufficiently used by the employees? And if not what is the reason why?
• Do the employees understand all the existing networks within the organization? What more should the organization do to ensure that they do?
• What mechanisms and strategies has the company adopted to ensure that there is successful alliance between the organization and the suppliers and customers? What more can be done to ensure that more information is disseminated?
• Do the employees in the organization believe in the corporate goals and targets and have faith in the direction of the company? What more can be done by the organization to ensure that they do?
3.5 Research Design and Methodology
The research will be conducted using quantitative techniques in a bid to test the hypothesis and examine the research problem by comparing different sets of data. Due to the research assessing the problem-solving techniques and knowledge management it is important to use a quantitative method to evaluate and compare between different sets of data and their implementation of the two techniques in an organization. The research will be conducted by examining the different information and assessments as given by the employees. It is hard to conduct a qualitative technique when comparing between two almost similar sets of data and measure the difference between the implementation of the knowledge management and problem solving techniques in different organizations. However, for comparison reasons using quantitative method one can collect data on two different organizations and compare the different assertions and reasons given by the different set of respondents from the selected sample. The research aims to show the hypothesis that if an organization implements proper knowledge management and problem solving tools the organization should succeed in the global market and have satisfied and knowledgeable employees in the organization. The research should therefore be conducted in different organizations in order to compare between or amongst the organization and the adapted structures and processes.
Quantitative research is defined as a method that is used for explaining a given phenomenon, research problem, or hypothesis through collecting numerical data that is analysed using mathematically based methods. In order to make an informed judgment and while testing the hypothesis it is important for the research to be conducted using quantitative methods to test these properties about the organizations. In addition quantitative methods are known to best suited when one aims to collect numerical data in order to explain a particular phenomenon. While conducting a research on the difference between organizations quantitative data should be collected then evaluated and analysed to make judgments and conclusive statements through deductive reasoning. Quantitative data is also useful since data that is naturally not numerical can be collected in a quantitative way. The research to be conducted is about knowledge management and problem solving techniques that may both seem hard to measure quantitatively. However, after collecting the data, for instance, through questionnaires this can later be grouped and calculated quantitatively and can later be analysed statistically using analytical tools and measures. In the case of the aforementioned research problem this is particularly crucial and applicable to the given case as it helps in the analysis and hypothesis testing of the different organizations. Although the analysis of data through the statistical tools may be seen by most as being too mathematical and hard to conduct the required analysis it is the best method for making an informed analysis and judgment by the analyst and for the aforementioned research it is tenable and relevant.
Quantitative techniques are necessary in testing and analysing the methods used by two different companies and their performance in the market as a result. In order for one to show the difference between the implementation techniques and the performance of the two companies in the market as a result quantitative techniques are critical. In a bid to analyse different companies and show the importance of employing proper knowledge management and problem solving techniques, the quantitative methods act as the best method for evaluating and analysing the different companies. The techniques employed in quantitative methods especially the statistical analysis is equivocally essential and important in comparing and making a conclusive judgment of the two parts in an organization’s growth in the market.
Given the nature and purpose of the research a quantitative approach is the most feasible method that the organization should use to draw the best results for the research. The method captures all the details and informational aspects that are necessary for the analysis of benefits of proper implementation of knowledge management and problem solving techniques in a given organization.
In conducting a quantitative research one needs to first identify the study population for the research that should consist of the people or group that will help in collecting the best form of data for the research. In the case of this research the study population should be globally competitive organizations and their employees in particular. The employees have all the information necessary in making a deductive judgment and getting the necessary data for the research. The employees of the organizations being compared should comprise the bigger part of the study population. However, gaining records of the organizations and their performances in the global market is also important since it acts as the basis for comparison between the implemented structures and processes in the two organizations. The research should therefore identify the global organizations to undertake the research and their employees who should act as the study population for the specific research.
The employees of the companies being researched should act as the sample for the research. A sample should be systematicall
