Publication

Citation

Hughes, C. (2006), "Publication", Records Management Journal, Vol. 16 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/rmj.2006.28116cae.002

Publication

Corporate DNA: Using Organisational Memory to Improve Poor Decision-making, Arnold Kransdorff, Gower Press, London2006ISBN: 0 566 08681 6, £55.00

The changes in the legislative and regulatory framework in which records managers in the UK operate have led many to propose that due to the ensuing increase in opportunities it has “never been a better time to be a records manager”. If Arnold Kransdorff is correct there are even more prospects for records managers arising from the need to protect the competitive position of organisations in certain sectors through more effective management and exploitation of the organisational memory (OM). The author defines OM as much more than the company archives and records which he suggests may be the image summoned up in the mind of some readers. In addition to these traditional outputs arising from business transactions, he adds intellectual capital (IC) in the form of tacit knowledge to the OM. The value of tacit knowledge in relation to competitive advantage has been written about previously. Nonaka and Takeuchi’s (1995, p. 9) well-known model suggests that once tacit knowledge has been identified and converted into an explicit and tangible form it can help organisations surpass competitors. Others, including Polanyi (1983, p. 4) (from whom Nonaka and Takeuchi base some of their research) see tacit knowledge as a product of experience which loses value once it is removed from that experience and commoditised, suggesting that we know more than we can tell. Tacit knowledge, the intangible knowing of employees resulting from activities and experiences, is a central facet of the OM that Mr. Kransdorff describes and is central to using that OM and to improve decision making.

Records managers sit at the heart of the OM, managing the records of business transactions, understanding the functions and processes that have contributed to them and knowing which parts of the organisation or its stakeholders they impact. The records management function often spans across the whole organisation and has sight across the individual silos that contribute to many aspects of that organisation. In this context, Kransdorff’s guide to using the OM to improve decision making is likely to interest records managers. It is especially likely to interest those whose roles encompass elements of both knowledge management and records management, and therefore manage what has been noted as the intangible element of the OM in addition to the more easily recognised records and archival elements of the memory store. The author describes how an improvement to decision making across the organisation impacts tangibles such as productivity – described by the author as the “new corporate imperative”. For records managers who may need to help senior management understand how they contribute to a wider strategic purpose within their organisation, and do not merely fulfil a necessary process, such an imperative may support their explanation. Without improved decision making, or what Drucker calls “working smarter” (p. 10), productivity and profits are hit. Inefficiencies in decision making can be improved, the author states, through the concept of experience-based management (EBM) (p. 12). By adapting some established models, Kransdorff’s new model of EBM places OM – and the learning opportunities arising from OM – at the centre of decision making. The model is divided into stages and each stage is discussed at length through the text and complexities teased out. It is not feasible or appropriate to list the full range of the EBM model, but some elements may be of particular interest to records managers and for the purpose of this review are worth noting here.

OM can and should be at the heart of reducing organisational inefficiencies. In a chapter entitled “Cutting the workload” the author argues that traditional skills-based training is seen as a drain on time and resources, as employees need to take time of out of their usual activities to train and to learn, impacting profit through reduced profitability. It is then suggested that traditional training programmes do not really address the skills required and do not ultimately improve productivity – OM is required to improve this. The author remembers that it was Drucker who stated that it is “managers (that) make resources productive”. Productivity is dependent on better decisions and not just on skills of the workers. Currently managers tend to focus on “upskilling” resource and not using the existing knowledge and experience of that resource to improve decision making and to learn and improve process. Kransdorff identifies highest value learning as experiential. Rather than teach workers new skills, managers should use what is already known to improve the way work is completed, resources are allocated and decisions are made. However, the author acknowledges that it is not possible to learn from every single activity of the organisation, or from every single transaction, so prioritisation is required to ensure focus on the activities that will provide the greatest reward to improve productivity and decision making. Kransdorff provides a step-by-step model to illustrate the range of examples to demonstrate how to do this beginning with the creation of a knowledge chart to identify existing knowledge and the important job holders who create it. This is followed by a project map to show the key organisational experiences “or main activities” and map the key decision makers associated with these activities. Although successful experiences are analysed, more can be learned from experiences that have failed to deliver all or some of the intended return on investment. Next an employee transit audit is undertaken in tandem with colleagues in human resources in order to identify where knowledge is lost from the organisation through staff attrition and turnover.

In order to illustrate an effective form of access to the tacit knowing lost through staff turnover and to improve understanding of this aspect of the OM in general the author discusses the value of oral debriefing in a chapter entitled “Talk talk”. As debriefing is increasingly used by knowledge managers and records managers alike to establish context around various information assets and to assist with reviews of completed work, this is very helpful chapter. The author provides guidance on the role of debriefing, how it can be used to beneficial effect and how to secure buy-in from those whose tacit knowledge is sought. Direction is provided on how to select the appropriate type of debrief mechanism and how to handle the information that is collected, including guidance on overcoming any legal constraints that apply, such as copyright law and obligations under Freedom of Information legislation – something that I suspect will be familiar territory to most potential readers from the records management community.

Kransdorff’s suggestions are clearly initiatives in which the records manager can be involved and can support, but the extent to which records managers will be able to take the book and apply its models and suggested processes to their own organisations may be limited since, in order to successfully implement the full gamut of Kransdorff’s model for exploitation of OM, a change management programme would be required across the organisation and not merely emanating from the records management function However, as a clear indication of the strategic value of the OM and the role that the records manager plays, alongside peers and colleagues, it is a very readable and interesting guide that should provide stimulus for further thinking about the role that records managers can play in using the OM to add greater value to the organisation. It is worth noting that the book’s intended audience is undoubtedly based in the commercial sector. However, the improvement of internal effectiveness and advancement of decision-making processes will interest all sectors and it would be inaccurate to think that this book would irrelevant to public sector records managers.

The book is very well written and constructed; it flows exceptionally well and is an invigorating read. The chapters have a clearly logical flow and are written in an entirely readable style and none are over-long. The author has researched the topic extensively and some very helpful further reading is available through the bibliographic notes at the end of each chapter. A range of examples from industry and other sectors are provided to support the author’s suggestions and help provide context, which really helps to set the scene and help relate his suggestions to the reader’s own environment. For records managers who are keen to play a wider role in their organisation this book should be considered and added to the top of the reading list.

(This review is written in an entirely personal capacity.)

Ceri HughesFormer Chair of the Records Management Society of Great Britain