mgt403-Asignmennt3

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‫وزارة التعليم‬
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Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Ministry of Education
Saudi Electronic University

College of Administrative and Financial Sciences

Assignment 3 MGT403 (1st. Term 2025-2026)
Deadline:6th December 2025 @ 23:59
Course Name: Knowledge Management
Course Code: MGT-403

Student’s Name:

Semester: 1st.

CRN: 13207

Student’s ID Number:

Academic Year: 1447- 1448 H (2025-2026) 1st Term
For Instructor’s Use only
Instructor’s Name:
Students’ Grade: /10

Level of Marks: High/Middle/Low

Instructions – PLEASE READ THEM CAREFULLY
•
•

This assignment is a group assignment.
Each group will consist of 3-5 Students only.

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Due date for Assignment 3 is (06/12/2025) 11:59 P.M

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The Assignment must be submitted only in WORD format via allocated folder.

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Assignments submitted through email will not be accepted.

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Students are advised to make their work clear and well presented, marks may be reduced for poor
presentation. This includes filling your information on the cover page.

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Students must mention question number clearly in their answer.

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Late submission will NOT be accepted.

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Avoid plagiarism, the work should be in your own words, copying from students or other
resources without proper referencing will result in ZERO marks. No exceptions.

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All answered must be typed using Times New Roman (size 12, double-spaced) font. No pictures
containing text will be accepted and will be considered plagiarism).
Submissions without this cover page will NOT be accepted.

‫المملكة العربية السعودية‬
‫وزارة التعليم‬
‫الجامعة السعودية اإللكترونية‬

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Ministry of Education
Saudi Electronic University

ASSIGNMENT-3 (Group Assignment)

Course Learning Outcomes-Covered
Define the different Knowledge types and explain how they are addressed by knowledge
management in different business environments.
Demonstrate effective knowledge management skills to utilize knowledge management
tools for the benefits of the organization.
Demonstrate ability to work with others effectively as a team member in knowledge
management projects, related to case studies.
Case Study Assignment: The “Alpha” Project at XYZ Dynamics
Overview
For this Assignment, you must examine a real-world company situation with an emphasis on typical
knowledge management (KM) problems, particularly the capturing and dissemination of explicit and tacit
knowledge. You will take on the role of a knowledge management consultant who has been engaged to suggest
solutions to XYZ Dynamics.
The Scenario
XYZ Dynamics, a mid-sized engineering firm, specializes in bespoke hydraulic systems. They have a long
history of success built on the expertise of their senior engineers. The firm recently initiated the “Alpha”
project to build a centralized digital repository of all company knowledge.
Key Players and Context:
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Mr. Ahmad (Chief Engineer): A 30-year veteran, highly respected, who can diagnose complex
machinery issues simply by “listening” to them. He rarely writes anything down.

•

Mr. Ibrahim (KM Project Manager): Tasked with leading the Alpha project, is technically
proficient but struggles with organizational resistance.

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The Junior Engineers: Eager to learn but lack hands-on, intuitive understanding of the senior staff.

The Current Situation:
1. Tacit Knowledge Loss: Several senior engineers are nearing retirement. Their “tribal knowledge “the
intuitive understanding, lessons learned from past failures, and subtle operational tricks—is not
documented anywhere. Mr. Ahmad often says, “You can’t put experience in a manual.”
2. Explicit Knowledge Silos: Existing documentation (manuals, reports, designs) is scattered across
different servers, departmental shared drives, and personal computers. There is no standardized format
or easy search function.

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Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Ministry of Education
Saudi Electronic University

3. Resistance to the Alpha: Senior engineers view the “Alpha” as a waste of time, preferring face-toface communication. Junior engineers find the existing documentation overwhelming and difficult to
apply in real-world scenarios.
4. Inefficient Dissemination: A recent project failed due to a repeated error from three years ago. The
original failure analysis report existed as an explicit knowledge artifact, but nobody knew where to
find it or that it even existed.

Assignment Tasks
As an external KM consultant, prepare a formal report addressing the following questions:
1. Knowledge Analysis (2 Points)
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Explain the concept of “Tacit and Explicit Knowledge”.

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Identify and classify specific examples of tacit and explicit knowledge within XYZ Dynamics’
scenario.

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Explain how the current challenges relate to the core issues of knowledge capture and dissemination.

2. Tacit Knowledge Solutions (3 Points)
•

Propose at least three specific strategies for effectively capturing the tacit knowledge held by senior
engineers like Mr. Ahmad. Focus on mechanisms that go beyond simple documentation (e.g.,
mentorship programs, exit interviews, communities of practice).

3. Explicit Knowledge Solutions (2 Points)
•

Recommend

solutions

to

improve

the dissemination

and

accessibility

of

explicit

knowledge currently trapped in silos. Address the lack of standardization and the searchability issue.
4. Addressing Resistance (1.5 Points)
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Develop a brief change strategy to overcome the cultural resistance and encourage all employees,
especially the senior staff, to participate in the “Alpha” project and knowledge sharing in general.

5. Conclusion (1.5 Points)
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Summarize the anticipated benefits of implementing your recommendations for XYZ Dynamics’ longterm success.

Deliverables
• A formal business report (approx. 1,700 – 2,000 words).
• Structure your report with clear headings, an executive summary, and recommendations.

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Ministry of Education
Saudi Electronic University

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1.Knowledge Analysis
Tacit vs. Explicit Knowledge
Tacit Knowledge refers to the personal, experiential, and intuitive know-how that individuals develop over
time. It is difficult to articulate, codify, or document because it is rooted in personal experience, intuition,
insights, and skills. This type of knowledge is often transferred informally—through mentoring, observation,
or practice—rather than through written documentation. Examples include problem-solving intuition,
craftsmanship, and the ability to diagnose issues through subtle cues.
Explicit Knowledge is knowledge that can be easily articulated, codified, documented, stored, and shared. It
exists in tangible forms such as manuals, standard operating procedures (SOPs), reports, diagrams, databases,
and digital files. Explicit knowledge can be systematically recorded, classified, and disseminated across the
organisation.
Tacit and Explicit Knowledge in XYZ Dynamics
Examples of Tacit Knowledge
1. Mr. Ahmad’s intuitive diagnostic ability — his capacity to “listen” to hydraulic systems and identify
problems is a deep skill built over 30 years.
2. Lessons learned from past failures — insights gained from past troubleshooting, undocumented
problem-solving strategies, and decision-making patterns.
3. Operational tricks and subtle handling techniques known only to experienced senior engineers.
4. Informal mentoring practices where senior engineers verbally share tips without recording them.

Examples of Explicit Knowledge
1. Existing manuals, design documents, and engineering reports
stored across various servers and personal computers.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Ministry of Education
Saudi Electronic University

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2. The failure analysis report from three years ago — an explicit artifact that went unused due to poor
accessibility.
3. Technical specifications and design blueprints kept in departmental shared drives.
4. Written project documentation that is scattered but formally produced.
How the Current Challenges Relate to Knowledge Capture and Dissemination
XYZ Dynamics is experiencing problems directly connected to weaknesses in knowledge capture and
knowledge dissemination, both of which are essential parts of a robust Knowledge Management (KM)
system.
Knowledge Capture Challenges
• Tacit knowledge is at high risk of loss, especially with senior engineers nearing retirement. Their refusal
to document insights means the company is failing to convert valuable tacit knowledge into explicit form.
• Mr. Ahmad’s expertise remains undocumented, representing a significant gap in organizational memory.
• Lack of standardization means explicit documents are createdinconsistently, making future retrieval
difficult.
Knowledge Dissemination Challenges
• Knowledge is siloed, stored across different locations without a centralized or searchable system (explicit
knowledge dissemination failure).
• Junior engineers cannot access or make sense of existing documentation, reducing learning efficiency.
• Repeated project failures occur due to poor dissemination; the failure analysis report existed but was
effectively invisible.
• Cultural resistance (especially from senior staff) hinders the flow of knowledge across levels and
departments.
Overall Connection to KM Core Issues The Alpha project is facing:

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Saudi Electronic University

• A tacit knowledge conversion gap — the firm is unable to externalize the critical expertise of senior
engineers.
• An explicit knowledge organization gap — documents exist but are poorly structured, scattered, and not
easily searchable.
• A knowledge sharing culture gap — resistance from senior staff prevents effective knowledge exchange.
• A dissemination mechanism gap — no unified platform or process exists to ensure accessibility and reuse.

2. Tacit Knowledge Solutions
The challenge of capturing tacit knowledge—the intuitive, experience-based expertise held by senior staff
like Mr. Ahmad—is critical to the success of the “Alpha” project. Since this knowledge cannot simply be
transcribed into a manual, we propose moving beyond simple documentation to establish dynamic knowledge
transfer mechanisms. The following three strategies are designed to socialize, externalize, and capture the
“tribal knowledge” before senior engineers retire.
Mentorship Programs

Strategy 1: Formalized Apprenticeship and Reverse

This strategy directly tackles the transfer of intuitive understanding through

continuous, hands-on exposure, which is precisely what Mr. Ahmad believes cannot be written
down.

Apprenticeship (Senior to Junior): Senior engineers (Mentors) are formally paired with junior

engineers (Apprentices) for a defined period (e.g., 12-18 months) leading up to the senior engineer’s
retirement. The objective is for the junior engineer to shadow the mentor, with special emphasis on nonroutine problem diagnosis and troubleshooting. This addresses the junior staff’s need for “hands-on, intuitive
understanding.” Reverse Mentorship (Junior to Senior): This program provides value back to the senior staff
and overcomes their resistance to the “Alpha” project. Junior engineers mentor the senior staff on using new
digital tools, such as the Alpha repository, standardized reporting software, and multimedia capture devices.
By doing so, the KM process is less intimidating and more collaborative for the seniors, therefore improving
their compliance with other KM initiatives.

Strategy 2: Structured Knowledge Harvesting Workshops

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Saudi Electronic University

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(Narrative Capture) The knowledge acquisition method needs to move from a focus on report writing to
facilitated storytelling to capture context, stories, and the ‘whys’ associated with past decisions and
failures. Critical Incident Debriefs (CID): These workshops, conducted by Mr. Ibrahim’s KM team, zero in
on particular projects that ended up in success or, more important, failure – such as the repeated error of three
years ago. Using the “Why, How, and What If” methodology, the KM consultant uses probing questions to
bring out the decision-making process, the shortcuts, and intuitive observations leading to the
outcome. Output: Instead of a dry document, the output is a “Lessons Learned Narrative” artifact for the
Alpha repository, tagged with key engineering terms, ensuring future searchability.

Application:

Specifically, hold a workshop with Mr. Ahmad on “complex machinery diagnosis,” forcing him to articulate
the sounds, vibrations, and context clues he uses to “listen” to a machine. Strategy 3: Multimedia-Based
“How-To” Demonstrations (Video Externalization) Many tacit skills are physical or sensory (e.g., listening
to a machine). The best way to externalize these is through demonstration, not text. On-Demand Expert
Demonstrations: Provide senior engineers with simple, portable recording equipment (e.g., a smartphone
tripod kit). Task them with recording 5-10 minute videos demonstrating critical, undocumented
skills. Examples: Mr. Ahmad demonstrates the “Ahmad Diagnostic Walkthrough”—a video recording of
him approaching a specific type of malfunctioning pump, explaining in real-time what sound cues he is
listening for, what specific part he touches, and why he chooses a specific tool. Standardized Tagging: These
videos are uploaded to the Alpha repository, transcribed (if possible), and tagged by the junior engineers who
watched them. This ensures the junior staff understands the content and can easily retrieve it later, directly
addressing the “inefficient dissemination” problem. The video format overcomes the resistance of senior
engineers who prefer talking over writing.

3. Explicit Knowledge Solutions

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Ministry of Education
Saudi Electronic University

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‫وزارة التعليم‬
‫الجامعة السعودية اإللكترونية‬

One of the most pressing challenges facing XYZ Dynamics is the fragmentation of explicit knowledge across
multiple, uncoordinated storage locations. Manuals, reports, and design files are dispersed among servers,
departmental drives, and even personal computers. This lack of standardization not only hinders accessibility
but also undermines organizational learning, as demonstrated by the recent project failure caused by the
inability to locate a prior failure analysis report. To address these issues, a structured approach to knowledge
dissemination and accessibility is required. Centralized Repository with Metadata Standard The Alpha project
should establish a single, authoritative repository where all explicit knowledge is stored. However,
centralization alone is insufficient; the repository must be governed by metadata standards. Each document
should be tagged with consistent descriptors such as project name, system type, date, and author. This ensures
that engineers searching for information can retrieve relevant documents quickly, rather than relying on ad
hoc folder structures. Metadata also supports advanced search functions, enabling queries by keywords,
categories, or even problem type. Searchability through Knowledge Management Tools To overcome the
current difficulty in locating documents, the repository should integrate a robust search engine. This tool
should allow full-text search across all uploaded files, supplemented by filters based on metadata. For
example, a junior engineer investigating hydraulic pump failures could search by “pump failure analysis” and
immediately access all related reports. Incorporating artificial intelligence features, such as semantic search,
would further enhance usability by recognizing synonyms and contextual meanings rather than requiring exact
keyword matches. Standardized Document Templates and Version Control company-wide templates for
technical reports, design documents, and troubleshooting guides would create consistency across the
organizationAnother barrier to effective dissemination is the absence of standardized formats. Reports and
manuals vary widely in structure, making them difficult to interpret. Introducing company-wide templates for
technical reports, design documents, and troubleshooting guides would create consistency. Coupled with
version control mechanisms, this ensures that engineers always access the most current and validated

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Ministry of Education
Saudi Electronic University

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‫وزارة التعليم‬
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information, reducing the risk of outdated or conflicting data being used in projects. Training and Cultural
Integration Technical solutions must be complemented by cultural change. Senior engineers may resist
documentation, but training sessions can emphasize the value of explicit knowledge for organizational
continuity. Demonstrating how standardized documentation prevents repeated mistakes can help shift
perceptions. Junior engineers, meanwhile, should be trained in how to navigate the repository effectively,
ensuring that the system becomes a practical tool rather than an overwhelming archive. By implementing a
centralized repository with metadata standards, enhancing searchability, enforcing standardized templates,
and promoting cultural adoption, XYZ Dynamics can transform explicit knowledge from scattered silos into
a dynamic organizational asset. These measures will not only prevent costly errors but also ensure that the
expertise of past projects remains accessible to future generations of engineers.

4. Addressing Resistance
One of the most significant impediments to the successful implementation of the Alpha project at XYZ
Dynamics is the organizational resistance exhibited primarily by senior engineers. This resistance stems from
long-established cultural norms, traditional work routines, and skepticism toward digital knowledge systems.
Senior engineers such as Mr. Ahmad rely heavily on tacit, experience-based judgment and believe that their
intuitive understanding “cannot be placed into a manual.” This mindset presents a substantial barrier to
transforming the company into a knowledge-driven environment. Therefore, an effective change strategy must
directly address both the behavioral and structural factors that contribute to this resistance. A critical
component of this strategy is clear, transparent communication. Employees must understand why the Alpha
project exists and how it directly addresses current organizational issues. The recent repeated engineering
failure—caused by the inability to locate an existing failure analysis report—serves as a concrete reminder of
the consequences of ineffective knowledge dissemination. Communicating such incidents demonstrates that

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Ministry of Education
Saudi Electronic University

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‫وزارة التعليم‬
‫الجامعة السعودية اإللكترونية‬

the system is not intended to replace or diminish the value of senior engineers’ expertise, but rather to prevent
costly mistakes and preserve organizational memory. Another essential component is the active involvement
of senior engineers in shaping the project. Instead of being treated as passive contributors, they should be
designated as knowledge advisors or subject-matter experts for Alpha. This approach gives them a sense of
ownership and acknowledges the depth of their tacit knowledge. When individuals like Mr. Ahmad participate
in defining documentation standards, contributing to lessons-learned processes, or mentoring junior engineers
within the repository framework, they become more supportive of the system and less likely to resist it.
Training and supportive guidance must also be incorporated into the strategy, as some resistance may stem
from unfamiliarity with digital tools rather than true disagreement. Practical, hands-on training sessions can
help senior engineers become more comfortable with the Alpha repository and related KM technologies.
Similarly, junior engineers should be trained to navigate and utilize the platform effectively, ensuring that it
becomes a functional tool rather than an overwhelming archive. Finally, encouraging desired behaviors
through recognition and incentives can help accelerate cultural change. Acknowledging individuals or teams
who contribute valuable knowledge—whether through formal recognition, appreciation messages, or
performance evaluation points—reinforces the importance of documentation and knowledge sharing.
Highlighting early successes, such as a project team resolving an issue using information retrieved from
Alpha, further reinforces the message that effective knowledge management directly benefits organizational
performance. By combining transparent communication, inclusive participation, targeted training, and
positive reinforcement, XYZ Dynamics can gradually reduce resistance and foster a culture that values both
tacit and explicit knowledge. This comprehensive change strategy will encourage employees at all levels to
actively contribute to the Alpha project and support the long-term development of a sustainable knowledge
management environment.

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