Collaborative Learning and Knowledge Management

Abstract

Education and knowledge management within a company are the most important activities to foster employees’ qualifications and to encourage them in their individual professional development. By utilizing specific processes, it is possible to mentor their progress and to promote them to a position in which they can use their abilities to their full extent. Overall, this leads to a more efficient working environment, which paves the way for further improvements in regard to the working process as well as to the workers themselves. When it comes to learning, finding the most efficient way to learn for each individual is the key. In in most cases this is informal learning as that is the way people learn the most (Weber et al., 2008). In consequence, enterprises should envision an educational roadmap that incorporates informal learning for their employees not only on an individual level but also as a social activity throughout the entire structure of the enterprise.To succeed in such a paradigm shift, several actions have to be taken. It is imperative to create and maintain structures and processes that enable HR managers to mentor and steer the overall development within the entire company. This can be realized via a reasonable mix of several e-learning and knowledge management ideas and theories. By choosing suitable concepts and link them with an efficient management, it is possible to create a collaborative learning and knowledge management system. In return, this environment facilitates middle and long-term improvements of the entire company. Two conceptual ideas suitable for such an endeavour are self-learning organisational management on the one hand and Management of Collaboration on the other hand.