Building an Effective Cross-Cultural Knowledge Management System

An effective cross-cultural knowledge management system captures (and shares) all information about specific countries including business practices, cultural factors that affect business, social and legal topics, diversity issues, and so forth. Such a database-driven process includes all the people working with or in that country or who have country-specific expertise. Truly effective systems enable and encourage personnel to use the database to identify those individuals and connect through appropriate groups in internal social networks where they can discuss their experiences, challenges and successes and tap into the company's collective intelligence about the particular country.

Below is an example of an actual knowledge management model that has successfully been implemented in many large global organizations. The model demonstrates how a successful knowledge management system captures, retains, and disseminates all global information obtained through every global experience and every training program that has a cross-cultural or global component. The system enables deployment of this information across all groups within the corporation, crossing silos and functional areas through the database and internal social networking.

Here is just a glimpse into what the system does:

• deliver a core cross-cultural competency course for all employees that captures and categorizes each participant's global challenges, issues, personal goals, case studies, lessons learned, and e-mail addresses to form an electronic community
• establish curriculum paths based on building specific core competencies; for example, you could create a path focused on building cross-cultural teaming excellence while other paths could be focused on developing future global leaders, negotiators, and project managers
• provide each associate with the ability to create their electronic competency roadmap and skills component and systematically track individual progress toward competency goals
• establish an international assignment series of solutions in support of expatriates and repatriates.
• record lessons learned throughout each international assignment
• capture international issues and trigger personal coaching based on individual circumstances
• analyze the information to identify, interpret trends, and identify process improvement opportunities
• establish a cross-cultural library of blended learning courseware consisting of in-house developed programs and available through third-party partnerships that support the roadmap concept
• query the collective knowledge derived from the case studies, lessons learned, and personal or business experiences maintained in the database.

Once established, the knowledge management system becomes one of the most critical success factors allowing corporations to build, retain, and share their intellectual capital about global activities. It also places training and learning and development strategically at the center of the global enterprise. Corporations that are successfully embracing global knowledge management systems report substantial savings, improved efficiency, and enhanced coordination of global initiatives.