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Knowledge Management Case Book : Siemens Best Practises
Published in Hardcover by John Wiley & Sons (2002)
Authors: Tom Davenport, Gilbert J. B. Probst, and Heinrich von Pierer
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A comprehensive insight into KM in a global firm
This knowledge management casebook is one of the best documented case studies of knowledge transformation at work in a global business powerhouse. Siemens has been rated as one of the top ten KM-driven companies worldwide according to an international benchmarking exercise (MAKE ' most admired knowledge enterprise), thanks to its comprehensive efforts at fostering, promoting and optimizing knowledge utilization.

The 19 chapters covering Siemen's KM journey have been compiled by a team of 44 writers, including business executives, managers, interns, professors and graduate students. The material is divided into 7 sections, covering overall KM strategy, transfer techniques, communities of practice, e-learning, and organisational change.

With a diverse group of companies and almost half a million employees globally, Siemens is one of the world's oldest and most successful corporations ' which successfully adapted to the chaotic world of the Information Age to re-structure itself around its most valuable assets: its knowledge base and people.

'Companies today live in knowledge ecologies where one company feeds knowledge into another. What counts is a networked approach to KM, involving internal as well as external parties. The logic behind this is as simple as it is compelling: if you cut off the outflow of knowledge, you will also cut off the inflow. We believe, therefore, that the firm's openness to external experts and the sharing of ideas within a broad network will be a key driver for maintaining competitive success at Siemens,' begin the editors Thomas Davenport (KM expert) and Gilbert Probst (professor at the University of Geneva).

'Increasingly, information is either a part of, or an important facilitator of, Siemens' diverse businesses. Since KM is greatly enhanced by the effective use of IT, it's not surprising that Siemens was a relatively early and enthusiastic adopter of KM. The IT-driven nature of the company's businesses also provides a strong motivation to manage knowledge effectively. One attribute of these technologies is that they change very rapidly; keeping up with various computing and communications technologies is much easier when a company has a system for rapidly circulating new knowledge,' according to the editors.

But KM is more than technology, and Siemens has also focused on a culture of sharing, synergy, and customer focus, especially in markets and fast-moving technology areas where the customer needs are more for total business solutions and sector intelligence than mere technology components.

KM at Siemens began in a bottom-up manner via various mid-level initiatives in communities of practice and bodies of knowledge. Managers of these initiatives themselves formed a semi-official community of practice. This was then followed by a corporate knowledge function which officially supported and coordinated these various initiatives, via the creation of the Corporate KM (CKM) office in 1999.

The Corporate KM (CKM) office held an international meeting in Munich in May 2000, drawing over 200 managers and KM practitioners to formally reflect on the company's KM strategy via the CKM Council and CKM TaskForce. Moving beyond a loose association of KM followers, the company now has formal support, constancy, transparency and a joint approach for KM practices.

The vision statement, goals and roles at the company now formally emphasise the role of knowledge and sharing. CKM has initiated over a hundred KM projects divided across lines of geography, industry, and functions. It has received numerous awards across Europe and the US, such as APQC, MACILS, KVD and Teleos.

KM capacity building at Siemens is promoted by yet another initiative, the Knowledge Community Support (KCS) project, founded in 1999 with support from units like Corporate Technology, Siemens Business Services, and Siemens Qualification and Training. It promotes the use of knowledge communities within Siemens, via coaching, hotlines, resources, newsletters, and its own Web site. It maintains an employee portal and a directory of all knowledge communities in the company, Communities@Siemens. KCS expects that in future, community management will be as common as project management.

Yet another area of KM focus at Siemens is the use of e-business methodology. It formed the Centre for e-Excellence in May 2000 to analyse business transformation via the Internet. A quarter of the sales of Siemens itself is expected to be eventually transacted via the Internet ' 50 per cent or more of its consumer products.

Challenges faced by Siemens on the KM front include balancing energies, resources and rewards for local versus global KM initiatives on a daily basis, managing the knowledge-sharing tension between different business units, and nourishing KM during hard economic times.

Each of the chapters in the book ends with useful discussion questions and key propositions from each case study. It would be suitable to end this book review with a sampling of these propositions.

'The economic value of knowledge does not lie in possessing it, but in using it. Pilot projects for KM must have clearly defined, measurable objectives that can be achieved in less than six months. However, the changeover to a knowledge-based company involves a change process that can span several years,' according to the authors.

Knowledge management and learning management are two complementary disciplines that are continuously growing closer and support an innovative and agile enterprise.

Knowledge sharing should not be reduced to appendices to everyday practice, but must become intertwined with practice. Casewriting about this sharing is a useful learning tool, teaching method, and knowledge recap mechanism via its ability to tease out details and provoke or inspire further action. Such methods are already used by other companies like British Petroleum (Post-Project Appraisal) and Xerox (pre-thought and after-thought cases on KM tools). An interplay between writers from the outside and inside helps elicit crucial details in the case stories.

'When established procedures are not conducive to the sharing of knowledge, the company must be ready to restructure itself into an organization more amenable to knowledge sharing. Over time, the intrinsic benefits of sharing knowledge should become apparent and the system then becomes self-perpetuating, thereby rendering incentive systems obsolete,' the authors recommend.

>>>>>>>>>

Madanmohan Rao is the author of 'The Asia-Pacific Internet Handbook' and can be reached at madan@inomy.com

Concrete case-based ideas on how to optimize knowledge
The Knowledge Management Case Book clearly illustrates how knowledge sharing can begin either as a bottom-up or as a top down activity. This book was developed through collective efforts of Siemens employees working together with external "case coaches" who acted as 'devil's advocates' in conceptualizing and writing cases. This book offers concrete case-based ideas on how Siemens is promoting and optimizing knowledge utilization on a worldwide basis. It is written in a very understandable, narrative style, and organized into five sections that flow well together. These sections offer case studies of knowledge transfer, communities of practice, added-value of knowledge management, measuring KM, and an epilogue written by Gilbert Probst. As Gilbert Probst states in his epilogue, this book is a kind of knowledge tool itself and has offers the reader many practical examples of KM in practice.

Part I of the book offers the reader cases addressing the fundamental issues of knowledge transfer, critical success factors, underlying principles, descriptions of know-how exchange, lowering knowledge-sharing barriers, KM strategies, and it addresses the need to weave best practices into the day-to-day work that everyone does. Part II is focused on communities of practice -- one of the major driving forces of KM. Its cases explain the challenges of set-up, implementation, coordination and the support required for managers and teams to systematize KM practices. Part III illustrates the added value of KM in innovative arenas such as neurological-disease centers, knowledge intensive medical solutions and services, mergers and acquisitions, or corporate learning programs. Part IV examines quantifiable measures of KM as a critical basis for developing incentives for stimulating knowledge sharing and networking. It suggests ways in which results can be promoted, and discusses the intersection of KM and e-business, incorporating knowledge from outside corporate boundaries with organizational knowledge.

Gilbert Probst proposes that the very process of case writing is instrumental in managing knowledge and reflecting on the process. Thus, according to Probst, the case method used in this book offers an excellent example of a knowledge-sharing tool. Each case is presented as an independent study. They can be read in any order. The consistent emphasis throughout the book is placed on an ongoing balance of identifying what knowledge is most relevant to the interests of managers, and illustrating how to transfer it. I really enjoyed reading this this book. I consider it a treasure trove of ideas on how to use an organization's best knowledge practices.

Full Scale Knowledge Management
This is a premier book on knowledge management--a definite must read. Although it's a bit pricey and not in main stream distribution, please note that Tom Davenport is the co-editor. The book provides an inside perspective on how Siemens, a 400,000 person global company has scaled KM to be both part of their business practices and their business model. Since they operate in over 190 countries, it's easy to see why the communities of practice concept would be so appealing to them. Given the limited amount of available literature related to communities of practice, the how-to chapter about communities in this book by itself makes the book a must read. As you read about the KM work at Siemens you can get a good sense of how KM will eventually reside permanently in the main stream of management practice. I have collected quite a bit of the KM literature and would place this in a top ten read list.


Stalingrad: Memories and Reassessments
Published in Paperback by Cassell Academic (2003)
Authors: Joachim Wieder and Heinrich Graf Von Einsiedel
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Stalingrad: Memories and Reassessments
I found this book to offer a different view
of von Manstein and von paulus than people
are used to. Written by someone who was
in the pocket of stalingrad, it offers
a first person view of the battle. For fans
of von manstein, the book offers a critical
and i thought a fresh view of the man, who is
held in high regard by most historians but not
so high by this officer in the sixth army.I found
book to be fast read. You'll enjoy it

Perhaps the best Synopsis of the Battle for Stalingrad
Written from the perspective of an Intelligence Staff Officer, this book offers an outstanding blend of the perspective from the top as well as a more junior officer. Specific sections on von Manstein, von Seydlitz, and Paulus are also quite insightful. No matter what other fine books you have on Stalingrad, i.e. Beevor, definitely add this one to your collection.


The Blue Angel (Ungar Film Library)
Published in Paperback by Ungar Pub Co (1980)
Authors: Heinrich Mann, and Von Sternberg Mann, Josef Von Sternberg, and Robert Blaue Engel Liebmann
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This is the Clasic film script
This is one of about 42 Screenplays in a series. The book is full of stills. The dialog and motion I n script form. There is an introduction by Josef Von Sternberg. The movie stands on its own. However they use expressions to tell you what is in black and white in this book. The English and German versions were made separately (not dubbed)


Herophilus: The Art of Medicine in Early Alexandria : Edition, Translation and Essays
Published in Hardcover by Cambridge University Press (1989)
Authors: Herophilus and Heinrich von Staden
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a detailed and valuable work
In the history of medicine, popularity is mainly focused on the famous scientists such as Hipoccrates and Galen. However on the basis of positive science, maybe the most important scientist is Herophilus. The knowledge on Herophilus is rare and scattered in different testimonies and writings of authors such as Galen and Celsus. This valuable work of von Staden collects all these scattered information in one book. I think this book should be the main starting point to study ancient Alexandrian medicine, Herophilus and Herophilians. This book will not only illuminate today's knowledge but will also guide the future knowledge


In the Legions of Napoleon: The Memoirs of a Polish Officer in Spain and Russia, 1808-1813
Published in Hardcover by Stackpole Books (01 November, 1999)
Authors: Heinrich Von Brandt, Jonathan North, and Heinrich von Brandt
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From Saragossa to Moscow
Poles fought gallantly for France, and indirectly for their lost himeland, throughout the French Revoltionary and Napoleonic Wars. The most reliable of Napoleon's foreign troops, they marched the length and breadth of Europe and established a combat reputation second to none. Heinrich von Brandt was one of these, being commissioned into the Grande Armee as a sous-lieutenant shortly after Prussia's defeat in 1806. He quickly was assigned to the famous Legion of the Vistula, humped his pack, and went into Spain, seeing his first action in the famous second Siege of Saragossa. Brandt's fascinating narrative is lively, accurate, and blunt, telling in vivid detail the horrors of war and the lighter moments of garrison duty. He fought his war in Spain assigned to Suchet's Army of Aragon, seeing much action. When Napoleon starting gathering the huge army that invaded Russia in 1812, The Vistula Legion was one of the units pulled out of Spain to go into Russia. His description of the marches across Europe, the thorough preparation for the Grande Armee's invasion, and the trek to Moscow is fascinating-one can literally not put the book down. The best feature of the narrative, however, is Brandt's candid description of some of the notable personalities of the period, including Napoleon, Marshal Davout, and Marshal Suchet, all of whom he met and talked. He was praised by Suchet, interviewed for his commission by Davout, and saw Napoleon more than once, describing both he and Davout as having terrible tempers when provoked. His description of the terrible retreat from Moscow and the brilliant battle at the River berezina on the way out of Russian are fascinating. This is one of the best soldier memoirs I have ever read. It is as colorful as those by Charles Parquin and Baron Marbot, and very accurate. This book belongs on the book shelf of every Napoleonic historian and enthusiast.


The Marquise of O--, and other stories
Published in Unknown Binding by Ungar ()
Author: Heinrich von Kleist
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What in the world is wrong with the world?
I absolutely refuse to believe that I am the first person to review this book. It being one of the most innovative and (truly) groundbreaking collection of short stories in the German literary canon, and influencing massively such big shots (probably with lots more reviews) as Kafka and Deleuze, you will forgive a little cognitive dissonance on my part. So, that being noted, I'll just reiterate what all the other reviewers have already said:
Kleist balances on a fragile strand of (in)sanity that slides lengthwise throughout these stories, not a one of them failing to reinvent the wheel--not only formally but substantively, as it behooves us readers to admit on the double. Don't let the cover fool you either... I did, for a long time, and there should be a dead lady's freaked-out ghost surrounded by three brothers with empty eyes, chanting the 'gloria in excelsis,' all backed by a burning castle with mutilated horses. I'm referring specifically to three stories in this collection---and only three---but there are far more mind-benders, crude and massive explosions of language, and just ouright amazing plots to all of them, that my skimpy comments can do no sort of justice to them. But that's o.k., because you can look at all the other reviewers for more informative responses.
Truly disturbing, truly maddening, truly genius. Kleist notoriously blew his brains out in 1811, after shooting another woman in an altogether fitting (yes, fitting...read and see why) suicide pact formed by Kleist in order to stick one last finger up at the world that had robbed him of his "lifeplan" as a rational youth. The world, that is, responsible for his "madness" (yeah right) and these stories, which clearly many of us have taken great pleasure in absorbing. The world, responsible for his funked up play Penthilesia, which Goethe avoided like the plauge, and for which Kleist had to be physically restrained from challenging the man to a duel.
If so many people hadn't reviewed this already, I tell you, I may have agreed with him about this absurd world. Thank God he was wrong!


Michael Kohlhaas: Berlin 1810
Published in Paperback by Distribooks Intl (1997)
Author: Heinrich Von Kleist
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A real classic.
The eminent modern story of a man who suffers injustice, and takes the law in his own hands to do himself justice, for the man who did him wrong, has friends in high places.
He seeks revenge by establishing a private army, gets the support of the population and becomes a threat for the whole establishment. The outcome is brutal.

The story develops as an unstoppable stream of first, verbal, then, violent clashes.
Kleist cleverly heightens the tension by using sophisticated legal advisers (Luther) and coincidences.

A compelling read about the theme 'justice/injustice'.


Six German Romantic Tales
Published in Paperback by Dufour Editions (1993)
Authors: Heinrich Von Kleist, Ludwig Tieck, E.T.A. Hoffmann, and Heinrich Von Kleist
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Good for starters, good for keepers
I have an obession with this moment in cultural history. Unfortunately, I do not speak German, so a lot of the goodies I crave can be hard to come by... As for this little book, the Kleist stories are pretty available, and Hoffmann isn't too too difficult to find, although I, for one, hadn't read these particular stories. It was the Tieck that attracted me to this book, and boy, they are goodies. Anyway, if you are curious about this sort of lore, this is a great place to start, it's diverse and still gives you a general idea of what these kooks were up to. The intro is helpful for the uninitiated, as well. And for advanced players, you get Tieck, who is rarely translated into English for those of us who are too lazy to learn German. If you like moody-gloom 19th Century cheeze, you'll love this stuff, trust me.


Step by Step Book About Rottweilers
Published in Paperback by TFH Publications (1990)
Authors: Heinrich V. Biene, Anmarie Barrie, and Heinrich Von Beine
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a great rottweiler book
This rottweiler book contains alot of information and pictures of the Rottweiler. I recommened this book to people interested in the breed, and to people who are serious about getting a Rottweiler for a companion.


Three Books of Occult Philosophy (Llewellyn's Sourcebook)
Published in Paperback by Llewellyn Publications (1994)
Authors: Henry Cornelius Agrippa, James Freake, Donald Tyson, and Heinrich Corneli Agrippa Von Nettesheim
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Mixed Feelings
As a long-time student of magick and the occult, I have been on the lookout for this book for a very long time. Having read over excerpts downloaded from the internet, as well as material covered in other books of similar theme, I was rather amazed at how difficult of a read this book was. Its centuries old syntax and grammar make for an work that is like sojourning through the Bible. The information within, however, is solid, and extremely so. It is, indeed, one of the foundation works on the study of magick and the occult. It can be neatly used as a reference, but I wouldn't recommend actually sitting down and reading it.

Essential work on Western occult tradition
Cornelius Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy must rank as one of, if not the most important work ever written on the Western Occult tradition. Written in relative youth, it nevertheless has an immensely broad range of topics covering Goetia ("Black magic") and Theurgia ("White magic') while still remaining in the Christian tradition. Agrippa's work certainly provides numerous practical instructions, but always ties together a wide range of classical and traditional sources in a broad theorectical framework. As a traditional astrologer I found his exposition of astrological magic to be among the best available in English, better than Marsilio Ficino's Three Books of Life (though the Boer translation is fairly universally disliked). Much of astrological magic still remains locked up in Latin, Thabit Ibn Qurra's De Imaginibus, edited by Carmody and Picatrix, edited by Pingree being the most salient examples. I should note, however, that Brill has just published a new edition of Agrippa in the original Latin which does differ in some respects from the Freake translation that Tyson has edited in this edition. For example, Chapter 50, Book II at 403 Agrippa describes the construction of amulets for love and concord between two people. The first full paragraph in the Tyson edition ends, "...let them [the two images] be wrapped up in silk and cast away or spolied. In the Latin Brill edition the sentence states that the images should be wrapped in "fine linen cloth" and "buried". Nonetheless if I could have only one book on the Western occult tradition (perish the thought!) this would be it. Anyone with a serious interest in studying or practicing in this area should have this book

More than worth the price...
I'm normally very skeptical about anything produced by Llewellyn, but not only is this an honest reproduction of Agrippa's brilliant works (I've seen the first English translation for myself--1560, I think), but Donald Tyson's scholarship is almost comparable to Agrippa's own. The notes are extensive & do a marvelous job of fleshing out the myriad brief & passing references in the text. Quotes from Agrippa's most likely sources provide timely insights into his own mind, and Tyson in addition offers a notes on sources foreign to or later than Agrippa for comparative study. Tyson's editing does not disturb the text at all, but rather makes it that much more clear. His diagrams & seals are well produced, & his corrections (which include skilled reanalysis of the Hebrew) & major additions are saved for the back of each chapter and of the whole volume. These appendices, and the bibliographical notes as well, are intelligent, clearheaded & very useful. Agrippa's genius is well known, but Tyson's fine scholarship for this volume deserves acknowledgment as well. I recommend this book especially strongly to serious students of magic who are tired of the flood of New Age-y magical manuals & gothic garbage tossed out like so much glitter by these shallow modern writers who use "magic" as a substitute for intelligence, or as a solution to their ego problems.


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