Knowledge
Society leads to Knowledge Economy
Due to rapid #advancements in various #technologies, #globalization
and efficient #communication #networks during 21st century, the concept
of #knowledge #Society
has picked up fresh momentum. Knowledge Society (KS) lays more emphasis on the
#quality #education, applied #research, #innovations and maximum use of #ICT (Information, Communication and
Technology). KS relies on
producing, #acquiring, #processing, and #distributing knowledge/information as
primary resource for #economic growth. KS uses knowledge of its workforce (#Intellectual
# Capital) as an engine for growth. This
is a significant departure from traditional concept of economic growth based
mainly on #natural resources,# physical material, and labor-intensive
industries. In KS, both Information and Knowledge are considered #critical
resources, where knowledge workforce and organizations work cohesively to #acquire,
#create, #maintain and #share knowledge freely. However, such #work #environment
necessitates quality education which is #industry #aligned, and workers are
inspired to gain more knowledge through #continuous #learning and #up-skilling.
These knowledge workers are willing to share their #knowledge/ #expertise and #collaborate
with others for # research and #innovations. This creates win-win situation to #enhance
#productivity, #efficiency and #growth of all participating
individuals/organizations. The knowledge society is a necessary step forward
for a nation to become #knowledge #Economy (KE) and achieve status for #global
business participation. For a KS to contribute to KE, the governments both at
state and center level have a big role to play. Government supported public
Private Participation (#PPP) ensures #sustainable #development, social
inclusion, and human #well-being of the whole nation.
In
KS, most of the jobs are related to knowledge/ information and its workforce is
knowledge- workers who all are technology savvy. The knowledge workforce of KS do lateral thinking
to explore new ideas for innovation, problem solving and provide cost-efficient
and enduring solutions. They are open-minded and enthusiastic to network with
others for knowledge sharing. They seek happiness in validating new ideas
though experimenting and risk taking. These knowledge workers support various initiatives
taken by their organization and thus form the Intellectual Property (IP) of
their organization. They also support various initiatives and schemes launched
by their governments at state/ center level. This helps in nation building and
wealth creation. Thus,
Knowledge workers are the biggest asset of any KS and human wealth of the nation. As “Steam Power” was the technology supporting
our earlier industrial society, so is
the Information
Technology (IT) acting as the catalyst
for knowledge society in 21s century, This is bringing changes in our work environment, organization structures
, business practices, societal structure and politics.
Information . In digital age, information is the lifeline of every
organization. We all know that information is the processed data, which is
needed for decision-making and for various required actions. Today Information relates to Human
Knowledge (Natural Intelligence), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine
Learning (ML), Drones, Robotics and Internet of Things (IoT). In most of the
intelligent equipment/ machinery, information acts both as input as well as
output. Information can also be stored in chips / micro-processors and embedded
in various instruments, equipment, machinery, surveillance system and
navigation systems. The information (embedded software code) gets activated
when triggered by an expected internal/external input. Once the embedded code
gets triggered, it performs required action as programmed and stored in the
sensor/ micro-controller of the equipment/machinery. Today, we have many
Knowledge Based Systems (KBS) like UAVs / Drones, Guided Weapons, Intelligent
Mines, Smart Ammunition, Guided Missiles, ICBMs and navigation systems.
Society . A society is a
community of people who have some common cause to follow, like various norms,
customs, cultures and law of their country. They gain knowledge through their
formal education in schools, colleges and universities, reading Books, White
papers, Blogs, Technical publications and User Manuals/Instructions. They also gain
knowledge through observation and on-the-job learning, in their organization
and by having interaction with others during seminars, symposiums and
conferences. Cumulatively, they gain
knowledge through own experience and from experience of other professionals.
People undertake various jobs as per their qualification and experience and
perform assigned task efficiently by, using their knowledge.
Information , Communication and Technology ( ICT). The proficiency
in ICT is the ability of people to properly use computing technology and
communication networks to solve information related problems and assist
efficient functioning of Information Society. ICT forms an essential resource
for emerging Digital Economies (DEs) and Knowledge Economies (KEs). In the last
10 years, most developing countries in the world have introduced ICT curriculum
in their schools, colleges, and universities. This has helped in accelerating
their automation in various fields and enhancing productivity, quality and
efficiency in their many organizations. With liberal approach to import and
export of goods and technologies, ICT has also helped many countries in nation
building and doing business in global market.
Information Society (IS). There is no fixed definition of
Information Society. However, some experts consider Information Societies are
those people (knowledge workers) who use ICT for their economic, social,
cultural and political transformation. These knowledge workers deal with data
collection, converting data into information, storing data/information in a
powerful central knowledge Management System (KMS). This knowledge is used
subsequently for timely and well-informed decision-making. Knowledge workers
also deal with integration of various
blocks of information for usage by other people, within
and outside their organization, This helps in automation of various business
transactions. These knowledge workers provide support for secured and faster
exchange of accurate and timely business information, among its authorized
participants.
Boost to ICT. In 2005, conference of some developing Nations was held
in Tunis, where maximum use of ICT for boosting their economies was stressed.
It was emphasized that sufficient funds should be allocated for ICT initiatives
and automation. All participants unanimously agreed to ensure sufficient
financial support for their ICT based projects / initiatives and speed up their
development through e-governance. The
shortage of ICT experts for carrying out various ICT activities was well recognized.
To mitigate this problem, it was recommended that all organizations should have
few knowledge workers (star performers), to handle complex problems, while
remaining work could be distributed among other available workforce.
Fortunately, since 2010, lot of progress has been made in maximizing use of ICT
by many developing nations where India is the leader.
As computing and communication
technologies continue to advance rapidly and become more affordable, more and
more organizations have started sharing their business information and grow
faster, following win-win strategy. With cloud computing becoming more secure
and affordable, geographical physical boundaries have disappeared. People can
now work on 24x7 basis, since time- zone has become a boon, instead of being a
limitation. As a result , by 2015,
ICT model has been successfully adopted by
most Business Organizations, Manufacturing facilities, Warehouse Management, Educational Institutes ,
Healthcare institutes , Transportation system, Agriculture, Construction
companies, Surveying and Exploration organizations, Government Departments( e-Governance) , R&D organizations and Defence sector.
Knowledge Society (KS). Nico Stehr (1994, 2002), says that in KS, a
majority of jobs involve working with knowledge. He observed that the economy
of a KS is driven not by material inputs, but by symbols, figures, codes or
knowledge-based inputs. In fact, knowledge is the central resource in the KS.
KS essentially comprises of people/organizations of various disciplines, which
use emerging (new) technologies for acquiring, storing, organizing, accessing
and analyzing data /information for and taking appropriate and
timely action. In a decision–makingknowledge Society, the main focus is to continuously acquire
new knowledge and share it speedily and efficiently among their workforce,
customers, vendors, business partners and stakeholders.
knowledge Society Vs Industrial Society
· An Industrial Society gives more importance to
physical resources like raw materials , machinery and human workforce. On the
other hand, a Knowledge Society gives more importance to its
Intelligence Capital(IC) which is knowledge of its workforce.
· Industrial Society relies on mass production,
manufacturing, marketing /selling and transporting of goods for its economic
growth. KS relies on acquiring, generating, maintaining and exchanging of
knowledge among one- to- many and many-to-manyone-to-many. In a knowledge society, intangible assets such as information, expertise,
and innovation are more important.
· In an industrial society, organizations
generally have hierarchical structures , top-down decision-making and structured information flow, on need
basis. On the other hand, in a knowledge society, collaboration, networking,
free flow of information, decentralized decision-making, incentivized research
and innovation are encouraged.
· In an industrial society, primary focus of
education is on imparting specific skills for employment On the other hand,
knowledge society, gives importance to lateral thinking, critical
thinking, lifelong learning and validating / experimenting.
Knowledge Society Vs Information
Society. Knowledge society
and Information are two different things. Knowledge Society transforms
information into resources that allow society to take effective action. .On the
other hand, the Information Society generally collects , creates and distribute
data / information. In knowledge society, knowledge is transformed into a commodity and
transacted within and outside the country for wealth creation / growth of their
organization / country.
Components of Knowledge Society, UNESCO, has
identified following four important components of Knowledge Society:
·
Cultural
and Linguistic Diversity. In a
knowledge society, they respect
cultural and linguistic diversity which promotes mutual understanding. It also facilitates
sharing of knowledge and ideas among participating teams/organizations/nations.
·
Freedom
of Expression. In a knowledge society, individuals can freely express their
opinions and ideas, while participating in any conference/seminar or public
meeting.
· Quality
Education. In a knowledge society, industry
aligned education is a lifelong learning, which is affordable and accessible to
all. Providing quality education to all individuals, regardless of their
background, is a major responsibility of every government. Quality education
enables individuals to acquire newer skills and knowledge which are necessary
to participate actively and effectively in any knowledge-based initiative of
the government.
·
Easy and
Knowledge Access to Information and Knowledge. In a knowledge Society, all
individuals should have easy access to information and knowledge, regardless of
their socioeconomic status, geographic location, or cultural background. This
promotes inclusiveness and wider participation.
Benefits of Knowledge Society. Its knowledge workers are well recognized for
their knowledge/ skills/ talent and are well respected worldwide. This provides
them many opportunities for jobs and living quality life. In knowledge Society, access to Information
and knowledge becomes more easy and affordable. This helps individuals to make
timely and well-informeda decisions.
These knowledgeable workers can easily and continuously learn more to
widen their intellectual horizons, and participate actively in social,
economic, and political spheres. Some
main befits are given below:
· Collaboration and Networkingthe . Knowledge Society encourages exchange of
ideas, networking , exchange of expertise
trans-disciplinary research and innovations ,
·
Employability.
Knowledge
Society lays
great e emphasis on industry- aligned education and lifelong learning. Such a curriculum helps in professional
development of students and enhances their employability.
·
Global
inter-connectivity A
knowledge Society respects and encourages networking, sharing , cultural diversity, tolerance..
This helps in promoting a sense of global inter-connectivity and a feeling of
working in one large global village.
·
High-skilled job opportunities. Knowledge based industries and services helps
in faster growth and competitiveness. High skilled workers will be in great
demand and find easy to migrate for
better job opportunities in developed nations like USA, Canada, UK, Germany,
Australia and Japan. Business organization
of leading countries would like to invest and create high-skilled job
opportunities in countries which have knowledge society
·
Research and
Innovation. Knowledge Society provides
incentives for industry-academia collaboration and, Public Private
Participation (PPP). This leads to creativity, and problem-solving which in
turn facilitates technological advancements, scientific breakthroughs, and
innovation.
Summary, A knowledge Society is a society that
places high value on quality education, applied research, innovation, and
information technologies. It relies on acquiring, producing, processing, and
distributing knowledge and information as the primary resource of economic and
social development. In knowledge society,
creation, maintaining, utilization and sharing of knowledge are the most
important factors for growth of individuals, organization and nation as a
whole. Being a knowledge Society is the right step for becoming Knowledge
Economy. KS provides global recognition /respect and helps economic growth and
development of a nation. It accelerates industry aligned education, domestic/
global collaboration for research and innovation. It enhances productivity,
quality, efficiency across various sectors by emphasizing on generation,
application and sharing of knowledge of its educationists, scientists, research
scholars , engineers, doctors, nurses, designers, advertising and
marketing/sale experts. In a knowledge society, the government gives
priority to investments in research and development, education, healthcare and
technology. This helps in advancements in science, technology and innovations
to create new products/services and ensure economic competitive edge. All
progressive organizations must adopt knowledge-based strategies to, stay ahead
and capture bigger share of global market. Today, with availability of
knowledge-based industries and affordable and high speed communication network
services, knowledge society can enhance productivity and quality. It is now well recognized that, knowledge
Society is the real growth engine for emerging knowledge Economies. As we are in the middle of Industrial Revolution (IR4.0),
we need to go with the flow and gear up to take maximum advantage of emerging
technologies and knowledge sharing.
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