Webinar Recap: Knowledge Management Through a Behavioral Economics Lens

En septiembre 1, Knowledge SUCCESS hosted a webinar to share findings from formative research recently completed by Knowledge SUCCESS. The research, Trayectoria conductual de los profesionales de la planificación familiar en la gestión del conocimiento, looked at possible psychological and behavioral drivers behind how four groups of FP/RH professionals (gerentes de programa, asesores tecnicos, investigadores, y formuladores de políticas) search for and share information.

The hour-long session featured four speakers from the project:

• Ruwaida Salem, Oficial superior de programas, Johns Hopkins Center for Communication; Knowledge Solutions Team Lead, Conocimiento ÉXITO
• Sarah Hopwood, Senior Associate, Centro Busara de Economía del Comportamiento
• Salim Seif Kombo, Asociado, Centro Busara de Economía del Comportamiento
• Ana Ballard Sara, Program Officer II, Centro Johns Hopkins para programas de comunicación

Overview of Knowledge Management and Behavioral Economics

The webinar started off defining knowledge management and behavioral economics. Conocimiento administrativo is a systematic process of COLLECTING knowledge and CONNECTING people to it. Behavioral economics is the application of psychological insights to understand decisionmaking and explain why our behaviors may vary. Sarah Hopwood (Sabiduría) explained why BE is a useful tool to examine KM. The truth is that our best intentions when it comes to knowledge management don’t always translate to action. BE can help us understand why, and come up with a plan to address behavioral or psychological barriers and opportunities. Hopwood also reviewed the formative research objectives and methods.

Research Findings: How People Seek Out Information

Salim Kombo (Sabiduría) and Ruwaida Salem (PCCh) delved into specific behavioral economics mechanisms that are relevant to the ways in which FP/RH professionals seek out información: sobrecarga de elección, sobrecarga cognitiva, y preferencias de aprendizaje. With each mechanism, they covered relevant formative research findings and explained how the BE mechanism and research findings, applied together, have implications for knowledge management within the FP/RH community. Por fin, they briefly outlined recommendations for how to address barriers.

Research Findings: How People Share Information

Ana Ballard Sara (PCCh) shared specific behavioral economics mechanisms that are relevant to the ways in which FP/RH professionals Cuota información: normas sociales y incentivos. With each mechanism, she covered relevant formative research findings and explained how the BE mechanism and research findings, applied together, have implications for knowledge management within the FP/RH community. Por fin, she briefly outlined recommendations for how to address barriers.

Key Takeaways

Ruwaida Salem (PCCh) wrapped the presentations by summarizing the key takeaways. To address choice y sobrecarga cognitiva, present people with a few, curated, high-quality resources. To address preferencias de aprendizaje, make use of different learning formats beyond the “traditional” text-based articles. Embrace video and interactive experiences. To address incentivos, provide recognition of positive KM behaviors, like sharing information with colleagues or across organizations. Por fin, to address normas sociales around KM, seek buy-in from KM champions within organizations and networks.

Webinar Materials

• Download the webinar handout: How People Search For, Share, and Use Knowledge: 5 Common Barriers and How to Address Them
• Télécharger le document du webinaire: Comment rechercher, partager et utiliser les connaissances: Cinq obstacles répandus et comment les surmonter
• Download the webinar Q&UN: Written responses to audience questions