KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT (KM): 
COGNITIVE COMPETENCIES AND TECHNOLOGICAL SKILLS 
 
 

Volume 10, Number 1                                     August 2003 

Leadership in Design and Deployment of .com Electronically Networked Enterprises with Virtual Communities Of Practice (VCOP) for improving Quality Of Life (QOL) 

"Globally Competitive Communities" of the mid 1990s and "Wired Communities" of the late 1990s led to "Electronically Networked Intelligent Communities" (ENICs) that are changing the nature of community, economic, and education development. Developing leadership competencies via Virtual Communities Of Practice (VCOP) is critical to gain digital dividends. What characteristics are essential for Intelligent Communities with VCOPs for improving QOL?  KM issues have included materials used in e-business, international business and capstone courses focused on business strategies to improve QOL and to be competitive, domestically and globally. Enterprise strategies include market analysis, e-customer relations management, e-demand/supply chain and global logistics management, human resources development, diversity, technology etc. What entrepreneurial competencies are essential in construction, defense, procurement, security, transportation, and other opportunities?  How can a region plan strategically for ENICs? 

A Conceptual Framework for Entrepreneurial Thinking 

                      2003-2004     2004-2005     2005-2006      2006-2007     2007-2008 

Construction 
Defense-related 

Procurement 
Security-related
Transportation- related 

CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIVIDUALS STARTING COMPANIES IN AMERICA 
The Entrepreneur Next Door: Characteristics of Individuals Starting Companies in America indicates that African American and Hispanic American men who receive some college graduate training are two to three times as likely to start a business than white counterparts. Approximately 10.1 million people, or 6.2% of the adult population, will attempt to launch a business sometime during their career (Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation:  http://www.emkf.org ). 
Plasencia, William (July/August, 2003). Hispanics Carry Entrepreneurial Torch. Hispanic, 74. 

THE EMERGING AMERICAN MARKETPLACE 

The future of this nation can be found in the Mexican bodega on French Street in New Brunswick, N.J.; in the Asian-Indian jewelry store on Oak Tree Road in IselIn, N.J.; and in the upscale Bowie Town Center in primarily African-American Prince George's County, Md. 

These three communities are a microcosm of a critical economic revitalization taking place throughout the country in areas where government officials and retailers read the census reports and understand the new demographics. 

That's why we're featuring these three communities in this issue. But the question to ask, in your community and in your company, is whether you really know who your current and future customers are.  http://www.diversityinc.com

Frankle, Barbara (August/September, 2003). Editor's letter. Diversitylnc, 2(4), 19. 

COMMUNITIES: CASE STUDIES OF EMERGING MARKETS' ECONOMIC CLOUT 

The population of the United States is changing dramatically. Nowhere is that more evident than on the local streets where people live, work, and shop. 
Diversitylnc, p. 30. 

- In 2000, 31 percent of Americans were people of color. 
- By 2010,32.7 percent of Americans will be people of color. 
- By 2030,39.9 percent of Americans will be people of color. 
- By 2050, 47.2 percent of Americans will be people of color. 
How then, do retailers, banks, car manufacturers and consumer-products companies reach Americans, including 11.5 percent who are immigrants, primarily from Latin America and Asia. 

Loyal Mexican Consumers Use Economic Clout to Transform New Brunswick 

When Claudia Villegas came to New Brunswick, N.J., from Mexico five years ago, she missed the trappings of home. But, Villegas soon discovered the predominantly Mexican French Street neighborhood bordering the city's central business While the French Street Corridor has not seen the same type of economic development as the nearby central business district in the past five to 10 years, it has seen significant internal growth. 

Lopez, Elena Maria (August/September, 2003). Loyal Mexican Consumers Use Economic Clout to Transform New Brunswick. Diversitylnc, 2(4), 30-36. http://www.diversityinc.com

Asian-Indian Community On Solid Path to Growth

"Iselin has become a hub for the Asian-Indian Community. The transformation is stunning." -- Seema M. Singh, president of the Asian Indian Chamber of Commerce 

Farmer, Melanie Austria (August/September, 2003). Asian-Indian Community On Solid Path to Growth. Diversitylnc, 2(4), 38-44. http://www.diversityinc.com

A Predominately African American County Becomes a Retail Jewel 

"We probably have the highest concentration of black-owned high-technology companies in " Joseph J. James, president and CEO, Prince George's County Economic Development Council 

Brown, C. Stone (August/September, 2003). A Predominately African American County Becomes a Retail Jewel. Diversitylnc, 2(4), 46-50. http://www.diversityinc.com

CARIBBEAN: A SEA OF INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES 

As one of the largest U.S. trading partners, the Caribbean region offers numerous opportunities for private-sector investment. In traditional sectors like tourism and financial services, as well as healthcare, education, and technology, the island nations of the Caribbean provide a hospitable climate for foreign investment. 

A wide array of national and regional initiatives are now underway to enhance the region's appeal, with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) playing a leading role in financing development-related projects including: 

- An urban redevelopment project in the Bridgetown marina in Barbados.
- Airport expansions in Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands. 
- Modernization of sugarcane cultivation in Guyana. 
- Expansion of facilities at the University of Technology in Jamaica. 
- Flood control and drainage projects in St. Lucia. 

For private investors, these types of CDB-supported programs help lay the groundwork for successful ventures, both directly and indirectly. 

Based in Barbados, the CDB makes direct loans to governments, public agencies, private entities, and international development programs. 

At the annual meeting of its Board of Governors last May in St. Kitts and Nevis, the CDB reviewed progress on a host of investment projects, like providing micro-economic development grants to encourage the development of entrepreneurship in Trinidad and Tobago, and the rehabilitation of 14 schools in Grenada, including training in special education and curriculum development. http://www.caribank.org

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO 

With its strategic position at the crossroads of the Caribbean and North and South America, Trinidad and Tobago offer an ideal base to penetrate markets throughout the hemisphere. 

In a recent investment survey of 75 nations around the world, Trinidad & Tobago ranked in the top half of virtually all categories, according to a Global Competitiveness Report 2001-2002 (Latin Trade, August 2003,32-33). http://www.latintrade.comhttp://www.tidco.co.tt

THE GIANT 24 FOREIGN COMPANIES IN LATIN AMERICA 

It was a disastrous 2002 for the top multinational companies doing business in Latin America. Sales plummeted 126% to US $111 billion last year for the Latin Trade Giant 24 companies in 12 industries (Latin Trade, August 2003, 23-30). http://www.latintrade.com

COMMUNITY, ECONOMIC, AND EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT ISSUES

What policy and strategy issues are essential for partnerships with Caribbean Basin countries? What community development initiatives in construction and transportation can be converted into developmentally appropriate learning units in multiple formats and languages for disadvantaged adults, children, and youth in America and also be made available in Africa and Latin America? What entrepreneurial research should be in curriculum by economy sector, level, and regions? 

PRIVATE PIONEERS: REGIONAL REPORT 

In 2002, the Columbian government recruited companies to help the country's estimated 2 million war refugees re-enter society. Microsoft Columbia accepted the invitation but added a twist. The world's largest software company provided a six month training program in Windows and several Microsoft programs as well as paid internships and, in some cases, job opportunities. 

Companies in Latin America have always helped out, but now they are rolling up their sleeves and working with governments and community leaders to create more effective social programs. Hands-on participation has begun to replace domination, the traditional method of giving, as companies shift the focus of their social aid to become integrated in local activities. 

To find Latin America's Most Admired Companies, Latin Trade worked with social responsibility organizations to create a Business Values Survey that measures what companies do to help out. Our five-part questionnaire included questions on corporate values, ethical practices, community impact and corporate image, as well as a financial status section to determine the size and health of the companies. 

Forty companies responded to the survey, many providing additional materials about their most important programs in the region. (A few sites below are only in Spanish). 
 
 
Regional  http://www.empresa.org
Brazil  http://www.ethos.org.br
Chile  http://www.accionempresarial.cl 
EI Salvador  http://www.fundemas.org/paginas/index.htm
Mexico  http://www.cemefi.org
Peru  http://www.peru2021.org 

Guevara, Michelle (May 2003). Private Pioneers. Latin Trade, 11(5),30-33.  http://www.latintrade.com

LATIN TRADE: MEET THE INFLUENCERS & 500 BIG TECH SPENDERS

Business technology is getting so simple that it's pumped over the Internet like water through a pipe, yet so complex that some info-tech managers are outsourcing the job of even understanding it. 

Just getting a brand name in the door means counting on a series of messengers, a sort of....

Brown, Greg (June 2003). Meet the Influencers. Latin Trade, 28-31.  http://www.latintrade.com 

(The article highlights Rui da Costa, Hewlett-Packard's regional director of Latin America, and Bruno Di Leo, a Peruvian native, who is the director of IBM's division of Latin America). 

A FEW OF THE 500 BIG TECH SPENDERS 

14. Citibank in Brazil 
18. Ericsson in Brazil 
33. Infotech in Mexico 
41. Volkswagon in Mexico 
73. Merck in Mexico
79. Avon in Mexico 
95. Ford in Argentina 
97. Internatl Paper in Brazil 
115. Siemens in Brazil 
159. Merck in Brazil 
166. DuPont in Mexico 
184. HP in Brazil 
202. Siemens in Mexico 
205. General Motors in Brazil 
450. Kimberly-Clark, Mexico 

AGENDA FOR U.S. - AFRICAN RELATIONS 

President Bush outlined his agenda to assist Sub-Saharan nations at a Summit on June 26, 2003. 

Goal 1. The first great goal in our partnership with Africa is to help establish peace and security across the continent. Many thousands of African men, women, and children are killed every year in regional wars. Today I announce that the United States will devote $100 million over the next 15 months to help countries in the region increase their own counter-terror efforts. 

Goal 2. The second great goal of our partnership with Africa is to make the advantages of health and literacy widely available across the continent. And that work begins with AIDS. ... Congress has authorized $15 billion over the next five years to fight AIDS abroad ... specifically focusing on 14 African and Caribbean countries where the crisis is most severe

The health of Africa also depends on the defeat of hunger. Forty million Africans are now at risk of starvation. They face severe food shortages, or lack of clean drinking water. This year the U.S. will provide more than $800 million to address food emergencies in Africa. I've also asked Congress to provide 200 million new dollars for a Famine Fund,….

Yet the problem requires more than emergency measures. To help Africa become self-sufficient in the production of food, I have proposed the initiative to end hunger in Africa. The initiative will help African countries to use new high-yield bio-tech crops and unleash the power of markets to dramatically increase agricultural productivity. 

Africa's progress also depends on education of Africa's children. Forty-two million boys and girls across Sub-Sahara Africa are not even enrolled in schools. My administration is committing $200 million over five years to train more than 420,000 teachers in Africa, to provide scholarships 

Goal 3. The third great goal of our partnership with Africa is to help African nations develop vibrant, free economies through aid and trade. ... I've proposed a 50-percent increase in America's core development assistance over the next three years. 

Trade is the great engine of economic progress, the great engine of human progress. Yet, Sub- Sahara Africa, with 11 % of the world's population, has less than 2% of the world trade

Three years ago, Congress passed the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which gave greater access to American markets for African products. AGO A is proving the power of trade. 

We must build on AGOA's success. Today, I call on the United States Congress to extend AGOA beyond 2008. We must extend AGOA beyond 2008 to give businesses time to make long-term investments in Africa. (Trade and Development Act of 2000, Public Law 106-200). 

Source: Corporate Council on Africa http://www.africacncl.org/ 

See AFRICAN YOUTH FOUNDATION (AYF) EVENTS in this issue of KM on page 8. 


CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICERS (CIOs) AND HIPAA COMPLIANCE 

When the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was passed in 1996, many health care CIOs anticipated final rules would be released - and compliance completed - by the new millennium.

Seven years later, after delay-delay-delay, HIPAA' s "major" rules - privacy, security, and transactions and code sets - have been finalized. And many organizations have manned the battle stations and made enormous - and costly - strides toward compliance. 

Gillespie, Greg (August 2003). CIOs Coming in for a Pit Stop in the HIPAA Compliance Race. Health Data Management, 11(8),34-40. http://www.healthdatamanagement.com

CIOs MAKE PATIENT SAFETY AN I.T. PRIORITY

As soon as Cottage Health System began incorporating I. T. into its patient safety initiatives, it decided to implement a computerized physician order entry system. 

Clinical and I. T. staff members at the Santa Barbara, California -based delivery system knew the technology had been touted by other provider organizations and industry experts as an important tool in the effort to reduce medical errors. 

Like Cottage Health, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network also sees bar coding technology as a potent weapon for reducing medication administration errors. 
Schuerenberg, Beckie Kelly (August 2003). CIOs Make Patient Safety an I. T. Priority. Health Data Management, 11(8), 54-62. http://www.healthdatamanagement.com

HEALTH INFORMATICS ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS 

American Health Information Management Association. @ http://www.ahima.org 
College of Health care Information Management Executives. http://www.cio-chime.org
Health Information and Management Systems Society. http://www.himss.org
Health Data Management. http://www.healthdatamanagment.com
Healthcare Informatics Online. http://www.healthcare-informatics.com
@ AHIMA's 751h National Convention and Exhibit, Minneapolis Convention Center, Oct. 18-23. 

TOP TECHNOLOGIES IN HEALTH CARE 

Claims Processors/Clearinghouses PLEXIS http://www.plexisweb.com
Claims Related Software SSI Group, Inc. http://www.thessigroup.com
Clinical & Administrative Software PICIS http://www.picis.com
Document Management Systems OnBase http://www.OnBase.com/healthcare 
Electronic Medical Records NextGen.emr http://www. nextgen.com 
Healthcare Consumer Directed Solutions Synertech http://wwwsyertechsystems.com 
Hospital/Health Care Inforamtion Systems Ingenix http://wwwingenix.com 
Mobile Technology Fujitsu http://wwwfujitsupc.com 
Project Management NextGen.epm http://www.nextgen.com 
Speech Recognition/Digital Dictation Med Quist http://wwwmedquist.com 

A FANTASTIC VOYAGE IN KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT (KM) 
KM is an ongoing process and a journey of continuous learning and improvement. 

In the 1966 film "fantastic Voyage," five researchers are miniaturized and sent into the bloodstream of an ailing genius to dissolve a blood clot that is inaccessible to conventional surgical repair. The crew must make its way through nearly every organ of the human body to get to the clot threatening the patient's life. 

Sam Jaffe and Tam Harbart use the above paragraph to describe an evolution of a medical devices powerhouse founded in a Minneapolis garage in 1949 - Medtronic. Medtronic evolved from a company that invented the first wearable, external battery-powered pacemaker followed by a first implantable pacemaker in 1960 to the undisputable world leader in the medical devices market. 

Leadership Studies began a Fantastic Voyage of redesign to apply Knowledge Management to improve Quality Of Life (QOL) for more people both domestically and globally via program redesign and restructuring. "The Global Initiative: A Call to Action" was the theme of a Higher Education Programs' summer institute in 1996. Emergence of the digital era was used to focus on bodies of knowledge for inclusion in core and specialization requirements, directed study and practicums to lead to an "applications" dissertation experience of major significance such as a project by Dr. Mark L. Quarto, manager of the Hybrid Powertrain Systems Programs at General Motors Corporation. Dr. Quarto and engineers at GM synthesized research and development on conversion from 12 to 42 volt electrical systems and critiqued implications for systems redesign. 

An audition as adjunct business faculty on Knowledge Management (KM) focused on cognitive competencies and technological skills that are critical for commerce, domestically and globally. What are the competencies and skills needed by practitioners we prepare as they travel through a "bloodstream" of bodies of knowledge for a capstone about the heart and soul of globalization? What breadth of awareness and depth of understanding about external forces - demographic, economic, governmental, political, social, and technological -- are needed for digital dividends? How could Study Group Virtual Communities Of Practice (VCOP) collaborate on analysis of corporate foundation information and critique of economic, governmental, and technological variables to achieve consensus on an action plan of a mosaic of business policies and strategies? How can partnerships convert advances in research and development and applications of best practices of technology in economy sectors to curriculum to meet digital era tech force needs? As corporations evolve new product lines with support services and respond to defense-related, procurement-related, and trade-related opportunities such as those in the KM newsletter, how can education and training become involved in VCOP as both a consumer and provider of services? How can conversions from a gasoline-powered internal combustion engine to the hydrogen fuel cell and from 12 to 42 volt electrical systems be integrated in curriculum for education/training? 

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (SBA) 

The Small Business Administration is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with a matchmaking initiative to link small businesses with government and corporate contracts. The U.S. government buys $240 billion in goods and services each year, and by law 23% has to go to small businesses. The SBA's first national entrepreneurial conference is Sept. 17-19. http://www.SBA.gov 

AFRICAN YOUTH FOUNDATION (AYF) EVENTS 

Information Technology: The Path to Sustainable Development and Growth; 
Accra, Ghana; 9-11 October 2003 and 
The Technology Era: Strategies for Virtual Education; 
Brussels, Belgium; 26-28 November 2003 
http://www.avf.de/ 

CRISIS IN EDUCATION: RISING TO THE CHALLENGE 

The President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans completed an 18-month study with seven "Steps Toward A Better Education." The steps are: 
1. Educating parents about the importance of pre-school and of reading to their children. 
2. Demanding better teachers and counselors. 
3. Expanding after-school programs. 
4. Creating programs to tutor students. 
5. Increasing the number of scholarships for college, technical, and vocational schools. 
6. Letting Hispanics know that joining the armed forces can pay for their college education. 
7. Making sure the government is focused on improving educational opportunities for Hispanics. 

Vallardares, Myra Rodriquez (July/August 2003). Rising to the Challenge. Hispanic, 26-30. (This article was the sixth in a series. Access http://www.hispaniconline.com
(White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans: http://www.yic.gov and Final Report: http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/04-2003/04092003a.html

ON THE VERGE OF EXTINCTION 

Once all the buzz, the enterprise CIO may be disappearing. What went wrong? 
Thought no one is sure exactly when it happened, the phrase "enterprise CIO" began popping up in technological parlance in the mid-1990s. Instead of a plain old CIO, the enterprise CIO joined the elite "C-level" executives. The rationale behind the trend was that CIOs should be equal to CEOs, CFOs and other "chiefs" because they juggle responsibilities that influence the health of the whole organization, the enterprise. http://www.public-cio.com 
Peterson, Share (Summer 2003). On the Verge of Extinction. Public CIO, 32-40. 

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT (KM) and OTHER RESOURCES 

KM can be accessed and mined: http://www.members.cox.net/greenka6/wgnewweb/wgmenu.html 
KM began to include materials used in E-Commerce, international business, and capstone courses for the College of Business at Cardinal Stritch University. The January through July issues of newsletters included many variables essential in business plan development, domestic and global. 

Comment: I work with individuals using multiple form and style guides with unique variations. Content and leads to sources remain a central focus of KM; consistency to a format is variable. Warren H.Groff, 3408 N. 49th St., Milwaukee, WI 53216-3208, 414-871-1127, groffw@nova.edu