TO MANY, an MBA is viewed as the 'must have' qualification to ensure career or professional development. Julia Lam, corporate planning officer with Ngai Hing Hong, thought the same way until she started probing the possibilities and concepts of knowledge management (KM).
'Initially I was undecided whether to study for an MBA or look for another programme that would offer professional development and the scope to learn about something slightly different,' said Ms Lam, who graduated from the University of Hong Kong with a degree in industrial engineering.
She wanted to find out more about how knowledge, and the way that it is used, played a role in the processes and techniques of operating a business. For example, how the knowledge and experience of the sales and marketing department can be effectively utilised to develop products and services.
Ms Lam is responsible for Ngai Hing Hong's corporate planning in trading and manufacturing plastic resins, pigment blends and colour master batches.
Just six months after enrolling in the Polytechnic University's MSc/Postgraduate Diploma in Knowledge Management, Ms Lam felt she made the right choice.
'There is a big misconception that KM is simply another term for managing IT, which is completely wrong,' she said. 'The mix of students from a diverse range of businesses and industries offers many fascinating insights into the different problems and knowledge problem-solving issues that face each one of us,' Ms Lam said.