KM ASNI/ISO Standards Meeting LO20484

Bruce Jones (brucej@nwths.com)
Tue, 26 Jan 1999 07:54:08 -0600

Replying to LO20481 --
> From: J.C. Lelie (Jan) <janlelie@wxs.nl>
>> I wrote:
> > > The VALUE of certification has a meaning in communities that values
> > > certificates. That's why i had to obtain my CPIM, because the APICS
> > > community values that certificate. I wanted to belong, so i had to pass
> > > the tests. It is like an initiation rite.
>
> To which you added:
> > This is indeed a value of certification, but I would argue that it is an
> > extrinsic and not intrinsic value. I felt that the origianl question
> > (Scott's) was directed at intrinsic values.
>
> I did not consider the direction of Scott's question:
>
> >>> The key is VALUE. Thus my question as to the value of certification in
> >>> Knowledge Management.

I feel the 'value' (intrinsic and extrinsic) of a document of
accreditation is directly in proportion to the amount of effort you expend
in getting it then maintaining it. In my profession for the last 30 years
I have had to maintain a certification. The certification process was
school, internship, test, $$$$. The maintenance process was ... $$$$.
Another aspect of the certification, was it THE certificate or the OTHER
one. Which certification process had the biggest political clout? The
problems arose when the definition and the criteria (professional)
differences were questioned. There were not a whole lot of differences.
The main disagreement being in the licensure of EXPERIENCED persons over
EDUCATED persons. After paying my dues for a number of years, I dropped
my affiliation with the OTHER one as did a friend of mine (he had THE
certificate). For the rest of our sojourns in the field we signed our
names with all the pomp and circumstance and initials that was allowed yet
never ever maintained our certificates with .... $$$$. My wife had to
obtain her professional certificate (there is only THE ONE) in the same
manner; school, internship, test, $$$$. She is required by both the
certifying agency and the law to maintain through; education, competency
and, of course, $$$$. If she drops her certificate she can not practice
--PERIOD.

So which certificate(s) has the greatest value (intrinsic or extrinsic)?
All three were required for entry level jobs. All three have rigid
education and/or experience requirements. All three require competency
both cognitive and practical. All three require $$$$.

SO if a certificate of LO is established; 1)What criteria, 2) What
recertification process, 3) How are you going to give it value (extrinsic
and intrinsic), 4) How are you going to maintain it? By answering these
questions honestly and ethically you will derive a viable instrument of
value and worth.

My two cents.

Bruce W. Jones
Organizational Development Specialist
Northwest Texas Healthcare System
Amarillo, Texas
brucej@nwths.com
brucewj@amaonline.com
http://www.scenemaker.com/anon/495/cover.dhtml

-- 


"Bruce Jones" <brucej@nwths.com>


        Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com>
  Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>