People-focused knowledge management

Operational Models
Operational Models are applicable for situations and tasks that
are less known than routine work. They provide particulars on how
to perform tasks for specific purposes or situations. Operational
models are often generated by operationalizing scripts to handle new
tasks for which routines do not exist. Operational models are not
automatized like routines and may also be explicit instead of the non-
conscious nature of routines.
An operational model for hiring may include particulars for 
individual tasks such as:
Particulars for soliciting applications for applicants.
Particulars for obtaining and evaluating applications from 
applicants.
Particulars for how to undertake negotiations that involve non-
standard considerations and issues.
Particulars for appropriate interview follow-up and next steps.
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Scripts
Scripts consist of the general event sequence that underlies a ref-
erenced type of situation. Scripts are flexible and somewhat abstract,
and include general expectations and directions. Typically, scripts
consist of several steps made up of episodes and events. They 
are similar to routines and operational models but are more general,
broad, and flexible compared to specific and unvarying steps of oper-
ational models and routines.
A hiring script may cover the responsibilities of different positions,
and not just competent professionals. Examples of a hiring script 
may be:
Determine the need for additional staff (perhaps ascertain
approval).
Specify characteristics of person(s) to be hired (perhaps ascer-
tain approval if not obtained earlier).
Identify where and how candidates can be identified.
Search out candidates and communicate with them by mail to
obtain resumes, phone conversations, interviews, references, and
so on.
Identify individual(s) to be approached for hiring (maybe ascer-
tain approval if not obtained earlier).
Contact selected candidate(s), negotiate, and secure acceptance.
In the hiring script, the sequence of events may also vary consid-
erably as indicated for when to obtain approval. Scripts are more
concrete and specific than schemata and can be generated from
schemata to form more definite expectations for evolutions of spe-
cific situations.
Schemata
Schemata are broader sets of general approaches and tactics
(Mandler 1979, p. 263) and are abstract models for how to deal with
generalized situations or challenges. They consist of broad and con-
ceptual plans or schemes for a class of situations and consist of con-
cepts and mental models by which either static or dynamic situations
can be characterized, understood, and approached from one or more
general perspectives. Examples of hiring schemata may include com-
ponents such as:
Memory and Knowledge Categorizations
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General approaches to determine needs for additional resources
to perform different kinds of operations — staff, access to other
departments, outside contractors, better office automation, and
so on.
Nature of strategies to evaluate and select which of several
approaches should be pursued to cover resource requirements.
Event details such as “obtain approval” are not likely to be explicit
in a schema. Instead, a schema may include features that deal with
“making results acceptable.” Since many details are assumed to be