Knowledge Management: Models
Peter Drucker in Post Capitalist Society: “The basic economic resource is no longer capital, nor natural resources, nor labour.
It is and will be knowledge. Value is now created by ‘productivity’ and ‘innovation,’ both applications of knowledge to work.”
(Sallis & Jones, 2001)
It is and will be knowledge. Value is now created by ‘productivity’ and ‘innovation,’ both applications of knowledge to work.”
(Sallis & Jones, 2001)
Knowledge Management Frameworks are platforms for capturing how people, processes and tools interact within organizations. They illustrate the ways an organization prepares, plans, designs, implements, operates, and operationalizes the network (Madgic, 2009). Knowledge is a process, not a thing.
Frameworks provide tools and databases to capture data and information. Data from quantitative metrics are transformed into qualitative information. When this is combined with experience, context, interpretation and reflection, it becomes knowledge. When knowledge is used to make informed decisions, it becomes wisdom, which leads to the ultimate understanding of material (Simpilearn, 2011).
When Knowledge Management is organized within a framework, explicit and tacit knowledge can be captured. Knowledge creation is dynamic, involving a spiral process of interaction between tacit and explicit knowledge (Jones & Sallis, 2001). John, Coventry and Latham (2010) uses an iceberg metaphor to represent this relationship. Explicit knowledge is the tip of the iceberg - it is knowledge that is seen, understood, articulated and easily codified. Tacit knowledge is the frozen part below the water - the habits, assumptions and skills that are not easily codified. In particular, the Socialization, Externalization, Combination, Internalization (SECI) framework organizes explicit and tacit knowledge.
Socialization - tacit/tacit - empathizing (collaboration, teamwork, sharing experiences, informal communication,
and open work spaces)
Externalization - tacit/explicit - articulating (recording information to make it understandable, documented, taking notes, brainstorming, encouraging a learning environment, and preserving knowledge
when people leave)
Combination - explicit/explicit - connecting (analyzing and organizing knowledge into broader concept systems,
categorizing, sorting, reconfiguring, adding, updating content, includes: databases, books, training)
Internalization - explicit/tacit - embodying (understanding of explicit knowledge, transformation of tacit knowledge to
become part of individual's basic info, practicing, repetition, experiences, expertise, creating "know
how").
John, A., Coventry, J., & Latham, I. (2010). Knowledge management: Managing tacit and explicit knowledge. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1PSSxB4Lxs Retrieved 7/8/13.
Madgic, D. (2009). Collaboration effect: A cisco knowledge management overview. National Knowledge Management Conference: The Intersection of Ethics and Knowledge Management. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=211IBqoYEDk Retrieved 7/8/13.
Sallis, E. & Jones, G.. (2001). Knowledge management in education: Enhancing learning and education. New York: Routledge.
Simpilearn. (2011). Concepts of knowledge management: Data, information, knowledge, wisdom. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObuQAy05ub4 Retrieved 7/8/13.