Unit 1
What is knowledge management?
- Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) consider knowledge as true and justified personal belief
that increases an individual’s capacity to act.
- Davenport and Prusak (1998) refer to knowledge as the fluid mix of framed
experience, values, contextual information, and expert insights that provide a
framework for evaluating and incorporating new experiences and information.
- Knowledge originates in the minds of the knower and in the organisation’s documents
and or repositories, organisation’s routines and practices and norms.
- Knowledge is closer to action than information or data.
- Knowledge can only reside in the minds of people once it is outside the human mind
it is information.
Data, information, and knowledge
- Several authors assume a hierarchical distinction between data, information, and
knowledge.
- Data are facts and figures.
- Information is data with context.
- Knowledge is information with meaning.
- Data is a set of discrete raw numbers and facts, unstructured records of transactions
about events in an organisation.
- Information is processed, organised, and interpreted data that may easily be captured
as text and stored for future use.
- Knowledge is more valuable because it is closer to action e.g. Human knowledge,
cultural knowledge, social knowledge, structured knowledge (your books, articles
etc.).
Types of knowledge
- Knowledge has been classified into tacit and explicit by Polanyi (1962), Nonaka and
Takeuchi (1995) and Choo (2002) also include cultural knowledge.
- Machlup (1980) also included spiritual knowledge, unwanted knowledge, intellectual
and practical knowledge,
- There is know how, know what, know why, know when, and know with knowledge.
Tacit and explicit knowledge.
- Polanyi (1966) describes tacit knowledge as everything we know but cannot really
express even to ourselves or knowing how to do something
without thinking about it like riding a bicycle or playing soccer.
- Tacit knowledge (implicit) is highly personalised, subjective, unspoken, intuitive,
hidden, and undocumented and consist of technical skills, know how or
understanding.
- On the other hand, explicit knowledge (focal, codified, and articulated) is a small
body of knowledge considered as information that enables other people to create their
own knowledge.
- Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) consider tacit knowledge as knowledge that is fully
articulated in the minds of the individuals and it is difficult to explicitly document.
- Explicit knowledge is written, easy to communicate or share in form of hard data.
E.g., a scientific formulae, codified procedures or universal principles (Ho2) = water.
- It comes in form of books, documents, databases, policy manuals, mathematical
expressions, copyright, and patents.
- Explicit knowledge is codified knowledge e.g., a records management procedures
manual.
- Tacit knowledge is generated in people’s minds, highly personal, undocumented, hard
to formalise, with subjective insights, institutions, inarticulate intelligence.
Unit 2
Knowledge is a valuable asset to any organization as it plays a critical role in
determining the success and growth of the business.
With access to the right knowledge and expertise, organizations can make informed
decisions and adapt to changes in the market more effectively.
In today's fast-paced and competitive business environment, having a knowledgeable
workforce can give organizations a significant advantage over their competitors.
Employees who are well-informed and up-to-date with the latest industry trends are
better equipped to solve problems, develop innovative solutions, and drive the
organization forward.
Furthermore, knowledge within an organization can lead to increased productivity and
efficiency.
When employees have a deep understanding of their roles and responsibilities, they
are better able to perform their tasks accurately and efficiently.
This not only leads to improved performance and output but also reduces the
likelihood of errors and rework.
Additionally, a knowledgeable workforce is more likely to collaborate effectively,
share information, Knowledge and work cohesively towards achieving the
organization's goals.
This creates a positive and dynamic work environment where employees feel
empowered and valued, leading to higher morale and job satisfaction.
Knowledge within an organization can support continuous learning and development,
which is essential for long-term success.
By investing in training programs, seminars, and workshops, organizations can help
employees expand their knowledge and skills, making them more versatile and
adaptable in a constantly evolving business landscape. This continuous learning mind-
set not only benefits individual employees but also the organization as a whole by
fostering a culture of innovation and improvement.
In summary, the benefits of knowledge to an organization are far-reaching and
essential for achieving sustainable growth and success in today's competitive business
world.
Benefits of Knowledge to an organisation
(a) Better quality of products and services to clients.
(b) Professional satisfaction of employees.
(c) Increase profitability economically.
(d) Enhancements of teamwork.
(e) Knowledge management improves knowledge retention rate.
(f) Protection of organisational memory (retention of knowledge for future use)
(g) Supports and encourages a learning culture.
(h) Knowledge management promote teamwork and the culture of knowledge sharing.
(i) Knowledge management enable firms to gain competitive advantage over others.
(j) Knowledge management provides staff with knowledge they need when they need it
(because of Knowledge storage).
Information management and knowledge management
- Information management is concerned about collecting, managing, preserving,
storing, and delivering information for use where an information need arises.
- Information management is guided by the principle of giving information to the right
people at the right time.
- Remember information management manages data and information, however
knowledge management is a capability pertaining to knowledge creation, organizing
knowledge, and storing or retrieving such knowledge, transferring knowledge and
knowledge applications which enhances a firm’s ability to gain and sustain a
competitive advantage.
- Information management support knowledge management it ensures the proper
management of information which often lead to new knowledge when consumed.
- Information management is responsible for the capture, storage, securing, organizing,
preserving, and ensuring the retrieval and use of information in creating new
knowledge.
