Conception and Comparison of Knowledge Management

This article discusses the conception and comparison of knowledge management, including the process of knowledge management, the famous knowledge management cycle models, and the difference between tacit and explicit knowledge.

Running head: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Question 1: Conception of knowledge management
Knowledge Management refers to the process of efficiently handling and managing
knowledge within an organization. It helps in creation, using, sharing and managing knowledge
by using multidisciplinary approaches. The process of knowledge management involves several
steps, processes, initiatives, and systems that help in strengthening the assessment, refinement,
and creation of knowledge and the storing and sharing of the same. Knowledge management
involves understanding the form of existence of knowledge, what is required to be known by
organizations, how can a conducive learning environment be promoted and how to make the
right knowledge available to the right people (Hislop, Bosua & Helms, 2018). The concept
started to gain its importance n the late eighties when several changes in terms of economy,
social and technology took place globally. There are several people who contributed to the
evolution of this concept. The few notable people are – Peter Drucker, Paul Strassmann, Peter
Senge, Chris Argyris, Christopher Bartlett, Dorothy, and Everett Rogers.
Question 2: Comparisons
The process of transformation of information into knowledge within an organization is
called as Knowledge Management Cycle. It clearly states how information is captured and
processed and thereafter shared within an organization (Tenório et al., 2020). The famous
Knowledge Management Cycle models to date are the Wiig KM Cycles, Meyer and Zack Model,
Bukowitz and Williams Model and McElroy Model.

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WIIG ZACK BUKOWITZ AND
WILLIAMS
MC ELROY
1993 1996 2000 2003
Creation Acquisition Get Individual and group
learning
Sourcing Refinement Use Validation
Compilation Store/Retrieve Learn Information acquisition
Transformation Distribution Contribute Integration
Application Presentation Assess Completion
Application - Build/Sustain -
Value realization - Divest -
Question 3: Comparison and conceptions under knowledge management
The difference between tacit and explicit knowledge was first introduced by Michael
Polyani in the year 1960. Tacit Knowledge refers to the knowledge that is embedded in the
minds of the human being through experience whereas explicit knowledge is the knowledge
gained from coded and digitized documents (Turner, 2018). The below table provides a clear
picture of distinction as per the characteristics –
Tacit Knowledge Explicit Knowledge
Cognitive and Experiential Rational and Technical

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Specific Fixed Content
Internalized Externalized
Hard to codify Already coded and easy to document
Personal Structured
Has high value Easy to share
Involves a lot of human interpretation Involves documented information that already
exists.
The results of the human experience are always complex. It is a mixture of several
emotions and thoughts. It is therefore difficult to codify such experiences in simple terms. Tacit
knowledge is not only technical but it also contains cognitive aspects like beliefs, mental models
and ingrained schema. Decoding these cognitive factors are not simple.
Learning History- If an organization is involved in continuous learning, with collective
learning it can continuously grow new capabilities and talents (Gu & O’Connor, 2018). Learning
history refers to the document that is distributed in a structured format, which helps the
organization to be more aware of their learning and efforts.
Story Telling – Stories shape vision, pass knowledge and develops understanding and
commitment (Thier, 2018). It shares norms and values, develops trust and generates emotional
connection. Stories are very influential.

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Interviews – It involves training and preparation and is used in the early stages of tacit
knowledge capturing (Ferrari et al., 2017). The nature of the interview is voluntary, which is
important. There can be structured, semi-structured or unstructured questions that can be used as
per issues.

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References
Ferrari, A., Spoletini, P., Donati, B., Zowghi, D., & Gnesi, S. (2017, September). Interview
review: detecting latent ambiguities to improve the requirements elicitation process. In
2017 IEEE 25th International Requirements Engineering Conference (RE) (pp. 400-405).
IEEE.
Gu, X., & O'Connor, J. (2019). Teaching ‘tacit knowledge'in cultural and creative industries to
international students. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 18(2-3), 140-158.
Hislop, D., Bosua, R., & Helms, R. (2018). Knowledge management in organizations: A critical
introduction. Oxford University Press.
Tenório, N., Pinto, D., Silva, M. J., de Almeida, I. C., & Bortolozzi, F. (2020). Knowledge
management in the software industry: how Scrum activities support a knowledge
management cycle. Navus-Revista de Gestão e Tecnologia, 10, 01-13.
Thier, K. (2018). The Storytelling Procedure. In Storytelling in Organizations (pp. 49-97).
Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
Turner, S. P. (2018). The social theory of practices: tradition, tacit knowledge and
presuppositions. John Wiley & Sons.