KM2: additional information

Knowledge can be separated into two categories: explicit knowledge (formal knowledge) and tacit knowledge (informal knowledge). Explicit knowledge can” be articulated in language and transmitted among individuals”; tacit knowledge means “personal knowledge rooted in individual experience and involving personal belief, perspective, and values” (Barclay & Murray). In business organizations, tacit knowledge is a key to getting things done and creating new value instead of explicit knowledge, which is “learning organization” emphasizing “internalization of information (through experience and action) and generation of new knowledge through managed interaction” (Barclay & Murray).

Knowledge management (KM) captures categories, customer service skills, institutional style, personality and inventory system. It utilizes technology to solve problems. Karl-Erik Sveiby (2001) separate KM into two tracks: IT-track (management of information) and people-track (management of people). IT-track KM is involved with people in computer and information science major. They treat knowledge as objects which can be identified and handled in information systems. People-Track KM is involved with people in philosophy, psychology, sociology or business/management majors. They focus on “changing and improving human individual skills and behaviors. Knowledge is a process, a complex set of dynamic skills, know-how etc, that is constantly changing” (Sveiby, 2001). The importance of KM is to know how to maximize the ability of an organization’s people for creating new knowledge and how to build conducive environments to share knowledge. Look up leading way, set up by Dr. James Li, for more information.

Learning organization helps people mixed by different technology and skills to know where the business is. It allows people from everywhere entering the information and keeping records in central system. Everyone makes entries to the database and records customer service. The system not only records organization and negotiation terms with the customers, but evaluate the budget. There is always a major cycle in the business function. Within the cycles, we may find several sub-cycles regarding daily basis. Organization people know their responsibility, communication, types of organization (controlling, negotiations, etc.), products and procedures from the KM system. KM is centrally the database issue. Information is connected together, split apart, or combined into larger matrix to be used. Functions can be performed by data, multimedia presentation, and regular communication. Instructional designers need to know the training system of functions and provide manual or CBI tutorials, manual or CBI performance aids, references manuals, checklist, collaboration, and help. The database stores reusable knowledge to support raw materials (information) or combination materials.

References

Barclay, R. & Murray, P. What is knowledge management, Knowledge Praxis . Retrieved from http://www.media-access.com/whatis.html

Sveiby, K. (2001), What is knowledge management. Retrieved from http://sveiby.konverge.com/articles/KnowledgeManagement.html