Definition Of Knowledge?

knowledge :

knowledge is a familiarity, awareness, ability to understand of someone

or ssomething. It is typically acquired by experience, information, facts,
descriptions,consumption, experimentation, perceiving, discovering & learning.

In Organizational Terms :-

Knowledge is generally thought of as know-how,applied

information, information with judgment or the capacity for effective action.It is
intrinsically linked to people.

Thus knowledge is the combination of data and information that is actively

communicated & used by people.

Different Types Of Knowledge

Knowledge comes in several varieties & types, there are 13 types of knowledge
which are

 A Posteriori Knowledge
 A Priori Knowledge
 Dispersed Knowledge
 Domain Knowledge
 Empirical Knowledge
 Encoded Knowledge
 Explicit Knowledge
 Known-Unknowns Knowledge
 Meta Knowledge
 Procedural Knowledge
 Propositional Knowledge
 Situated Knowledge
 Tacit Knowledge

now, briefly identify them

A Posteriori Knowledge :
 A Posteriori Knowledge "literally means what comes from latter". This
kind of knowledge is gained by first having experience or empirical evidence.

A Priori Knowledge :

A Priori Knowledge "literally means from before or earlier".It depends upon

what a person can derive from the world without needing to experience.Ex." you
can prove a theory with math."

Dispersed Knowledge :

Dispersed Knowledge is when information about a topic is fragmented with

no single source of truth. It is common in fast moving situations.Ex." Financial
Markets".

Domain Knowledge :

Domain Knowledge describes the knowledge skills & abilities of experts

in a particular field.

Empirical Knowledge :

Empirical Knowledge that stems from quantitative & qualitative

observations, measurement & experiment.

Encoded Knowledge :

Encoded knowledge that is represented as data.

Ex."Documents, Database, Artificial Neutral Network. "

Explicit Knowledge :

Explicit Knowledge is recorded & communicated through medium. It can be

quickly transmitted from one individual to another.

Ex."Libraries & Databases ".

Known -Unknowns Knowledge :

Knowing that one don't know is a form of knowledge that is useful to

decision making.

Meta Knowledge :

Meta Knowledge is knowledge about knowledge.

Ex. "Bibliographic Data".

Procedural Knowledge :

Procedural knowledge is knowing how to do something.

Ex." Riding A Bike."

Propositinal Knowledge :

It is statements of fact that can be represented in natural language of a

system of logic.

Situated Knowledge :

Highly specific knowledge.

Ex."knowing that soil conditions on the west side of a mountain are perfect for
planting tulips in September. "

Tacit Knowledge :

Tacit knowledge is a new theory introduced only as recently as the

1950s.Tacit knowledge is extremely difficult explain, articulate or acquire.

Ex." Mastering chess, The piano,Sense of innate Ability ".

Knowledge creation – definition and meaning:-

Knowledge creation refers to the continuous combination, transfer, and

conversion of different kinds of knowledge. This occurs as users interact, practice
and learn. Put simply; it is the creation of ideas, which is at the heart of a
company’s competitive advantage.

Competitive advantage is what a company has when it has the edge over its rivals.
Specifically, when it has the edge regarding the provision of a certain product or
service.

Knowledge creation is the formation of new notions and concepts. This occurs
through interactions between explicit and tacit knowledge in people’s minds.

Explicit knowledge is information that is searchable and easy to find. Users can
collaborate regarding the value and use of this type of explicit knowledge.

Tacit knowledge, on the other hand, exists in people’s minds. It is not searchable
like explicit knowledge is. It is also not easy to share with another person orally or
in writing.

In an article titled ‘A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation,’

Ikujiro Nonaka wrote the following regarding knowledge creation:

“Although ideas are formed in the minds of individuals, interaction between

individuals typically plays a critical role in developing these ideas.”

“That is to say, ‘communities of interaction’ contribute to the amplification and

development of new knowledge.”
Enabling conditions for knowledge creation :-
1.INTENTION
*Clear vision, values and goals.

*Clarity about ehat knowledge needs to be created.

2.AUTONOMY

*Freedom to act independently.

*Creation of unexpected opportunities.

*Autopoetic and self- similar.

3.CREATIVE CHAOS

*Continuous questioning and reconsidering existing premises.

*Capacity for self reflection.

4.REDUNDANCY

*International overlapping of business information.

*Encouraging of "learning by intrusion ".

5.REQUISITE VARIETY

*Variety within the organization that matches complexity of external environment.

*Open access to information.

* Flat & flexible structures.

*Frequent reorganization.

Knowledge creation process:-

How the knowledge creating process works in an organization? The answer lies with how we
engage the tacit and explicit knowledge in the process. It can't be just one way or the other. The
process works by different linking process of these two types of knowledge in the organization.
Knowledge creating process is a continuous, self-transcending process. As knowledge is created
between individuals or between
individuals and the environment,
individuals transcends the boundary
between self
and others.

As per Ikujiro Nonaka there are four types of

knowledge creating process.

1.Socialization.

2.Externalization.

3.Combination.

4.Internalization.

These processes are briefly discussed below:-

Socialization

This process focuses on tacit to tacit knowledge linking. Tacit knowledge goes beyond the
boundary and new knowledge is created by using the process of interactions, observing,
discussing, analyzing, spending time together or living in same environment. The socialization is
also known as converting new knowledge through shared experiences. Organizations gain new
knowledge from outside its boundary also like interacting with customers, suppliers and stack
holders. This occurs in traditional environments where son learns the technique of wood craft
from his father by working with him (rather than from reading from books or manuals).
Example :-Ehen a junior developer works together with a senior developer he gets to know how
the senior developer uses different tools to solve certain problems. Over time the junior
developer recognizes patterns that he can adapt in his workflow.

Externalization

This process focuses on tacit to explicit knowledge linking. It helps in creating new knowledge as
tacit knowledge comes out of its boundary and became collective group knowledge. This
process we can say that knowledge is crystallized. The process of externalization is often driven
by metaphor analogy and models. Quality circles are formed in manufacturing sectors where
workman put their learning and experience they have to improve or solve the process related
problems.

Examples:-

1.A designer choose colors because of his taste and experience (tacit knowledge) but when
creating a mobile app colors need to be codified into color codes(explicit knowledge).

2.A QA tester who is testing a new mobile app discovers a bug.This bug needs to be transferred
into a bug report.That oa, the QA tester needs to describe the bug as jis observation during the
test.

Combination

Combination is a process where knowledge transforms from explicit knowledge to explicit

knowledge. The finance department collects all financial reports from each departments and
publics a consolidated annual financial performance report. Creative use of database to get
business report, sorting, adding , categorizing are some examples of combination process.
Example :-When you write a
company newsletter you use
information from different places and
combine it into a new,more
digestible form.

Internalization

By internalization explicit knowledge is created using tacit knowledge and is shared across the
organization. When this tacit knowledge is read or practiced by individuals then it broadens the
learning spiral of knowledge creation. Organization tries to innovate or learn when this new
knowledge is shared in Socialization process. Organizations provide training programs for its
employees at different stages of their working with the company. By reading these training
manuals and documents employees internalize the tacit knowledge and try to create new
knowledge after the internalization process.

Knowledge Management :-

(KM ) is the process of creating, sharing, using and managing the knowledge and information of an
organisation.

KM Technologies

Groupware:

—Software that facilitates collaboration and sharing of organisational information.

Workflow systems :

—Systems that allow the representation of processes associated with the creation, use and maintenance
of organisational knowledge, such as the process to create and utilise forms and documents.

Content management and document management systems:

—Software systems that automate the process of creating web content and/or documents.

Enterprise portals :

—Software that aggregates information across the entire organisation or for groups such as project
teams.

eLearning :

—Software that enables organisations to create customised training and education. This can include
lesson plans, monitoring progress and online classes.

Planning and scheduling software: —Software that automates schedule creation and maintenance. The
planning aspect can integrate with

project management software.

Telepresence:

—Software that enables individuals to have virtual "face-to-face" meetings without assembling at one
location.

Learning Definition:-

Learning is the process of acquiring new, or modifying existing, knowledge ,

behaviors, skills, values , or preferences .

Learning How To Learn:-

By engaging in meta learning, looking at learning from a variety of perspective and practicing ways of
learning, employees can increase their own learning capabilities.

Individually, group-wise, and organizaion-wise, learning how learn better and faster is essence of
learning organization.

Definition Of Learning Organization:-

The term learning Organization was first used in the 1980s by Richard Pascal. However, it was the
publication of Peter Senge's best seller, The Fifth Discipline, in 1990 that popularized the phrase.

In business management, a learning organization is a company that

facilitates the learning of its members and continuously transforms itself.
The concept was coined through the work and research of Peter Senge and his
colleagues.
Learning organizations develop as a result of the pressures facing modern
organizations and enables them to remain competitive in the business
environment.
Learning Organization is committed to a cycle of continuous learning and improvement. It promotes

a culture that enables and accelerates individuals and group learning. Learning organizations are
continually testing their assumptions and transforming new knowledge into actions. Many workers
consider learning simply the act acquiring new information. By engaging in meta learning,looking at
learning from a variety of perspectives and practicing ways of learning, employees can increase their
own learning capabilities.

Senge’s 5 discipline for becoming learning organisation:-

- Systems thinking

-Personal Mastery

-Team Learning

-Mental Models

-Shared vision

Systems Thinking
Understanding the interconnections and interrelationships that shape the behavior of the systems in
which we exist is known as systems thinking. An engine has many parts and for any engine to function at
its full potential all parts must be operational. The same principle holds for organization.

Organizations are made up of interrelated elements that functions as a whole. Changes in one element
or part of the system can cause changes in other elements.

Personal Mastery

It is the basic human need to learn, grow and achieve personal mastery that fuels and provides
substance to all learning organizations. No organization can truly be a learning organization without its
individual members being free to learn. Employees must be taught, encouraged and granted permission
to become creative architects of their own lives. People must think of personal mastery as a process of
continuous growth and development – not a human state to be achieved.

Team Learning

Reflecting on action as a team and transforming collective thinking skills so that the team can develop
intelligence and ability greater than the sum of individual members’ talents is called team learning.
People can learn and think of more things collectively than they can individually. This is due to the fact
that people learn from one another. Furthermore, the ideas expressed by one person can set in motion
a sweeping avalanche of ideas.

Mental Models

Mental models are images, assumptions, and believes that everyone carries in around their heads. They
include strongly held beliefs about self, family members, employing organizations and the world at large
which exist in the subconscious. These mental maps help people to simplify, organize and make sense of
their complex world. A distinguishing characteristic of learning organizations is that they operate from a
strong factual base.

Shared Vision

Building a common sense of purpose and commitment by developing shared images of the future that
we seek to create is known as shared vision. In a learning organization all workers regardless of their
position are invited and provided with opportunities to create, test, communicate and promote the
company’s mission. Employees are asked to play strategic part in setting the goals and quality standards
that will turn their company’s shared vision into reality. Workers are also encouraged and given
assistance in setting their own personal goals and visions with those of the organization.