I appreciate this conversation on OL & KM a lot.
We continue to avoid one crucial issue in defining "knowledge".
The way I posed the issue before was: do we define "K" as ideas (residing
either in people's heads, books, or hard drives) OR as the
capacity/capability for taking effective action? In other words, is it the
sheet music, the CD, or the concert? If that metaphor doesn't work for
you, how about the genetic one -- is knowledge the DNA or the growth and
adaptation of the organism? The instructions OR the behavior (often
coordinated among many players) appropriate to the setting?
Admittedly metaphors are limited and full of traps. So how about this
conceptual distinction? K-in-action versus K-in-store. This requires
adding the notion of a gradient of storage methods, closer to and farther
from the action realm -- thus the amazing, high performing team on
vacation has its collective K in store in the brains and bodies of the
team members; if some of that K is documented in notes, training guides
for new team members, etc., that's the next level (storage for internal
team use); if accounts have been published, interpreting the methods of
the team in widely shared terminology, that's one of the farther levels.
At each level the question is: who could use this kind of K? for what
purpose? and how useful could it be? (Does a video of the team in action
represent K in itself? )
Thinking as an intellectual: K is as valuable as the pleasure and insight
it brings us.
Thinking as a business consultant; K (e.g. Software, a powerful embodiment
of K) is only as valuable as the value it adds to its user's life or
business.
I don't think we'll ever be able to quantify K-in-store (unlike data and
information) but we can quantify its results (K-in-action), when applied
strategically and skilfully. It's a crude distinction still and not fully
explained, I'd admit. But at least it faces up to this important issue.
One more time, when we say "knowledge" do we mean ideas, instructions,
sheet music, software (K-in-store), or do we mean capacity for effective
action (K-in-action)? Of course, they are intimately linked. Maybe we want
to have it both ways. If so, we need to be clear about that and keep track
of when the emphasis is on K-in-action or K-in-store. Yes, this needs more
work. Any sponsors or helpers?
BARRY SUGARMAN, Ph.D.
Professor of Management
Lesley College
Research Member, SoL
office phone: 617 332 0642
E-mail: sugarman@mail.lesley.edu
http://www.lesley.edu/faculty/sugarman/index.htm
mail: 77 Oakdale Road, Newton MA 02459
--BARRY SUGARMAN <sugarman@mail.lesley.edu>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>