The main streams of thought in knowledge management

Knowledge Management (KM) falls into two broad schools of thought. The first is the codification school which is more along the lines of information management and concerns itself with written information and the storage of this in databases and computer networks. This is straightforward when it comes to explicit knowledge on how a project was run (ie a report) but capturing implicit knowledge (how things are done around here) which is not generally written down but which is a big part of the experience a person develops on the job, or tacit knowledge (such as how to do psychotherapy), which can only be taught to some extent but has to be learned through experience, is more difficult. Those interested in the codification approach have developed databases of learnings, stories, documents, reports, experts, community resources, and more and have encouraged people to document their experience.

Drawbacks of the codification approach are: that you need to persuade people to contribute their knowledge; you have to get it written down; somebody has to gather it and manage it. You come up with difficulties such as people being too busy and knowledge ownership as a source of prestige which people are not willing to give away.

In the literature there are also question marks over how useful databases of knowledge actually are and a serious criticism has been made that basing your decisions on the accumulated knowledge from the past does not take into account the fast changing pace of social change and the need to adapt to changing conditions.

The second school of KM advocates an interpersonal approach. Proponents believe that knowledge cannot be stored on a database, only information can, and the only way it can be shared is through personal contact. There is a close affinity between this perspective and that of organisational learning, which holds that an organisation must be very flexible and adaptable to change, and able to quickly draw on its learning resources in order to respond and adapt to new developments and therefore survive and thrive in this competitive age.

Proponents of the interpersonal approach to KM give people increased opportunities to talk to each other, even designing office spaces to increase interaction. Communities of Practice (CoPs) are another development. CoPs are networks of individuals with a similar interest. They are inter-disciplinary and work across organisational boundaries and are seen as the hot bed of idea development, networking, learning and knowledge sharing where new ideas can be encouraged and fostered. They can be virtual or supported virtually and can be informal or have a facilitator. The development of online social networking tools is providing extra dimensions to KM.

There are some suggestions that KM is a fad that has passed and this blog by Dave Snowden, http://www.cognitive-edge.com/2006/11/whence_goeth_km.php a major thought leader gives some reasons why.

It may also be that the field has expanded and diversified so that different streams of thought have become subject areas in their own right. Knowledge transfer, knowledge translation, communities of practice and organisational learning are examples of concepts which arose in the context of knowledge management. It may also be that KM concepts have merged into standard practice and have become part of the landscape.

Resources

Wikipedia article on knowledge management

Australian Standards Publications
AS 5037-2005 Knowledge management - a guide
HB 189-2004 Knowledge Management Terminology and Readings - An Australian Guide

NHS National Library for Health Knowledge Management Specialist Library
The aim of this site is to provide the best available evidence and practical examples of health professionals successfully sharing and applying knowledge and experience to their daily activities.

Knowledge Management for Public Health Professionals
A publication of the US Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. Provides an introduction to knowledge management concepts.

Open Directory Project
A compilation of resources on knowledge management

Glossary of KM terminology related to health

Sveiby website
A compilation of readings

Gurteen Knowledge website
Readings , email lists, conferences and events and more

Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management
A collection of readings on aspects of knowledge management by thought leaders
Collated by Martin Ryder, University of Colorado at Denver

A list of over 1300 knowledge management websites

List of Knowledge Management books
Compiled by David Skyrme and Associates

Discussion lists

The actKM Forum community
The actKM Forum is a learning community dedicated to building and sharing knowledge about public sector knowledge management.

actTKM discussion list

Knowledge Management Forum
The Knowledge Management Forum is a virtual community of practice focused on furthering the fundamental theories, methods, and practices supporting the Knowledge Professions.

KMPro Knowledge Management Professional Society
Many resources for members including an email list.

CPSquare
A community of practice on communities of practice.