Some definitions |
Knowledge management (KM) refers to the systematic process of creating, capturing, sharing, and applying knowledge to enhance organizational learning, decision making, and performance. Over the years, various organizations, scholars, and practitioners have proposed definitions of KM, reflecting its multidisciplinary nature and diverse applications across sectors. This collection presents a range of such definitions, illustrating the evolving understanding of KM as both a strategic tool and an operational practice. For GDRC, knowledge management can be defined as the coordinated approach to identifying, organizing, sharing, and using knowledge assets to support sustainable development, improve governance, and foster innovation across communities and organizations.
 Figure 1: Components of Knowledge Management
The act of making tacit knowledge explicit. Tacit knowledge is the knowledge we each carry in our heads about how to do things, who to call and the lessons learned through experience. Making it explicit is recording in some media that allows another person to use it. The media can be a complex computer database or a piece of paper tacked over the water cooler. There are as many definitions of knowledge management (KM) as there are ways to use it.
Source: http://www.moviemaven.com/technical/definitions/gloslist.htm
Knowledge management is concerned with organizing knowledge repositories (data bases etc.) so as to allow for easy retrieval and exchange of the information stored therein. Important concepts in knowledge management include domains, i. e. fields of related concepts and terms, and ontologies, i. e. structures (typically hierarchies or networks) of interrelated terms for things, concepts, relationships, etc. in a given domain.
Source: Felix Weigel
A relatively new concept in which an enterprise consciously gathers and shares its knowledge to further its goals. Some components of knowledge management include data mining and data warehousing (Data Mining: The analysis of data for relationships that have not previously been discovered. For example, the revenues for a particular entrée in a restaurant could, if related to other menu-item data, reveal a correlation between the purchase of a particular dessert with that menu-item. Data Warehouse: A centralized repository of operations and transaction information that is captured from diverse sources and is typically housed on a large-scale server).
Source: Hospitality Technology - Buyers' Guide
Knowledge is a fluid mix of contextual information, values, experiences and r. For an organisation this resides within employees (human capital) and represents a source of creativity, innovation and adaptability to change. Knowledge management is an explicit system to use this capital.
Source: Article 13 Co.
Knowledge Management is the process of capturing value, knowledge and understanding of corporate information, using IT systems, in order to maintain, re-use and re-deploy that knowledge.
Source: OIC Document Management
A streamlined approach at improving knowledge sharing across the entire organization. Accessibility of information, documents, best practice methodologies, templates, libraries, and other pertinent information. Hierarchical views of the entire organization, knowledge repositories, company policies, corporate handbook and collaboration
Source: Tenrox PSA
Knowledge Management is the systematic process of finding, selecting, organizing, distilling and presenting
information in a way that improves an employee's comprehension in a specific area of interest.
Source: Knowledge Management Server
Knowledge Management - Information or data management with the additional practice of capturing the tacit experience of the individual to be shared, used and built upon by the organization leading to increased productivity (Tacit Knowledge - Innovation, creation of new knowledge often comes from collaboration and interaction with experts. These are some of the many ways to create a culture where there is greater collaboration, team work and sharing of ideas.).
Source: KMTool Community
Knowledge Map - Mapping the expertise of an organization is valuable for several reasons. Easy access to a map of expertise of the organization can connect people when they need guidance resulting in quicker response rates, reduction of re-invention of the wheel, increased employee satisfaction and more. Maps can be used then to pull people in to assist on current projects or for offering training to employees who have existing good basic skills to equip them with additional skills the organization will need for future projects. Considerations include: skills, expertise, experience, and location.
Source: KMTool Community
The wide range of definitions of knowledge management reflects its richness as a concept and its adaptability to different contexts, sectors, and objectives. Rather than seeking a single, universally accepted definition, it is important to focus on how KM can be tailored to meet the specific goals of an organization or community. What matters most is the commitment to fostering a culture of learning, collaboration, and continuous improvement, ensuring that knowledge is effectively harnessed to address challenges and create value. In the end, knowledge management is not just about managing information or technology, but about empowering people and enabling positive change.
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 Hari Srinivas - hsrinivas@gdrc.orgReturn to the Knowledge Management Page |