Knowledge Management as a Critical Factor of an organization’s Sustainability
497
3 Knowledge Management
Formal knowledge is regarded as both fundamental and economic personal resources,
and can today be regarded as the only significant resource, since traditional factors
of production (natural resources, labor, and capital) can be obtained easily, provided
knowledge. Thus, knowledge acquires a sense of utility, as a means to obtain social
and economic results (Drucker 2002; Malavski et al. 2010).
Making personal knowledge available to others is the main activity of knowledge
creation (Nonaka 2007), the emergence of which derives from the individual and
passes through four modes of conversion, forming a spiral that describes how tacit
and explicit knowledge is amplified. terms of quality and quantity, as well as from
individual to group, and finally, at the organizational level (Nonaka 2007; Nonaka
and Takeuchi 2008).
This spiral is formed by the modes of socialization, externalization, combination,
and internalization. Socialization consists in the conversion of tacit to tacit knowledge
through direct experience between individuals (Nonaka and Takeuchi 2008). It is a
process of sharing tacit knowledge through sharing experiences, which is the key to
understanding the way others think and feel (Nonaka et al. 1998).
The externalization process, in turn, consists of articulating tacit knowledge to
the explicit (Nonaka et al. 2000) and from the individual to the group, that is, translating tacit knowledge into forms that can be understood by others. usually through
metaphors, analogies, dialogue, and reflection (Nonaka et al. 1998; Nonaka and
Takeuchi 2008).
The combination process occurs with the systematization and application of
explicit knowledge and information, from group to organization, involving the
conversion of explicit knowledge into more complex sets of this type of knowledge. Finally, the process of internalization is based on the incorporation of explicit
knowledge into tacit knowledge from the organization to the individual through the
activities of doing, training and exercising (Nonaka et al. 1998; Nonaka and Takeuchi
2008).
KM can also be understood as a set of processes aimed at identifying, acquiring,
developing, sharing and distributing, using and retaining knowledge.
The identification of knowledge takes into account the fact that knowledge,
whether internal or external, is not automatically visible. With this, organizations
need to know where to find the knowledge they need, inside or outside the company.
The acquisition, in turn, stems from the fact that companies often cannot develop the
know-how they need on their own, so they can gain knowledge from outside sources
such as experts, partners, customers, and others.
Knowledge development refers to the development of new skills, new products,
better ideas, and more efficient processes, including all consciously directed management efforts to acquire or build competencies. Sharing and distribution are considered
vital factors for transforming isolated information into something that every organization can use, and for it to occur, it is a condition that knowledge already exists,
coming from internal or external sources.
497
3 Knowledge Management
Formal knowledge is regarded as both fundamental and economic personal resources,
and can today be regarded as the only significant resource, since traditional factors
of production (natural resources, labor, and capital) can be obtained easily, provided
knowledge. Thus, knowledge acquires a sense of utility, as a means to obtain social
and economic results (Drucker 2002; Malavski et al. 2010).
Making personal knowledge available to others is the main activity of knowledge
creation (Nonaka 2007), the emergence of which derives from the individual and
passes through four modes of conversion, forming a spiral that describes how tacit
and explicit knowledge is amplified. terms of quality and quantity, as well as from
individual to group, and finally, at the organizational level (Nonaka 2007; Nonaka
and Takeuchi 2008).
This spiral is formed by the modes of socialization, externalization, combination,
and internalization. Socialization consists in the conversion of tacit to tacit knowledge
through direct experience between individuals (Nonaka and Takeuchi 2008). It is a
process of sharing tacit knowledge through sharing experiences, which is the key to
understanding the way others think and feel (Nonaka et al. 1998).
The externalization process, in turn, consists of articulating tacit knowledge to
the explicit (Nonaka et al. 2000) and from the individual to the group, that is, translating tacit knowledge into forms that can be understood by others. usually through
metaphors, analogies, dialogue, and reflection (Nonaka et al. 1998; Nonaka and
Takeuchi 2008).
The combination process occurs with the systematization and application of
explicit knowledge and information, from group to organization, involving the
conversion of explicit knowledge into more complex sets of this type of knowledge. Finally, the process of internalization is based on the incorporation of explicit
knowledge into tacit knowledge from the organization to the individual through the
activities of doing, training and exercising (Nonaka et al. 1998; Nonaka and Takeuchi
2008).
KM can also be understood as a set of processes aimed at identifying, acquiring,
developing, sharing and distributing, using and retaining knowledge.
The identification of knowledge takes into account the fact that knowledge,
whether internal or external, is not automatically visible. With this, organizations
need to know where to find the knowledge they need, inside or outside the company.
The acquisition, in turn, stems from the fact that companies often cannot develop the
know-how they need on their own, so they can gain knowledge from outside sources
such as experts, partners, customers, and others.
Knowledge development refers to the development of new skills, new products,
better ideas, and more efficient processes, including all consciously directed management efforts to acquire or build competencies. Sharing and distribution are considered
vital factors for transforming isolated information into something that every organization can use, and for it to occur, it is a condition that knowledge already exists,
coming from internal or external sources.