Extreme Knowledge Management

The connection between KM and information design shows in a recent article by C.W. Holsapple and K.D. Joshi, with the imposing title, A Formal Knowledge Management Ontology: Conduct, Activities, Resources, and Influences. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Vol. 55, No. 7, pp. 593-612 (May 2004) [subscription only; abstract here].

The startlingly simple definition of "Knowledge" reads: "That which is conveyed in usable representations." This definition is laden with meaning and significance. The phrase "that which is conveyed" recognizes knowledge as both a thing and a process or flow. See D. Snowden, Complex Acts of Knowing.

But the part that I found most interesting is its description of knowledge as "usable representations." The authors quickly explain that these representations include "mental, behavioral, symbolic, digital, visual, audio, and other sensory patterns." They also note that the representations must be usable "in the sense of having sufficient validity (e.g., accuracy, certainty, consistency) and utility (e.g., clarity, meaning, relevance, importance) for sense making."

When you take that last quality required for usable representations of knowledge, "utility," and apply it to the ontology's continuum of knowledge activities, acquisition, selection, assimilation, generation, and emission, you confront the critical role of information design in knowledge management. The authors helpfully diagram this continuum in wheel-and-spoke fashion, indicating that any or all of the activities may take place in a single "knowledge episode."

But it is also useful to think of them as a process running from acquisition to emission, with the emission activity involving the entity projecting knowledge into its environment. At either extremity, the quality of information design heavily influences how effective the entity's KM activity will be.

Yes, I also think information design is important to the internal KM processes of selection, assimilation, and generation. But the entity has much greater opportunity to control the design of information used in those activities. When we acquire knowledge from and project knowledge into our environment, others will be involved in the effectiveness of the information design. Cognitive styles (both our own and those of our audience) become vital factors.

Effective KM must take these factors into account. Hopefully this new attempt to create an ontology for KM will spur greater attention to the information design aspect.

Comments

[David Locke]

Useable representation is a great definition of knowledge. It does not preclude software as such a representation as discussed in "Software as Capital," nor does it edge out the forgotten expert system.

It also doesn't insist
That everyone share the representation.
That it be explicit or instructable.
That it be confused with truth or wisdom.
That it involve IT systems, librarians, or
trainers
That it be centrally imposed, which has the
effect of tearing down silos, or
depreciating domain spectific knowledge
within the enterprise.
That it be socially constructed.

I'm going to adopt this definition. Thanks.