This essay is about knowledge sharing and the key question is how do people
share information in companies and what communities of practice are. At first, it
shows how companies deal with the fact that today's economy runs on
knowledge. It presents two different strategies and what kind of strategy
companies like Ernst&Young or McKinsey uses. Beyond that, it describes the
way how a community of practice works and what kind of differences in contrast
to a team exist.
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Characteristics of Knowledge Sharing
2.1 . Different notions of knowledge
2.2. Knowledge sharing in companies
2.3 . Collaboration management - brokering model
3.0 Strategies for managing knowledge
3.1. Codification strategy vs. Personalization strategy
3.2. Companies and their strategies
4.0 Community of practice
4.1. Community of practice – Definition & Use
4.2. Difference between community of practice and a project team
5.0 Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This essay explores the mechanisms of knowledge sharing within corporate environments, focusing on how companies leverage information and the role of communities of practice. It investigates the strategic approaches organizations adopt to manage intellectual assets and highlights the fundamental differences between traditional project teams and communities of practice.
- Strategies for managing knowledge: Codification vs. Personalization.
- The role of information technology in knowledge management.
- Challenges associated with corporate culture and knowledge hoarding.
- Defining and understanding Communities of Practice (CoPs).
- Comparative analysis: Project teams versus Communities of Practice.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1. Different notions of knowledge
There are different notions of knowledge that exist in a company. One of it is 'tacit knowledge' and the other one is 'explicit knowledge'.
Tacit knowledge is knowledge of a person which is hard or even impossible to explain to another person one or writing it down.
For example the ability to hold the balance while riding a bicycle or acquiring 'tricks of the trade' in a workplace situation. One can say it is an individual knowledge about specific, individual situations and it is difficult to formalize it in words and transmit it to others. On the other side we have explicit knowledge that can be transmit to others verbal. That mean one can describe that knowledge using words with formal logical language. Now we know that there are two different types of knowledge existing in a company. But for an organization to share useful knowledge it needs to change knowledge universal from tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge. On that knowledge creation process it is important doing that through dialogue, discussion, but also through dissension with various opinions. It's important to undergo that process of conversation to turn individual knowledge into group knowledge. It is even necessary for an active part of knowledge to concentrate various opinions, sense of values, large experience (can be even based on personal ones → tacit knowledge).
Summary of Chapters
1.0 Introduction: This chapter outlines the importance of managing knowledge in an era of information overload and introduces the core concepts of organizational knowledge strategies and communities of practice.
2.0 Characteristics of Knowledge Sharing: This section defines the fundamental difference between tacit and explicit knowledge and examines how companies attempt to facilitate knowledge exchange through various models.
3.0 Strategies for managing knowledge: This chapter analyzes the two primary approaches to knowledge management—codification and personalization—and how major consulting firms implement them.
4.0 Community of practice: This chapter defines the concept of a community of practice and provides a detailed comparison between these informal groups and formal project teams.
5.0 Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the main findings, reiterating that while both codification and personalization strategies have merit, their success depends on company-specific needs and organizational culture.
Keywords
Knowledge Sharing, Tacit Knowledge, Explicit Knowledge, Codification Strategy, Personalization Strategy, Knowledge Management, Communities of Practice, Collaboration Management, Brokering Model, Corporate Culture, Organizational Learning, Project Teams, Information Exchange, Knowledge Asset.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this essay?
The essay explores how organizations manage knowledge, the strategies they employ to share information, and the organizational form known as communities of practice.
What are the core themes addressed in the text?
The text covers knowledge types (tacit/explicit), knowledge management strategies (codification vs. personalization), and the structural differences between teams and communities of practice.
What is the central research question?
The research seeks to understand how individuals share information within corporate environments and what defines a community of practice.
Which scientific approaches or models are used?
The essay utilizes established knowledge management theories, specifically comparing the Codification and Personalization strategies and the Brokering Model for collaboration.
What is the main subject of the chapters?
The chapters transition from theoretical definitions of knowledge to practical strategic management, ending with an organizational focus on communities of practice.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include Knowledge Sharing, Tacit/Explicit Knowledge, Codification, Personalization, and Communities of Practice.
How does a codification strategy differ from a personalization strategy?
Codification focuses on capturing and storing knowledge in databases for reuse, whereas personalization focuses on human-to-human dialogue and networking.
Why are Communities of Practice considered distinct from project teams?
Unlike teams, which are managed by goals and deliverables, Communities of Practice develop organically around shared knowledge and identity.
What role does IT play in the Brokering Model?
In the Brokering Model, IT serves as a tool to make employees visible to one another, facilitating connections based on similar interests rather than just storing information.
What is the main obstacle to knowledge sharing in companies?
The primary barrier is often corporate culture, where employees may hoard information or lack the willingness to share it without proper motivation or an environment that fosters trust.
- Quote paper
- Leni Schmitz (Author), 2011, Knowledge Sharing, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/179116
