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Summary: Has including oriental perspective about knowledge !
Review: This book has examplified the difference on knowledge creation between western and eastern culture. Understanding the difference, and thus begin to examining the current paradigm and practice on knowledge creation process, can help organizations to improve the way they building intelligence capital fudamentally.
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Summary: From information-processing machine to knowledge-creating co
Review: This book is the classic in the organizational learning approach. But it¡¯s more than that. This book is not about lean production or Japanese kaizen system, but about how to enhance a firm¡¯s adaptability to turbulent environment through knowledge creation. with suggesting new concept of knowledge-creation as the tangible base of organizational capabilities or innovation, this book serves as the bridge between organizational learning school and resource-capabilities view.
As the being to survive in environment, the firm processes signals or information from environment. Knowledge is the framework to process info to interpret the state of environment. Up to 1980s, the company was viewed as information-processing machine. Indeed, firm is the flow of information. That kind of view has been justified against the business reality. Actually, it¡¯s the very picture of bureaucratic organization which culminated in GM¡¯s M-form model. Here, CEO like Jack Welch is the hero. Such an organization is effective when the environment is stable and predictable. But since 1970s, things have changed. Uncertainties have been amplified with the hypercompetition on global scale. Now the framework to interpret the signal from environment, itself should incessantly and systemically be adapted to turbulent reality. Knowledge and innovation have come the words of the day. Not surprisingly, there has been growing dissatisfaction with traditional organizational structure. Kao¡¯s CEO, Maruta put it in this way: ¡®The intelligence of a firm does not come from the president nor top management. That must come from the gathering of all knowledge of all members.¡¯ This book is about to how to build organization as the effective innovation site. To do so, all the available knowledge in and out of company should be able to be mobilized and freely flow throughout the firm. For instance, front line employees are constantly in direct touch with the outside world. They can obtain access to the up-to-date info on the market, technology, or competitors. But their knowledge is, in most cases, not able to be expressed in explicit way. Generally, it¡¯s the tacit knowledge. But to survive more and more intensified competition, the firm should be apt to mobilizing their tacit knowledge. To achieve such a goal, task force or bottom-up organizational model emerged. In those model, the creative knowledge worker, in Peter Drucker¡¯s term, is the hero. But in those models, knowledge tends to be confined to narrow front line, and comes and goes with creative employees. And worse, the firm can¡¯t react as an efficient unit to threats from environment. As a result, innovation is the haphazard event. So there should be some integrating mechanism like hierarchy. To be efficient unit, knowledge should flow all over the company. Here, authors rediscover the significance of middle managers. They play the role of midwife and amplifier of knowledge from front line employees and between various divisions in the firm. They coordinate the flow of knowledge and maintain the firm as a coherent knowledge-creating unit. In short, the firm should be organized as the melting pot of member¡¯s knowledge. Authors take examples from Japanese firms to illustrate what¡¯s like such a site.
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Summary: An essential book on knowledge management
Review: This is perhaps one of the most important books presently available on knowledge management. The authors demonstrate how 'knowledge' is vital to innovation within Japanese firms, with clear distinction made between 'tacit' and explicit' knowledge. An effort is made to distinguish the differences between Japanese and Western firms through an emphasis on the importance of 'tacit' knowledge and a 'middle-up-down' management process. Other than Chapter 2 (a review of philosophical background relating to epistemology which might put some readers off), this book has minimal jargons and complexities and would be an easy and enjoyable read even for non-academics. The arguments presented by the authors are well-illustrated with relevant industrial examples. Overall, this is a book that not only brings a new perspective to knowledge management but also raises questions for the ardent researchers who might ponder over its relevance to non-Japanese firms.
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Summary: THE best book on KM
Review: This is THE best book on KM-one that started the field. Make sure you read this one if you have any interest in knowledge management.
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Summary: Why depend on inscrutable tacit- to- tacit info flows?
Review: Too much reliance on mysterious "knowledge" flow (called tacit to tacit transfers by Nonaka). Yes tacit knowledge is extremely important, but not more so than explicit knowledge which is at least testable, analyzable, falsifiable, etc. And when tacit to tacit knowledge occurs, what is the neurophysiological mechanism? How can you transfer personal(tacit) knowledge without an explicit channel? I hardly think your tacit knowledge can be useful in analysis because analysis requires precise analysis and systematic thinking-- not BLACK MAGIC and inscrutable mental models!!!
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Summary: The hidden organisational agenda of Japanese success
Review: Why have Japanese companies become successful? This book offers a new explanation. It is argued that success of Japanese companies is not due to manufacturing prowess; access to cheap capital; close and cooperative relationships with customers, suppliers and government agencies; or lifetime employment and other human resources management practices - although all of these factors are important. Instead the claim is made that Japanese companies have been successful because of their skills and expertise at "organisational knowledge creation". This term is defined as the capability of the company as a whole to create new knowledge, disseminate it throughout the organisation, and embody it in products, services, and systems. The book's case studies demonstrate that this is the golden key to the distinctive ways that Japanese companies innovate continuously, incrementally and spirally. Rugby provides a metaphor for the speed and flexibility with which Japanese companies develop new products - as in rugby, the ball gets passed within the team as it moves up the field as a unit. The ball being passed around in the team contains a shared understanding of what the company stands for, where it is going, what kind of a world it wants to live in, and how to make that world a reality. Highly subjective insights, intuitions, and hunches are also embraced. That's what the ball contains - namely, ideals, values, and emotions. Ball movement in rugby is borne out of the team members' interplay on the field. It is determined on the spot ("here and now"), based on direct experience and trial and error. It requires an intensive and laborious interaction among members of the team. This interactive process is analogous to how total knowledge is created organisationally. This book calls for a fundamental shift in thinking about what the business organisation does with knowledge. Two kinds of human knowledge are distinguished. One is "explicit knowledge" which can be articulated in formal language including mathematical expressions and manuals. This kind of knowledge can be transmitted across individuals formally and easily. It has been the dominant mode of knowledge in the Western philosophical tradition. The Japanese company adds a second type of knowledge, "tacit knowledge" which is hard to articulate with formal language. This more personal form of knowledge is embedded in individual experience and involves intangible factors such as personal belief, perspective and the value system. In the West, tacit knowledge has been overlooked as a critical component of collective human behaviour. In contrast, tacit knowledge - and diffusion of learning from individual to team to organisation is a critical source of Japanese companies' competitiveness. Unless you understand this, Japanese management - and the way they win the business team game - will remain an enigma. Why not ready yourslef by discussing hidden knowledge-building agendas in our e-mail summit "Organising Creativity". It's free if you are passionately interested .................................................................. Chris Macrae, editor of Brand Chartering Handbook & MELNET www.brad.ac.uk/branding/ E-mail me at wcbn007@easynet.co.uk
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Summary: Ein großartiges Buch über Schaffung und Weitergabe von
Review: Wissen von Einzelnen zu Gruppen und schließlich für das ganze Unternehmen zum Umfeld des Unternehmens. Nach einer theoretischen Einführung wird man über etliche sehr interessante Fallstudien zum Nachdenken angeregt. Den Abschluß bildet eine sehr präzise Anleitung zur Umgestaltung des Unternehmens zu einem "Wissen erschaffenden Unternehmen".
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