There are many types and forms of knowledge e.g. facts, know-how, specific skills, procedural knowledge etc. A common portrayal is that of a knowledge hierarchy that goes from data (facts and figures) to information (data + interpretation) to knowledge (information + used) to wisdom or intelligence (knowledge with insight). For practical purposes the most important distinction is that between explicit and tacit knowledge, a distinction first elaborated in some detail by Michael Polyani.
According to Nonaka and Takeuchi explicit knowledge is that which:
“can be expressed in words and numbers and can be easily communicated and shared in the form of hard data, scientific formulae, codified procedures or universal principles”
whereas tacit knowledge is:
“highly personal and hard to formalize. Subjective insights, intuitions and hunches fall into this category of knowledge.”
Thus, explicit knowledge (or information) in organisations is typically found in documents and databases, while tacit knowledge is that which is in the heads of people. Many knowledge management programmes have over-emphasized the approach of converting tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge. This approach has generally proved futile, since no database can replicate the years of experience of a knowledgeable individual or know (through judgement) which information to apply in a specific situation. The best that can be done in most cases is to make some tacit knowledge explicit, and provide pointers to the experts who will be able to put such knowledge into context and help those wanting to apply it.
Regards
-MZA-
According to Nonaka and Takeuchi explicit knowledge is that which:
“can be expressed in words and numbers and can be easily communicated and shared in the form of hard data, scientific formulae, codified procedures or universal principles”
whereas tacit knowledge is:
“highly personal and hard to formalize. Subjective insights, intuitions and hunches fall into this category of knowledge.”
Thus, explicit knowledge (or information) in organisations is typically found in documents and databases, while tacit knowledge is that which is in the heads of people. Many knowledge management programmes have over-emphasized the approach of converting tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge. This approach has generally proved futile, since no database can replicate the years of experience of a knowledgeable individual or know (through judgement) which information to apply in a specific situation. The best that can be done in most cases is to make some tacit knowledge explicit, and provide pointers to the experts who will be able to put such knowledge into context and help those wanting to apply it.
Regards
-MZA-
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