Definition

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 Definitions **What is Knowledge Management?**

Knowledge Management (KM) has many varied facets and depends on what your objectives are as to the ‘type’ of KM that you can implement. For sure, we can determine that KM is to do with people, processes and technology (in that specific order of priority and importance).

At a generic level, KM can be defined as the collection of processes that manage the formation, distribution, and use of knowledge. It involves creation of supportive organizational structures, facilitation of organizational members, putting IT instruments with emphasis on teamwork and diffusion of knowledge into place. Knowledge is the full utilization of information and data coupled with the potential of people’s skills, competencies, ideas, intuitions, commitments and motivations.

What is Knowledge Management (KM)? It is knowledge sharing, creation, and codification to promote learning and innovation

//Jennex // (2005) defined KM as the practice of selectively applying knowledge from previous experiences of decision making to current and future decision-making activities with the express purpose of improving the organization’s effectiveness.

Another key definition of KM includes //Holsapple // and //Joshi // (2004), who consider KM as an entity’s systematic and deliberate efforts to expand, cultivate, and apply available knowledge in ways that add value to the entity in the sense of positive results in accomplishing its objectives or fulfilling its purpose. The entity’s scope may be individual, organizational, trans-organizational, national, and so forth.

Alavi and Leidner (2001) think that KM involves distinct but interdependent processes of knowledge creation, knowledge storage and retrieval, knowledge transfer, and knowledge application.

It is important to note that none of these definitions of KM is purely technical in nature. They all include information system (IS) support, but they also include organizational considerations, and all include an impact on organizational productivity and effectiveness. This is important, because many experts consider KM to be a form of IS. However, while the IS component is important, in order for KM to be effective as a change or transformation tool, it must include more; it requires management support and an organizational culture.

We can also determine, that when we refer to knowledge, we can also include information and data. So to define KM in general terms, means that we should be focusing on getting the RIGHT information, data and knowledge to the RIGHT people at the RIGHT time. KM is therefore: **//The Art of Creating Added Value from Intangible Assets. //**

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