Introduction
Currently, in the business world, knowledge inside and outside an organization is vital, since this is the information acquired through experience or education, the theoretical or practical understanding of a matter relating to reality.
After all, the purpose of the organization is to transcend, but for this, correct decision-making is necessary, and almost always, knowledge management is the basis for making a good decision.
Unfortunately, knowledge management has not been considered until very recently as an essential source of competitive advantage in the organization, usually, the knowledge management process involves techniques to capture, organize, store the knowledge of the workers, to transform it into a Intellectual asset that provides benefits and can be shared.
Below we will see the correct definition of knowledge management, going through its origin and its main contributors, and ending with some examples of successful companies.
Definition
Management. Action and effect of managing.
Knowledge. M. understanding, intelligence, natural reason.
What are you trying to talk about when we talk about knowledge management? When this expression is used, we refer to three different meanings:
- The valuation of the know-how of companies, patents and brands in a standardized way (intellectual capital). Intellectual capital is the possession of knowledge, applied experience, organizational technology, customer relationships and professional skills that give the organization a competitive advantage in the market, the drive of an organizational culture oriented to sharing knowledge and cooperative work. This is the point at which the organization has a set of beliefs, practices, values and norms that contribute to the identification in implication of the personnel with the organization and its objectives The implementation of devices that facilitate the generation and access to knowledge generated by the organization (technology).
Knowledge management originated in many organizations thanks to the acquisition of technology. Information technology is the basis of value creation in our society, but with the fact of having it, organizational problems will not be solved, the importance of this is the good management of technology. (Molina, 2001)
Currently there is a wide variety of concepts, as well as contributors to knowledge management. Some of them are:
- Knowledge management is the area dedicated to the management of the tactics and strategies required for the administration of intangible human resources in an organization (Brooking, 1997). Knowledge management has tactical and operational perspectives, it is more detailed than the management of intellectual capital and focuses on how to publicize and manage knowledge-related activities such as their creation, capture, transformation and use. Its function is to plan, implement and control all the activities related to the knowledge and programs required for the effective administration of intellectual capital (Wiig,1997) Knowledge management is the process that continuously ensures the development and application of all kinds of relevant knowledge of a company in order to improve its problem solving capacity and thus contribute to the sustainability of its competitive advantages (Andreu, 1999) Knowledge management is the function that plans, coordinates and controls the knowledge flows that are produced in the company in relation to its activities and its environment in order to create essential competences (Bueno, 1999).It coordinates and controls the knowledge flows that are produced in the company in relation to its activities and its environment in order to create essential competences (Bueno, 1999).It coordinates and controls the knowledge flows that are produced in the company in relation to its activities and its environment in order to create essential competences (Bueno, 1999).
However, after all these definitions are studied and well developed, we can come up with one, with which we can say that "knowledge management is the way in which companies generate, communicate and take advantage of their intellectual assets".
Background to the study of knowledge
The contribution to knowledge management dates back to Protagoras (480-411 Ac) who stated that: “Man is the measure of all things, of which they are inasmuch as they are and of those who are not inasmuch as they are not. " Followed by Plato (428-347 Ac), who says: "the existence of a world of ideas, invariable and invisible, on which it is possible to acquire accurate knowledge." Among others.
Currently, the study of knowledge has as its main function the study of the organizational approach, and regarding this Davenport and Prusak say that knowledge is given through human beings, since although a computer is capable of processing data into information, only the human being can convert all this into knowledge.
Pablo L. Belly, considered the founder of Knowledge Management, defines this as “that each one in the company knows what the other knows in order to improve business results”.
The knowledge-creating company
In an economy where the only certainty is uncertain, the best way to obtain a competitive advantage is through knowledge.
According to Ikuro Nonaka, jampons dedicated to the study of the company, the problem is that most organizational managers have a very narrow vision of knowledge and how it should be exploited and used by the company, they consider that the company is a kind of machine to process information.
But the way of understanding knowledge and the role to be played in the company is usually found in successful companies such as Honda, Canon, Matsuchita and Sharp. The directors of this organization believe that it is a question of knowing how to take advantage of the tactics and sometimes very subjective perceptions, ideas and intuitions of the employees. Generally, the means for the use of knowledge are qualitative, and usually take the form of slogans, metaphors and symbols, but it is an essential tool for continuous innovation.
Today the key lesson to learn in organizational management is simple: every company that wants to compete in knowledge will have to learn from the Japanese techniques of knowledge creation, guided by ancient examples of successful companies. The secret to success lies in your original focus on creating new knowledge.
Below are some examples regarding knowledge management in successful companies
Can the motto (evolutionary theory of the car) be a useful concept for the design of a new car? However, that phrase is what led to the creation of Honda City, Honda's innovative urban car.
Can a beer can be a useful analogy for a personal copier?
Well, that analogy is what promoted a fundamental improvement in the design of Canon's revolutionary mini copier, a product that created the personal copier market and that promoted Canon's successful transition from its stagnant camera business and its entry into the more lucrative field of office automation.
Can a word as far-fetched as (optoelectronics) offer any guidance to a company's product development engineers? However, under this heading, Sharp has acquired its great reputation for creating (first-line products), which define new technologies and markets, making Sharp the main protagonist in various sectors, ranging from color television to television screens. liquid crystal and integrated circuits manufactured according to customer specifications. (Peter F. Drucker, 2003)
conclusion
As previously mentioned, knowledge is an essential part of the human being and although it has not been rigorously defined, research on the role it plays within organizations and economies has a wide repertoire of consequences in management theory. and more broadly in economic theory.
Currently, knowledge has a great impact on decision-making within an organization, since this largely depends on the future of the company, both positively and negatively.
Bibliography
- Andreu, R. &. (1999). The comprehensive management of knowledge and learning. Industrial Economics, Brooking, A. (1997). Intellectual Capital Core Asset for Third Millennium Enterprise. Madrid: Paidos Company. Well, E. (1999). Knowledge management, learning and intellectual capital. Madrid: Club Intelect Newsletter, no. 1.Molina, JL (2001). Knowledge management in organizations. Barcelona. Peter F. Drucker, CA (2003). Knowledge management. Spain: DEUSTO.Wiig, K. (1997). Integrating Intellectual Capital and Knowledge Management. Long Range Planning.
