Information Management, Knowledge Management and Organizations - Essay Example

However, as Blaise Pascal said," We must learn our limits. We are all something, but none of us are everything." Therefore integrating the knowledge base of the entire length and breadth of the organization and the ability to utilize this collective knowledge and make it available becomes important. Knowledge management is a relatively newer concept and has been received with as much enthusiasm as well as skepticism. However, its awareness has been continually increasing. Knowledge management is the complete system of finding knowledge or creating it, storing it and using it appropriately.

Although Knowledge Management is often associated with the information and technology industry, it undeniably exists in all kinds of jobs and all occupations. Argyris (1977) defines organizational learning as the process of "detection and correction of errors." In his view, organizations learn through individuals acting as agents for them: "The individuals' learning activities, in turn, are facilitated or inhibited by an ecological system of factors that may be called an organizational learning system" (p. 117). .

A learning organization needs to address a number of issues in order that it meets its targets. It addition to working with its employees as a team as well as individuals, it also needs to behave a complete management buy-in and commitment to the process. This is emphasized in the Knowledge management forum by Thomas Brextel as "Knowledge management is the management of the organization towards the continuous renewal of the organizational knowledge base - this means e.g. creation of supportive organizational structures, facilitation of organizational members, putting IT-instruments with emphasis on teamwork and diffusion of knowledge (as e.g. groupware) into place.

"Organizational knowledge is the sum of all the knowledge accumulated gradually over time by all its employees, collected and shared. This also means that it depends on personal knowledge as well as inclination to share that knowledge with others. "Characteristics of the work or problem situation determine the ways that information is used and assessed to be helpful (or otherwise)." (Knowing Organization, Chun Wee Choo) This is especially true that when employees are singled out for promotions and incentives based on their knowledge, the urge to share it with others becomes lesser.

To counter this management should promote an environment where the employees who share tips that prove to be beneficial to organization are recognized and rewarded. In an article in CIO.com, the author also expresses a similar view that, "Linking KM directly to job performance, creating a safe climate for people to share ideas and recognizing people who contribute to the KM effort (especially those people whose