In fact, knowledge management, as a management activity, did not exist in recent decades, but was born with human production activities. From hunting and farming to digging wells for water and fire, from family workshops to building water conservancy projects, from the Egyptian pyramids to the Great Wall in Wan Li, China, there are a lot of knowledge creation and dissemination activities, and many traditional handicraft skills have been passed down from generation to generation in the way of following the father's footsteps. Only then, knowledge management is an unconscious activity, without conceptualization and special technology to strengthen this process. Until 1990s, with the deepening of the concept of knowledge management and the development of information technology, information-related technologies, such as LothsNotes, Internet, Intranet and Extranet, were gradually applied to the field of knowledge management. Many enterprises invest a lot of money to develop knowledge-based information systems, and information technology has become the main means for some enterprises, especially western enterprises, to implement knowledge management. It is even predicted that by 2 100, 98% of knowledge will be generated by computers, while only 2% will be generated by humans.
However, knowledge management is a very complicated activity, and the promotion of information technology to knowledge management is very limited. In the last 20 years, American industry has invested more than $65,438+0 trillion in information technology, but all this has little effect on improving the work efficiency and ability of knowledge workers. The reason is that most enterprises unilaterally emphasize the role of "technology" while ignoring the "human" factor in the process of implementing knowledge management. Therefore, balancing the factors of "technology" and "people" and choosing an effective knowledge management strategy have become an urgent problem for enterprises to implement knowledge management strategy. Starting with the connotation analysis of knowledge creation process and knowledge management, this paper probes into the functions of two dimensions of knowledge management, and puts forward three strategies for enterprises to implement knowledge management.
First, the process of knowledge creation and dissemination.
Knowledge refers to professional intelligence, that is, the creativity of organization members who know what, how, why and self-motivation. In an organization, knowledge is not only stored in the brains of employees, but also rooted in the documents, daily work, procedures, practices and norms of the organization. Knowledge in an organization can be divided into tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge. Tacit knowledge refers to the knowledge that is difficult to express clearly and hidden in the process and action, such as the proprietary technology owned by employees. Know why, and so on; Explicit knowledge refers to knowledge that can be clearly expressed in language, words, graphics, charts and so on. It is also called coding knowledge, such as computer programs, design specifications, operating procedures, etc. Tacit knowledge is highly personalized, difficult to communicate and difficult for individuals to enjoy; Explicit knowledge is easy to communicate and enjoy among individuals because of its easy expression and coding. Tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge can be transformed into each other, and the creation and dissemination of knowledge in an organization stems from "continuous dialogue between tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge".
Nonaka and Tadeuchi divide the process of knowledge creation and dissemination in organizations into four stages: (1) socialization: from tacit knowledge to tacit knowledge; (2) Externalization: from tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge; (3) Combination: from explicit knowledge to explicit knowledge; (4) Internalization: from explicit knowledge to tacit knowledge.
Socialization is a process in which individuals enjoy tacit knowledge. In this process, tacit knowledge is spread through observation, imitation and personal practice, and mentoring is a typical form for individuals to enjoy tacit knowledge. Since new knowledge often comes from individuals, socialization is the starting point of knowledge creation and dissemination. Externalization is a clear expression of tacit knowledge and transforms it into a form that others can easily understand. This process relies on analogy, metaphor and hypothesis. Listening and deep dialogue are important tools to promote the transformation of tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge. Because explicit knowledge can be spread by means of advanced technologies and media such as communication, network and publications, making tacit knowledge explicit is a key step to promote the large-scale spread of tacit knowledge. Combination is a process of further systematizing and complicating fragmentary explicit knowledge. After the process of socialization and externalization, the explicit knowledge in employees' minds is still fragmentary and has not become a formatted language. By combining these pieces of knowledge and expressing them in professional language, the process of combination is completed. In the process of combination, personal knowledge is transformed into organizational knowledge. Video conference, telephone. E-mail is an effective tool for integration. Internalization refers to the transformation of newly created explicit knowledge (organizational knowledge) into tacit knowledge of other members of the organization. Through the combination process, new knowledge can be spread among members of the organization. After receiving this new knowledge, members of the organization can apply it to their work and create new tacit knowledge. Xi group (teamwork), learning while doing (learning while doing? ┖ぷぷn-╫n-the-Jobtraining, etc. It is an effective way to internalize new knowledge.
Personal tacit knowledge goes through four stages: socialization, externalization, combination and internalization, which realizes the transfer of knowledge between individuals and between individuals and organizations, and finally produces new tacit knowledge. In this process, the transformation, transmission and creation of knowledge is a dynamic and gradual process, so it is called the knowledge spiral in the wild. When an individual's tacit knowledge completes a knowledge spiral movement and is transformed into new tacit knowledge, the new knowledge spiral movement begins again (see figure 1).
Second, the connotation of knowledge management
Knowledge management is to develop the necessary environment and conditions to promote the process of knowledge creation and dissemination in the organization, so that the knowledge spiral continues to extend. Knowledge management not only includes coding the existing explicit knowledge in an organization, but also includes mining the tacit knowledge in employees' minds, transforming it into coded explicit knowledge, or realizing the enjoyment of tacit knowledge. Because explicit knowledge is easy to communicate and enjoy, it is also easy for competitors to learn. For an organization, it is obviously impossible for explicit knowledge to form a sustainable competitive advantage, and the knowledge base that constitutes the core competence of the organization is based on tacit knowledge, so the core connotation of knowledge management is to explore the tacit knowledge in employees' minds (10).
The knowledge of employees can be likened to an iceberg floating on the sea. The visible part exposed to the sea is the explicit knowledge of employees, and the invisible part submerged in the sea is the tacit knowledge of employees. Obviously, for an iceberg, the part above the water is only a small part of its volume. Similarly, employees' tacit knowledge is far greater than their explicit knowledge. Moreover, near the iceberg, you can see a small part of the iceberg submerged in the seawater below sea level through the seawater, which is equivalent to tacit knowledge that can be transformed into explicit knowledge, and these tacit knowledge that can be transformed is only a small part of the tacit knowledge of all employees (see Figure 2).
There are two modes of mining tacit knowledge in employees' minds: one mode is that employees clearly express some tacit knowledge, turn it into explicit knowledge, systematize it through the combination process, and share it with other members of the organization through some technical platform (such as networks, programs, publications, etc.). ); Another model is that employees' tacit knowledge is first transmitted to other members of the organization through socialization, and then made explicit through externalization and combination. In the latter mode, the tacit knowledge that is finally revealed is only a small part of the tacit knowledge spread, and most of the tacit knowledge only becomes the tacit knowledge of other employees after the socialization process, and cannot be revealed (see Figure 3).
It can be seen that the tacit knowledge transmitted by the first mode is very limited, and it is still the tip of the iceberg to make tacit knowledge explicit by the second mode. A large amount of tacit knowledge must be transmitted face to face through the process of socialization. Therefore, the central task of knowledge management in an organization is to (1) provide necessary technical conditions to encourage employees to make their tacit knowledge explicit, or further make it explicit after socialization, and then transform it into systematic explicit knowledge through combination, so as to realize the enjoyment of explicit knowledge through a certain technical platform; (2) Create the necessary organizational environment to promote face-to-face tacit knowledge sharing.
Third, the dimension of knowledge management.
In the process of knowledge creation and dissemination and knowledge management activities, two factors are crucial: one is people; The second is technology. These two factors simultaneously constitute two dimensions of knowledge management.
Man is the key factor of knowledge management because he is not only the carrier of tacit knowledge, but also the endogenous force of knowledge creation and dissemination. In the four stages of knowledge creation and dissemination, each stage is inseparable from human participation, especially in the stage of socialization and internalization, almost entirely human factors are at work. In the socialization stage, people spread tacit knowledge through mentoring, and human observation, imitation and personal practice play a decisive role. At this stage, technology hardly plays any role. In the internalization stage, people digest and absorb the newly acquired explicit knowledge through group work and training and work in middle school, and then create new tacit knowledge. Therefore, it can be said that people are the decisive factor of knowledge creation and dissemination, and also one of the important dimensions of knowledge management.
Technology mainly plays a role in the combination stage of knowledge creation and dissemination, and also supports the process of externalization and internalization. In the combination stage, the coding and acquisition of knowledge completely depends on information technology. Many western companies even think that knowledge management is to encode knowledge and obtain it conveniently through information technology. In the externalization stage, communication and information technologies such as video conferencing system, telephone and e-mail can strengthen and facilitate people's communication and exchange, thus promoting the transformation from tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge. In the internalization stage, computer simulation, virtual reality and other technologies can provide people with timely training, and the microworld developed by the Organizational Learning Center of Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a vivid example in this regard. Therefore, technology also plays a key role in the process of knowledge creation and dissemination, and is one of the important dimensions of knowledge management. Of course, compared with people, technology is only a tool ["], and it cannot be an endogenous force of knowledge management.
Organizations can strengthen the role of two dimensions in the process of knowledge management by creating a suitable organizational environment and increasing investment in information technology. Formal organizations, such as project teams and work forces, are regarded as the best learning units in organizations by western scholars because of their good communication performance, so they are widely adopted by western enterprises. This formal working group encourages face-to-face communication and promotes the transformation and absorption of knowledge in the two stages of socialization and internalization in the process of knowledge creation and dissemination, thus playing an important role in the process of knowledge creation and dissemination. In recent years, while actively improving formal working groups, western enterprises have begun to focus on cultivating informal groups such as communities of practice, making formal groups and informal groups two complementary knowledge creation and dissemination systems in organizations. Members of informal groups come from the same professional fields and use the same professional terms, so they are easier to communicate, which can promote the process of externalization and contribute to the process of socialization and internalization. Some scholars have found that 70% of the knowledge acquired by employees in the workplace comes from communication with members of informal groups. Therefore, the establishment of formal working groups and the cultivation of informal learning groups to complement each other are the organizational basis for exerting the "human" factor in the process of knowledge management. Information technology not only supports the rapid acquisition of explicit knowledge, but also supports the rapid communication between people, so it also supports the development of "human" factors in the process of knowledge management. Many companies have invested a lot of money in building knowledge-based systems. In such a department? Holding the school calf to cook and bask in the sun, I am worried about the disaster in the south, the disaster in my pocket and the shape of the building. (4) The source of disasters is changing. Disasters in textile machinery are sent to e-mail systems, electronic libraries and the Internet.
Fourth, the strategy of knowledge management.
People and technology are two main aspects of knowledge management activities. No matter which dimension it is strengthened from, it can promote the transformation between tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge and promote the development of knowledge spiral movement. However, people and technology play different roles in each stage of the spiral movement of knowledge. For a specific organization, it is a dilemma whether to choose which dimension to focus on or take into account both dimensions when implementing knowledge management strategy. The survey conducted by EIU and IBM on 38 companies in North America, Europe and Japan shows that each company has different knowledge management strategies. Hansen and others also pointed out that some companies rely on computer management knowledge, while others let employees enjoy knowledge in the traditional way. Companies should choose the right knowledge management strategy, and any wrong choice, or a strategy that tries to give consideration to both, will surely give the company a fatal blow. Based on the two dimensions of knowledge management, this paper divides the knowledge management strategies of enterprises into three types: informatization strategy, humanization strategy and integration strategy (see Figure 4).
Informatization strategy refers to the strategy of managing knowledge from only one dimension of technology. The production and operation activities of such companies mainly rely on explicit knowledge and rarely rely on tacit knowledge in the minds of employees. Companies that provide standardized products or services, companies that provide mature products or services instead of relying on innovation, such as management consulting companies, design companies, traditional manufacturing companies, etc. , mostly using information strategy. Because this kind of organization mainly uses the original knowledge to carry out repetitive production or business activities, it is the key for enterprises to win quickly, and information strategy can just meet this requirement. Andersen Consulting and Ernst & Young Consulting in the United States mainly provide customers with mature and standardized computer network systems or knowledge management system solutions, and mainly use explicit knowledge, so the knowledge management system within the company is very important for their success. The two companies invested $5 million in the construction of knowledge management systems, and used the method of "person-to-person-to-document" to make the tacit knowledge owned by employees explicit, so that all employees can make maximum use of the company's knowledge management system to create value for customers. The two companies have also achieved great success. In addition, the business strategy of an enterprise also determines its knowledge management strategy. For example, a cancer research center defines its business strategy as "using existing knowledge instead of creating new knowledge to serve patients". They developed an expert system, and input the symptoms of more than 500 diseases and the treatment schemes suggested by experts into the system. This hospital only employs people with junior qualifications. The car bag is painted, dizzy and loose, which makes the ants in the rose class fight against beer. 000 times, thus greatly reducing the service cost of the hospital.
Humanization strategy refers to the strategy of managing knowledge from one dimension of "people". The production and operation activities of such companies mainly rely on the tacit knowledge in the minds of employees, rather than the existing explicit knowledge of the company. The company's business strategy is to obtain market value with innovative products (or services) rather than mature products (or services), and the company produces more customized products or services rather than standardized ones, such as strategic consulting companies, maintenance companies and catering companies. Hewlett-Packard Consulting Company in the United States is mainly a strategic consulting company, providing customers with business strategy and other services. Its operation mainly depends on the tacit knowledge of consultants rather than the existing explicit knowledge of the company. The company's knowledge management strategy is a "person-to-person" humanized strategy. HP's departments are distributed all over the world, and the company's consultants and engineers often shuttle between various departments to exchange views. The company stipulates that all employees must take the same plane on business trip, so as to increase the opportunities for communication between employees, and the company does not even limit the travel budget. The company also encourages employees to establish an inter-departmental "learning community" to enjoy best practices and practical skills, which is similar to the practice community mentioned above. Xerox initially hoped to build a knowledge base for its maintenance personnel to help them find the fastest and best maintenance plan. But this idea finally failed, because the knowledge transfer between maintenance personnel mainly depends on face-to-face communication, through "storytelling" rather than computer network? Why not make a wooden hinge for the mirror? BR> Information strategy and humanization strategy both manage the company's knowledge in one dimension. In fact, more companies manage their knowledge in two dimensions. We call the knowledge management strategy of such companies comprehensive strategy. According to the different emphases of the two dimensions, comprehensive strategy can be divided into people-oriented comprehensive strategy and technology-oriented comprehensive strategy. People-oriented comprehensive strategy emphasizes the role of people in the process of knowledge management, and the main means of knowledge management is "from person to person", but at the same time, virtual conference system, online forum and knowledge map are developed to facilitate and promote the communication between people. In this form, technology is used as an auxiliary tool rather than a main factor. The comprehensive strategy based on technology emphasizes the role of technology in the process of knowledge management, and the dominant mode of tacit knowledge is "from people to documents", while people are only auxiliary factors. The role of people is to express the tacit knowledge in their own minds in professional language, and then input it into the computer system for others to share. Successful companies that implement comprehensive strategies are those that focus on two aspects rather than both.
Verb (abbreviation of verb) conclusion
Mankind is entering the era of knowledge economy, and management knowledge has become the main content of enterprise management. What kind of knowledge management strategy is crucial to the success of the company. This paper puts forward that people and technology are the two main dimensions of knowledge management, and accordingly divides the knowledge management strategies of enterprises into three types: informatization, humanization and integration. The company's knowledge management strategy is determined by the business strategy, the standardization degree of products (or services) and the innovation degree of products (or services). Those companies with existing explicit knowledge as their main business strategy, highly standardized products (or services) and poor innovation should adopt information strategy or comprehensive strategy based on information; Those companies whose main business strategy is to use tacit knowledge and whose products (or services) are mainly customized or highly innovative should adopt humanized strategy or comprehensive strategy based on humanization. The correct choice of knowledge management strategy is often the key to a company's success.