Title
Managing the KM Trade-Off: Knowledge Centralization versus Distribution
Abstract
KM is more an archipelago of theories and practices rather than a monolithic approach. We propose a conceptual map that organizes some major approaches to KM according to their assumptions on the nature of knowledge. The paper introduces the two major views on knowledge - objectivist, subjectivist - and explodes each of them into two major approaches to KM: knowledge as a market, and knowledge as intellectual capital ( the objectivistic perspective); knowledge as mental models, and knowledge as practice ( the subjectivist perspective). We argue that the dichotomy between objective and subjective approaches is intrinsic to KM within complex organizations, as each side of the dichotomy responds to different, and often conflicting, needs: on the one hand, the need to maximize the value of knowledge through its replication; on the other hand, the need to keep knowledge appropriate to an increasingly complex and changing environment. Moreover, as a proposal for a deeper discussion, such trade-off will be suggested as the origin of other relevant KM related trade-offs that will be listed. Managing these trade-offs will be proposed as a main challenge of KM.
Year
Venue
Keywords
2004
JOURNAL OF UNIVERSAL COMPUTER SCIENCE
intellectual capital,knowledge markets,mental models,communities of practice,retrospective rationality,bounded rationality,constructivism,organizational trade-offs
Field
DocType
Volume
Personal knowledge management,Computer science,Objectivism,Knowledge management,Knowledge value chain,Archipelago,Trade-off,Intellectual capital,Subjectivism,Instrumental and intrinsic value
Journal
10
Issue
ISSN
Citations 
3
0948-695X
5
PageRank 
References 
Authors
0.73
1
3
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Matteo Bonifacio112115.69
Pierfranco Camussone250.73
Chiara Zini350.73