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This is a summary from evaluating 54 distinct definitions of KM. View full evaluation first.
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Type of Definition
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Count
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Notes
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Management based
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26
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These definitions treated KM as a conscious effort co-ordinated by management
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Process based
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23
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These definitions treated KM as the actual processes responsible for manipulating knowledge. In other words, even without management intervention, 'unconscious KM' is being carried out
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KM as skill
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3
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These definitions treated KM as an individual skill which needed to be learnt
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Not a KM definition
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4
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These definitions did not meet any reasonable test of describing KM. Normally, they involved Information Systems Management instead
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* Note that two definitions have been counted as both management and process based since the definition used a hybrid of both.
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Attribute of KM
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Count
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Notes
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Improved Execution
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28
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better business results, possible through better profits, but more often measured using a triple bottom line or other socio-economic approach
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Knowledge Distribution
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26
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storing, retrieving and sharing knowledge (but pub/sub approach, not collaboration)
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Knowledge Creation
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21
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innovation, creativity and other ways of building new knowledge
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Learning
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14
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spreading existing knowledge among organisation staff
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Value from Knowledge Assets
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12
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extracting a financial benefit from individual knowledge
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Knowledge Codification
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11
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often referred to as turning tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge
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Knowledge Classification
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9
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applying a taxonomy to knowledge (either a Knowledge Base or an expertise directory)
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Collaboration
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7
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working together to jointly learn and create new knowledge and/or information assets
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Knowledge Harvesting
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6
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a managed process of discovering existing knowledge and converting this into an explicit form
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Knowledge Retention
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3
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preventing the loss of organisational knowledge when individuals leave
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Knowledge Discovery
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2
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explicitly identifying knowledge resources, without necessarily codifying them
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Continuous Improvement
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2
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requiring ongoing process improvements as part of the organisation
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Cultural Change
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2
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changing individual attitudes to promote actions that benefit the whole organisation
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Improved Resource Assignment
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1
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matching individuals and their knowledge to organisational requirements
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Knowledge Processing
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1
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improving the processes that determine how knowledge is processed in an organisation
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(Update: Following some further discussion on actKM, I think it's appropriate to divide these categories into two further headings -- what KM is versus what KM achieves.)
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KM Activities
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KM Objectives
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Collaboration
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Continuous Improvement
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Knowledge Creation
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Cultural Change
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Knowledge Classification
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Improved Execution
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Knowledge Discovery
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Knowledge Codification
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Knowledge Distribution
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Knowledge Retention
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Knowledge Harvesting
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Improved Resource Assignment
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Knowledge Processing
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Value from Knowledge Assets
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Learning
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