Knowledge Management: Converting individual learnings into organizationl learning

Abstract

'Knowledge Management' (KM) has become the new 'mantra' for survivaland growth of organizations. The new initiative is often projected as a directoutcome of the IT revolution and even equated to IT-based techniques forcodifying, storing, and retrieving information. This is indeed a misconception.KM is as old as the human race itself; it is only the tools, techniques, andthe methodologies that have undergone changes. The oldest of these, thatis, person-to-person transfer of knowledge is no less important even in thepresent era of high technology. One may recall from the Greek mythology,how the human race acquired the technology of fire from the gods throughthe unauthorized services of Prometheus, and how severely Zeus punishedthe latter for smuggling this technology to an alien race! Knowledge is alwaysgenerated by individuals but can be shared selectively among groups,organizations, and communities and beyond. There can be and will beunwillingness and inadequacies at all these levels.