Integrating Japanese knowledge creation theory into knowledge management initiatives

• Main Authors: Salim, Juhana, Takeuchi, Hirotaka, Nonaka, Ichijiro, Toyama, Ryoko, Othman, Mohd Shahizan
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: 2006
• Subjects: HD28 Management. Industrial Management
• Online Access: http://repo.uum.edu.my/11479/1/241.pdf; http://repo.uum.edu.my/11479/; http://www.kmice.cms.net.my/

The first step to knowledge initiatives in companies is that of finding what people in the company know and taking steps to make knowledge accessible throughout the organization.Such process relates to the capturing and disseminating of explicit knowledge through information and communication technology whereby knowledge is codified, stored and disseminated and updated through computer networks.However, the organization that focuses completely on collecting explicit knowledge and makes little or no effort at linking people with people tends to end up with having merely a repository of static documents.This article gives an analysis and synthesis of the Japanese perspectives as oppose to Western perspectives on knowledge management, followed by an elaborated account on the theory of knowledge creation advocated by Fujiro Nonaka and Hirotaka Takeuchi.This is to stress that it is equally important to link people and by doing so, the flow of tacit knowledge could be enhanced through better human interaction.Such dimensions seem to be the main focus in Japanese knowledge initiatives.However, an organization that focuses entirely on connecting people with little or no effort at linking people with information can also be very inefficient.This article attempts to highlight the point that knowledge management initiatives should be combining the benefit of both Western and Japanese approach to knowledge management.A model was constructed to ensure that the knowledge management programmes to be designed give emphasis on a variety of aspects that will make the programme efficient and effective.From the details given on Japanese knowledge management perspective, thus it can be synthesized that for a knowledge management programme to succeed, the culture of the organization must support online learning and knowledge sharing.