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CHAPTER: Knowledge Management

Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) Distinguishing Knowledge Management from Information Management

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Knowledge Management and Information Management are often conflated, but this confusion can be resolved by understanding the clear distinction between knowledge and information.

Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) are often referred to simply as Knowledge Management (KM). There are two components:

  1. The management of information (information management (IM)).
  2. The management of knowledge (knowledge management (KM)).

Before talking about the difference between IM and KM, it is essential to understand the difference between Information and knowledge.

Knowledge only exists in the mind. Once encoded in any form, it becomes information.

Definition: information

Information is a broad term that refers to data or facts. This can include news articles, data sets, reports, instructions, manuals, and more. It can be used to convey ideas, concepts, or instructions, and it can also be used to support problem-solving, decision-making, and other efforts.

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Definition: knowledge

Knowledge is a broad term that refers to the understanding and familiarity with a particular subject or area. It is a collection of facts, information, and skills that are acquired through experience or education. It includes the understanding of complex ideas and concepts and the ability to apply this understanding to new situations.

Tag: knowledge (64)

Information Management

Definition: information management

Information Management (IM) is practiced through activities that support the capture, storage, categorization, and distribution of information.

Tag: information management (5)

In its broadest sense, KM is often incorrectly referred to as “getting the right information to the right people at the right time.”

This “sort of KM” is about databases, records management, libraries, books, reports, document repositories, videos, taxonomies, etc.

In our digital world, it is fundamentally about Information Technology (IT) and not about knowledge.

This is not Knowledge Management; it is Information Management.

Knowledge Management

Definition: knowledge management

Knowledge Management (KM) is practiced through activities that support making sense of information, decision-making, strategy formulation and implementation, learning, creativity, and innovation.

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These activities are something only humans do. Computers can do none of these things.

Knowledge is the capacity for effective action.

There is no capacity for effective action in a database.

Credit: Peter Senge

Information Management is practiced through activities that support the capture, storage, categorization, and distribution of information. In contrast, Knowledge Management is practiced through activities that support making sense of information, decision-making, strategy formulation and implementation, learning, creativity, and innovation. However, good Knowledge Management rests on sound Information Management.

 

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