Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Knowledge ...

Seyed Esmaeil Asgharpour and Gholamreza Taleghani
Knowledge: Includes data and information which has been organized or processed to contribute to
understanding, experience, collective and specialized learning. It also was defined as a combination
<strong>of</strong> organized experiences, values and information and expertise attitudes which give framework for
values and enjoying new experiences and information (Khan Sari 2006).
Knowledge is a set <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> organized information, its related strategies, results <strong>of</strong> its application in
different decisions and its related education. Knowledge can be defined as insights <strong>of</strong> information and
data. It can be effective and dividable in different methods under different conditions. It is an
understanding through experience, argument, direct understanding and learning. Knowledge is an
awareness <strong>of</strong> person which is obtained from thought.
Organization: Organization is a structured social system which includes groups and individuals who
try to acquire desired goals. On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand, organization includes structured social units such as
individuals and working groups which work in order to achieve a common goal such as production,
sale, services and gain definite pr<strong>of</strong>it (Seyed Javadin 2005).
Education and learning: Refers to special activities (processes) for learning inside <strong>the</strong> organization.
The author believes that learning from experience is <strong>the</strong> key .It is true that we might get some insights
from education, but what really changes us in long-term, is <strong>the</strong> work experience to be intellectually
competitive (Bebenroth 2011).
Learning organization: Is an organization in which learning is mixed with its basic rules, <strong>the</strong>
organization <strong>of</strong> which different groups are increasing <strong>the</strong>ir knowledge continuously (Davenport 2001).
From Peter Sanger's point <strong>of</strong> view, learning organization is a place which persons increase <strong>the</strong>ir
abilities to create results which <strong>the</strong>y seek to find. Learning organization is an organization which is
developed by creating and nourishing capabilities required for access to <strong>the</strong> future successes (Grant
1996).
Innovation: Makes new and innovative thoughts resulting from creativity practical. Innovation
converts new creativity or new ideas to practice and result. In ano<strong>the</strong>r definition, innovation is defined
as creative idea and its conversion to product <strong>of</strong> services and new methods <strong>of</strong> operations (Akhavan
2007).
Information: Is defined as an interrelated set <strong>of</strong> data which can be transferred as a message and
interpretation and is basis <strong>of</strong> decision making in organizations. Adding ground and interpretation to
<strong>the</strong> data and <strong>the</strong>ir interrelation causes to form information. Information is combined data with its
ground and interpretation
Wisdom and awareness: The last stage is movement from knowledge to wisdom and perfection.
Wisdom is application <strong>of</strong> knowledge. If a person knows that eating fatty food will result in obesity but
he cannot help eating it, he will not be considered a wise man because he has been aware <strong>of</strong>
knowledge which he has not applied (Sadat Bid Gholi 2009).
Figure 1 shows that knowledge management is closely related to human resource management as it
deals with people and <strong>the</strong> process <strong>of</strong> how knowledge is transferred. Also how <strong>the</strong>se five critical factors
<strong>of</strong> KM ;such as attitude <strong>of</strong> senior management ,knowledge sharing ,education and learning,
knowledge reservoir ,and information technology affect on acquiring competitive advantage in <strong>the</strong>se
two bread factories.
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