READIT - 2009 - Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research

Investment(ROI), which is the future KM. The remaining parts of this paper analyses the
characteristics of this journey of KM.
2. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT 0.0
Knowledge Management practices in this era is not much dealt in the literature of
Knowledge Management, since the term was not in existence. However some authors do
mention about it as implicit KM. For example Wiig mention that knowledge has been
implicitly managed as long as people seriously thought about their work and gives
examples of early hunters transferring their expertise to their team mates and succession
planning of wise men (Wiig, 1997). It can be observed from history that codification of
knowledge and sharing of the codified knowledge was practiced when the technology for
writing and documenting was available. Also, sharing of knowledge in face-to-face
communications, discussions and demonstrations were practiced since early civilizations
and the knowledge was transferred from generations to generations. Even today there are
secretly held knowledge that is shared only among close family members and transferred
to successive generations of the same family. In the context of organizations also, the
knowledge used to be shared among like minded people informally and among formal
groups and teams through formal training and discussions. However the reach of
knowledge was limited and consequently the benefits also. The KM0.0 activities can be
portrayed through the following sub-systems:
o People: People acquire the knowledge through experience and share
among the peers. Peer to peer knowledge transfer was more common,
though informal communities do exist. Both the source and recipient of
knowledge see the value and benefit in the knowledge sharing.
o Process: The process is informal and semi formal. For example a hunter
may transfer the basic knowledge of hunting to his son in a semi formal
way. But the same hunter may share his unique experience on a particular
occasion to his fellow hunters in an informal way. In the organizational
context the employees will share the knowledge with their trustworthy
friends informally. Formal sharing takes place through official discussions
and formal training.
o Technology: Initially the simple technology for writing only was used to
preserve and transfer the knowledge, in addition to face-to-face
communication. With the availability of Information and Communication
Technology, knowledge preservation, knowledge access, knowledge
sharing and knowledge transfer have become much easy, though
unsystematic.
o Knowledge: Both explicit and tacit knowledge used to be shared. However
the knowledge pertained to only the core activities.
3. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT 1.0
There are different opinions on how the term “Knowledge Management” has
originated. Some feel that consultants have developed it to increase their revenue. Others
feel that, it is just renaming of earlier data and information management. Prusak argues
that “ knowledge management like any system of thought, that has value, is both old and