READIT - 2009 - Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research

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Fig : 1. Five ‘ C ‘ Model
Knowledge – Knowledge is a fluid mix of contextual information, framed
experience, values, assumptions, beliefs, intelligence, expert insight and
grounded intuition that provide an environment and framework for evaluating
and incorporating new experiences and information. The knowledge is
constantly tested, updated and revised. A good chunk of the knowledge is not
stored in databases but in the minds of people who work in the organization.
Only a minuscule portion of the knowledge gets formalized in databases,
books, manuals, documents, and presentation; the rest of it stays in the heads
of people. Knowledge is the key resource for effective planning and predictive
decisions being made at every minute.
3. DIMENSIONS OF KNOWLEDGE
There are two dimensions of knowledge namely Tacit and Explicit. Tacit
knowledge is considered as personal which is referred as skills, know-how, insights,
judgments and intelligent which are embedded in the minds of the people and that it is
difficult to communicate to the rest of the institution. Explicit Knowledge is a
knowledge that has been/can be articulated, codified, expressed, captured and
documented in certain media such as manuals, procedures, patents, standards, online
databases and websites, audio-visual works of art and product design and so on which
can be readily transmitted to others.
4. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
Although knowledge management concepts have been around for a long time,
the term knowledge management seems to have arisen in the mid 70’s. Nicholas
Henry 12 uses “Knowledge management” in a manner that resembles our current
understanding of the expression. Defined broadly “KM is the process through which
organizations extract value from their intellectual assets”. 3 Knowledge management
caters to the critical issues of organizational adaptation, survival and competences in
face of increasingly continuous environment change.
The most common definition describes Knowledge Management as a set of
processes directed at “Creating, Capturing, Storing, Sharing, Applying and Reusing”
knowledge. 10
Successful business knows that their key assets are not in its buildings, its
market share or its products, but it lay in the heads of its people. Market value of an
organisation is derived not only from its physical and financial assets, but also from
the intangible assets it creates through knowledge based activities. Intangible assets