Knowledge Management Flashcards

What is the primary goal of Knowledge Management (KM) in an organization?

Answer: To systematically capture, organize, share, and leverage organizational knowledge to improve performance

Knowledge Management aims to ensure that valuable organizational knowledge—tacit and explicit—is captured, made accessible, and reused to improve decision-making and efficiency.

What is the difference between 'tacit' and 'explicit' knowledge?

Answer: Tacit knowledge is personal, experience-based, and hard to articulate; explicit knowledge is documented and easily shared

Tacit knowledge resides in people's minds (know-how, intuition, expertise) and is difficult to document, while explicit knowledge is codified in manuals, reports, and databases.

In Nonaka and Takeuchi's SECI model, what does 'externalization' refer to?

Answer: Converting tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge, such as documenting best practices

Externalization is the SECI process of converting tacit knowledge into explicit forms—writing down know-how as procedures, guidelines, or case studies so others can learn from it.

What is a 'Community of Practice (CoP)' in knowledge management?

Answer: A group of people who share a common interest or profession and learn from each other through regular interaction

A Community of Practice is an informal or semi-formal group of practitioners who share experiences, solve problems together, and collectively develop their expertise.

What is a 'lessons learned' process in knowledge management?

Answer: A systematic review at the end of a project to capture what worked, what did not, and how to improve future projects

Lessons learned capture project insights—successes, failures, and recommendations—and feed them back into the organization's knowledge base to improve future performance.

Which of the following best describes a 'knowledge audit'?

Answer: A systematic assessment of an organization's knowledge assets, gaps, and flows to inform KM strategy

A knowledge audit identifies what knowledge the organization has, where it resides, who needs it, and where critical gaps exist—forming the evidence base for KM initiatives.