Nonaka y Takeuchi: modelo GC

Nonaka & Takeuchi: a model of knowledge management

Translate   Nonaka & Takeuchi argue that to explain innovation requires a new organizational theory of knowledge creation. In this way, they establish their epistemology, “The Theory of Knowledge,” that distances itself from the perspective commonly adopted in the West.

Nonaka & Takeuchi: theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation (1995)

Nonaka and Takeuchi’s management model of knowledge is geared explicitly towards creating knowledge within organizations. Thus, they define a distinctive ontology that refers to knowledge creation entities at different levels: individual, group, organizational and inter-organizational. His model culminates in the proposal for a “knowledge creation spiral.”

Nonaka & Takeuchi define knowledge as:

“A dynamic human process of personal justification of beliefs towards the truth” (p.58)

They distinguish knowledge from information, the latter is the means or raw material to generate and build knowledge, but it is not knowledge. It simply adds something or restructures the existing knowledge.

In turn, for Nonaka and Takeuchi, information can be treated from a syntactic (volume) or semantic (meaning) approach. They clarify that the most interesting for creating knowledge is the semantic aspect of the information.

Tacit vs explicit knowledge

The cornerstone of this model is the distinction between tacit and explicit knowledge. Nonaka and Takeuchi attach great importance to the conversion processes between the different types of knowledge and, above all, to the conversion of tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge.

individual knowledge

From the ontologic dimension, these authors understand that knowledge is created in the individual, so that knowledge at the organizational level cannot emerge without the participation of its members. The organization functions as a facilitator, providing support and context for individuals to create knowledge.

From the epistemological perspective, they distinguish between two types of knowledge: tacit and explicit knowledge (procedural and declarative knowledge, respectively, in psychology).

They consider that tacit knowledge is personal, contextual, and challenging to communicate and formalize. The explicit, or encoded knowledge, refers to that knowledge that can be transmitted through some language.

conocimiento tácito
Racionalidad excesiva de la teoría de la atribución. @Creatividad e innovación organizacional

With their proposal, Nonaka and Takeuchi bridge the gap between the Western and Japanese perspectives on which of the two types of knowledge is more valuable. In the West, explicit knowledge tended to be emphasized, while tacit knowledge was preferred in Japan. They affirm that both types of knowledge are two sides of the same coin; they are complementary and interact, giving meaning to the human experience.

Dynamic creation of knowledge

Nonaka & Takeuchi propose a dynamic model of knowledge creation. They socially contextualize the conversion processes of some types of knowledge into others. These processes require the performance of the individual, but they go beyond individuality; they are the result of interaction between people.

As a novelty, they propose that the conversion between explicit and tacit knowledge is not unidirectional but takes place within a spiral where the conversion can be in any sense as shown in the following illustration:

Socialization

Through socialization, individuals share experiences; tacit knowledge is created as mental models and technical skills. Knowledge is achieved through observation, imitation, and practice.

Externalization

It is the process by which tacit knowledge becomes explicit knowledge. It is the key process of knowledge creation and its management. The process is carried out through metaphors, analogies, concepts, hypotheses or models, and is developed through dialogue and collective reflection.

Combination

It is the process by which explicit knowledge becomes explicit. Examples of this process can be formal educational procedures and, within the organizational context, it could be the conceptualization of a product in a company and the transmission of said conceptualization for its adaptation to the needs of the environment.

Internalization

It is the conversion of explicit knowledge into tacit. It is closely related to “learning by doing.” It may be necessary to document that knowledge to help the individual put it into practice and internalize it.

The different types of knowledge interact through the various processes described within the spiral of knowledge creation that can be observed in the following Illustration.

knowledge spiral

Role of the company in the creation of knowledge

In this process of creating knowledge, the company must provide the appropriate context to facilitate group activities and the creation and accumulation of knowledge at the individual level. There are five conditions required at the organizational level to promote the spiral of knowledge:

Nonaka - intención

Intention

It is defined by the organization’s objectives that, generally, will fit into the business strategy. The most critical part of a corporate knowledge management strategy is clarifying the type of knowledge that should be operationalized in your management system.

Nonaka - autonomía @Aguilera-Luque

Autonomy

At the individual level, the organization members should enjoy as much autonomy as the firm circumstances allow. It is a way of letting unexpected opportunities arise and increasing individuals’ motivation to create new knowledge.

caos creativo @Aguilera-Luque

Fluctuation and creative chaos

They stimulate the interaction between the internal and external context of the organization.

Fluctuation is an order in which predicting the occurrence of events is more complex; with it, the breakdown of routines, habits, or shared cognitive frameworks occurs. It is related to a sharpening of perception by forcing us to step out of our comfort zone and causing us to reconsider our usual approaches and perspectives. At the organizational level, it forces the interaction between individuals and the redefinition of concepts, creating new knowledge.

On the other hand, chaos happens every time the organization faces critical situations (e.g., declining sales or performance). It can be intentionally forced by leaders to create a kind of crisis atmosphere among members when new challenges are presented to them. This chaos has been called creative chaos and serves to focus the members on posing and solving problems, emphasizing the importance of the definition of the problem and the solution. For it to be carried out, the reflective participation of the members regarding their actions is necessary since, otherwise, it can lead to destructive chaos

Nonaka-redundancia

Redundancy

It is the intentional overlapping of information about business activities, management responsibilities, and the company. Sharing redundant information promotes the exchange of tacit knowledge because individuals can become aware of what others articulate.

There are several ways to create redundancy in your organization, such as creating competing teams or strategic staff turnover.

Variety of requirements

It is related to the heterogeneity of requirements that occur in highly dynamic environments and the need to interpret them quickly and adapt them flexibly, facilitating access to information throughout the organization.

Nonaka and Takeuchi's five-phase model of knowledge management

The knowledge creation process proposed by Nonaka and Takeuchi is made up of five phases:

  1. Sharing tacit knowledge.
  2. Concept creation
  3. Justification of concepts
  4. Construction of archetypes
  5. Transversal leveling of knowledge

13 comentarios sobre “Nonaka & Takeuchi: a model of knowledge management”

  1. ¡Que gran artículo! recién conozco tu blog y me encanta, lo seguiré, gracias por tu generosidad en compartir todo essto

  2. Excelentes aportes , Gracias por tus reflexiones, disculpa sabrás donde puedo descargar el libro completo,
    De antemano agradecido nuevamente

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