Knowledge management in ChinaHow the Chinese manage knowledge to become more competitive

Agenda

Agenda

Knowledge Management in the U.S.

Knowledge Management in Japan

How the Chinese approach knowledge management

Becoming competitive – a conclusion

Knowledge Management in the U.S.

Agenda

Knowledge Management in the U.S.

Knowledge Management in Japan

How the Chinese approach knowledge management

Becoming competitive – a conclusion

Knowledge Management in the U.S. Knowledge management (KM) is the way an organization builds, harnesses and

controls knowledge. It is how an organization learns as well as utilizes it learning's.

Knowledge exists in two forms: explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge. In the U.S. KM focuses largely on explicit and codified knowledge. Primarily valued when it is explicit and codified and less when it is tacit and

contextual. “If it can not be written in a manual it’s not considered knowledge” Organizational learning focuses on using technology (IT) to capture and distribute

explicit and codified knowledge. This enables U.S. organizations to use knowledge warehouses, data mining on a

larger scale, as well as it speeds up knowledge diffusion.

Knowledge Management in Japan

Agenda

Knowledge Management in the U.S.

Knowledge Management in Japan

How the Chinese approach knowledge management

Becoming competitive – a conclusion

Knowledge Management in Japan In Japan KM focuses largely on tacit and contextual knowledge. Primarily valued when it is tacit and contextual and less when it is explicit and

codified. “Knowledge that can be expressed in words and numbers only represents the tip

of the iceberg of the entire body of possible knowledge” Organizational learning focuses on using socialization to create and diffuse

socially depended and subjective knowledge. This enables Japanese organizations to widely share knowledge across hierarchies

(kaizen) and organizational borders (keiretsu).

Explicit knowledge(objective)

Tacit knowledge(subjective)

The Knowledge Space

Knowledge Management in Japan

U.S. Japan

How the Chinese approach knowledge management

Agenda

Knowledge Management in the U.S.

Knowledge Management in Japan

How the Chinese approach knowledge management

Becoming competitive – a conclusion

How the Chinese approach knowledge management The Chinese favor informal and implicit forms of communication In China KM focuses on tacit and contextual knowledge, but knowledge includes

both objective and subjective elements. Reliance on interpersonal contact inhibits codification and restricts information

access more than technological factors. This makes explicit knowledge rare and restrains the use of data warehouses, data mining and intranet for diffusion of organizational knowledge.

Culturally status-based hierarchies restricts vertically transfer of knowledge, common in Japan. This restrains the use of Kaizen and Keiretseu’s.

“The Chinese don’t use manuals and don’t learn from the bottom up. All learning processes have a tendency to come from top down.”

Example:“New product development is typically viewed as an engineering rather than a marketing function”

Explicit knowledge(objective)

Tacit knowledge(subjective)

The Knowledge Space

Knowledge Management in Japan

China

Becoming competitive – a conclusion

Agenda

Knowledge Management in the U.S.

Knowledge Management in Japan

How the Chinese approach knowledge management

Becoming competitive – a conclusion

Becoming competitive – a conclusion China is experiencing a clash of two cultures in KM. The use focus on explicit vs.

tacit knowledge in organizational learning processes. Effective KM today is a competitive necessity in technology-based and

information-intensive industries.

What can the Chinese government do to facilitate a solution that overcomes the limitations China face in

it’s Management of Knowledge?