Title: A sociocultural-historical view of ''knowledge'': management understandings and applications

Authors: Michael W. Small, Laurence Dickie

Addresses: Curtin Business School, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia. Curtin Business School, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia

Abstract: ||Knowledge|| and ||knowledge management|| are two new areas of interest to those who have an interest both in management theory and management practice. The article refers to ||knowledge management|| (KM), ||organisational learning|| (OL), and a ||learning organisation|| (LO) as concepts which have relevance for today|s CEO|s and others in management. Reference is made to a recent discussion paper on higher education research and research training and the importance of generating new knowledge in contemporary society. ||Knowledge|| is then discussed in its literary-historical context with examples from classic times, through the centuries to the present day. The paper concludes with an analysis how ||knowledge|| and ||new knowledge|| are managed in industry, and the implications which these have for contemporary management practice.

Keywords: competence; date processor; information worker; intellectual assets; intellectual capital; knowledge management; knowledge worker; learning culture.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMDM.2000.001216

International Journal of Management and Decision Making, 2000 Vol.1 No.1, pp.120-128

Published online: 01 Jul 2003 *

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