The European Business Review - July-August 2019

http://www.europeanbusinessreview.com 55

withinorganisations,knowledgeresides

invarious areas such as management,

employees, culture, structure, systems,

processes,andrelationships.

Organisational knowledge cannot

merelybedescribedasthesumofindi-

vidual knowledge, but as a systematic

combination of knowledge based on

socialinteractionssharedamongorgan-

isational members. Executives, being

more conceptual, agree with Tsoukas

who determines organisational knowl-

edge as a collective mind, and Jones

andLeonardwhoexplainorganisational

knowledgeastheknowledgethatexists

Management

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT:

Bridging the Gap between Research and Practise

There are some executives that like to
look at academic journals but unfor-
tunately, the crossover literature has
not reached them enough. In an effort
to enhance the knowledge of execu-
tives worldwide, this article blends
scholarly concepts with real world
applications. With a clear under-
standing of the concept of knowledge
management, executives can make
more effective managerial decisions.

Knowledge within Companies
Executives across the globe have
found that knowledge manage-
ment is critical to business success.
Knowledge, in and of itself, is not
enough to satisfy the vast array of changes
in today’s organisation. Therefore, knowl-
edge management is only a necessary
precursor to effectively managing knowl-
edge within the organisation.
First, executives must have an under-
standing of the concept of knowledge

itself. Knowledge is identified as a multi-

faceted concept and is distinct from

information and data. Data has been

defined as raw entities, and information

is understood as a meaningful pattern

within these raw entities. Knowledge is

quite elusive and is changing on a day-

to-day basis with discontinued products

and the ever-changing vast array of tech-

nology. Therefore, to counter the above

definition of knowledge, Ruggles defines

knowledge as a blend of information,

experiences, and codes. The key take-

away for executives is that knowledge

is a resource that enables organisa-

tions to solve problems and create value

through improved performance, and it

is this point that will narrow the gaps

of success and failure leading to more

successful decision-making.

Executives still wonder where knowl-

edge is and how can it be captured,

utilised, and enhanced when it comes

to decision-making. Scholars found that

BY MOSTAFA SAYYADI

Scholars found that within

organisations, knowledge

resides in various areas such

as management, employees,

culture, structure, systems,

processes,and relationships.