Outlook on Knowledge Management

Abstract

This chapter begins with a discussion about the roots of knowledge management from the perspective of human civilization. Based on the case of Athens, this chapter agrees with the opinion of Robert M. Grant, the famous strategic management master who once said that knowledge serves as the foundation of all critical advances since the origin of human civilization. Then, the chapter briefly introduces two different types of knowledge management, one is the Western style, which treats knowledge as information and knowledge management as information management, whereas the Eastern style focuses on tacit knowledge, and the typical model is the Ikujiro Nonaka model, which was developed in the mid- to late 1990s. The author believes it is better to take a holistic integration of the Western and Eastern styles, which means the development of knowledge management should not only emphasize the breadth of social interaction but also need to enhance the depth of the information technology drive, based on digital technologies, and that of philosophy guidance, which makes civilization the ultimate goal of knowledge management for any organization.