The concept of knowledge in KM: A knowledge domain process model applied to inter‐professional care

Abstract

AbstractGrounded in a social construction view of knowledge and based on the work of Haridimos Tsoukas and Max Boisot, this paper attempts to extend Colin Reilly's knowledge domain model using a process modeling approach. The objective of this paper is to construct a more comprehensive meta‐understanding of knowledge domains that considers the influence of organizational context, of a community or group (social construction of knowledge), the presence of events and knowledge artifacts, temporal cycles, and individual knowledge processes.The authors begin by synthesizing the existing literature review to construct the proposed Knowledge Domain Process (KDP) model. Following the construction of the model, the authors develop and use a composite case (from a number of cases experienced by one of the authors as a practitioner) to illustrate the application of the model. The proposed model is then applied to an Inter‐Professional Care (IPC) setting within health care, to illustrate how knowledge is constructed, exchanged, and used across numerous health care communities, in an effort to improve coordination and care.The KDP model attempts to provide researchers and practitioners with a more structured, detailed, and analytical way of looking at the processes involved in knowledge construction and dissemination. This model is viewed as a work‐in‐progress and is still under development. Use by others is encouraged and will help validate or refute the model in part or in whole. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.