Approaches to Knowledge Management

There are three fundamental approaches to knowledge management:

Process Approach-It attempts to codify organizational knowledge through formalized controls, processes, and technologies. Organizations adopting the process approach may implement explicit policies governing how knowledge is to be collected, stored, and disseminated throughout the organization.

Practice Approach-It assumes that a great deal of organizational knowledge is tacit in nature and that formal controls, processes, and technologies are not suitable for transmitting this type of understanding . Rather than building formal systems to manage knowledge, the focus of this approach is to build the social environments or communities of practice necessary to facilitate the sharing of tacit understanding. Communities of practice are groups of individuals with a common professional interest who work together informally.

Best Practices-They are activities and methods that the most effective organizations use to operate and manage various functions.

Hybrid Approaches-Knowledge management involves both process and practice approaches.