Comparison through SECI framework: Earl 7 school model and Kakabadse's model

.......................Knowledge management is an important part of the success of an organization.The main concern is whether it is useful for the company to make the profit or advantage. But as Earl said "...knowledge management is not easy to define"(Earl,2001,216) .Now a lot of debate is happening around this topic. I'm looking at two models;Earl 7 school and Kakabadse's model of knowledge management through the eye of SECI framework by(Nonaka,1991) .

.......................In the Earl 7 school study, Earl claimed that every organization follow any one of the characteristics of the school. According to Earl there are three different characteristics. They are "technocratic","economic" and "behavioral"(Earl,2001,217). The first section technocratic is fully dependent on information technology. That means they are using IT to support the process of the organization. Systems which is the sub section of technocratic nature, uses the "capturing of information"(Earl,2001,216). They are capturing the specialist knowledge and use it in knowledge bases(Earl,2001,218), so that other people in the organization use that information. This is basically "internalization" (Nonaka, 1991,99). Because here "tacit knowledge" of a person is tranfered into "explicit knowledge" , using the information within the organization. Here in systems school the mode of internalisation is based on IT , being technocratic in nature.

..........................In cartographic school also IT plays an important role. I hav'nt found any of the SECI model concepts in the cartographic school. "It only deals with who knows what" (Earl,2001,220).They are just concentrating on the "personalized knowledge" rather than the "codified knowledge"(Earl,2001,221). Eventhough the engineering section is less structured it uses the concept of internalisation.From the example given by Earl, it is clear that there is "knowledge repositories" which consist of a lot of information about the market ,competitors,research proposal etc(Earl,2001,222). In a sense internalization is happening here also. If a person is using these kind of knowlede repositories repeatedly for the benefit of the company, by practice it becomes the tacit knowledge within that person; this is internalisation.It shows that SECI framework suits in engineering/process model.

.........................In the 7 school , commercial school only concentrating on "exploitation "of the knowledge rather than the "exploration" of the knowledge(Earl,2001,222).Making profit is the one and only motto of the commercial school. Earl said that there is an advantage for this school, i.e there will be a specialist team which performs aggressivly in the organization.No concept of SECI framework(Nonaka,1991) is used in this school.

.........................In organizational school, there is a knowledge pool or network(Earl,2001).The networks may be within the organization and may be not.Eventhough the sharing and exchange of information is happening with the help of IT, its well known as behavioral in nature(Eearl,2001).With the aid of IT they were storing the new experiences ,reviews and are stored which can be useful for others in the organization. At the same time they were using the "personalized knowledge" and the "codified knowledge",(Earl,2001,225). The success factor for the organizational school; first,communities works well where there is socialability second communities are social networks, same as technical networks(Earl,2001)."Socialisation" is an important factor in theses type of school, which is enabled by SECI framework(Nonaka,1991).


....................Spatial schools provides spaces for the organization.Cafeteria and kitchen in the floor of the organization means that there is a good chance of socialisation(Earl,2001). Certain companies are giving more break time to enhance the peoples to restart their works. But its not sure that whether they are using it in the right direction.But SECI model (Nonaka,1991) works well in the spatial school also. Earl claims that strategic school represents knowledge management as a dimension of competitive strategy(Earl,2001,227).But there is no SECI model concepts used anywhere in the strategic school.If we talk from the top ie from the behavioral model,there is a concept of SECI (Nonaka,1991) is used.But here Earl says that startegic school works on "competitive advantage",in a sense it works for the profit. As Earl said earlier If some organization works for the profit , it obviously becomes the economical school,which is different in nature.So SECI model have got no connection with the strategic school.

......................"Chain of knowledge flow is data-information-realization-action-wisdom" by(A Kakabadse, N Kakabadse ,A kouzmin,2003,76).Cognitive science,management science,AI, social science,information science,knowledge engineering these are influenced by the Knowledge management(A Kakabadse, N Kakabadse ,A kouzmin,2001). Eschenfelder states that knowledge management contains four of the components:process,information technology,knowledge repositories and individual behaviour. There are four knowledge management models ; philosophical,cognitive,network,CoP based (A Kakabadse, N Kakabadse ,A kouzmin,2003).

.......................Philosophy based model deals with the "epistemology of knowledge".(A Kakabadse, N Kakabadse ,A kouzmin,2003,80). This model gives strategic overview hence it raises a lot of questions and reflection of what learned through(A Kakabadse, N Kakabadse ,A kouzmin,2001). In this model technology is in rear seat, but here the leading factor is top performers,which is in top level management. SECI framework is not playing any role here in this model. Here the concept is "socratic" which says that "justified true belief"(A Kakabadse, N Kakabadse ,A kouzmin,2003,81).

...................Cognitive model considers "knowledge as an assset" and also says that it can be managed(A Kakabadse, N Kakabadse ,A kouzmin,2003,82).One of the arguement in the Cognitive model is that its just suitable for "re-utilization",which is not true.From the instance given by (A Kakabadse, N Kakabadse ,A kouzmin,2003) when a new technology is introduced to an organization, by continuos use it becomes embodied.The people in the organization is getting used to it, and its becoming "tacit knowledge" to them(Nonaka,1991,99). Comparing to philosophical model IT is much more prominent here.

....................In network model there is always a "exchange" of information, "flow of resources" within the network(A Kakabadse, N Kakabadse ,A kouzmin,2003,83).At the end "socialisation" is happening here also as by(Swan ,Newell,2000).The person who got the licence to go beyond the library gets the idea form outside and applies here. The organization gets the idea because of the "socialisation" of that person(Nonaka.1991,99 ).Sharing of information is also done within the companies which are located far from others with the aid of IT. SECI framework(Nonaka,1991) works here as well as in the cognitive model.


..................."CP model builds on the sociological and historical perspective" by(A Kakabadse, N Kakabadse ,A kouzmin,2003,83).The CP culture can be found anywhere in the environment, not just in the organization but also in home,school, college,hospital(A Kakabadse, N Kakabadse ,A kouzmin,2003).The members of the CP is not officially commited , to work in a strict manner.CP is essential for converting some kind of "explicit knowledge" to "tacit knowledge" for the others by internalising within the CP(Swan ,Newell,2000). SECI framework (Nonaka,1991)works well in CP model also.


...................Quantum model works in the emerging section quantum technology(A Kakabadse, N Kakabadse ,A kouzmin,2003).In the case of " high complexity decision making" more than knowledge top level management need wisdom (A Kakabadse, N Kakabadse ,A kouzmin,2003,84).Quantum computing will help the top level management by giving virtual experience of decision outcomes(A Kakabadse, N Kakabadse ,A kouzmin,2003.)SECI framework does'nt suits here in quantum computing at anywhere.


....................SECI framework although deals with basic culture of an organization,It does'nt works with every model simultaneosly.In the Earl 7 school model carographic,commercial and strategic models does'nt gel with th SECI framework.I hav'nt got any connection between the SECI characteristics in three of the models. In the other models philosophy and quantum based model does'nt have the characteristics of SECI framework.It all says that although there is acceptance of SECI ,its not the end of the frameworks.





references::

Nada Kakabadse, A Kakabadse and Alexander kouzmin.(2003),Reviewing the knowledge management literature:towards a taxonomy, vol 7, no 4.

Michael Earl.(2001),Knowledge management strategies:towards a taxonomy,vol 18, no 1.

Nonaka, I. (1991), The Knowledge-Creating Company,Harvard business review.