(HBSN) Entities

context

message

sender

receiver

particular task

action

interpreted

patterns

relationships

knowledge is “a fluid mix of data, experience, practice, values, beliefs, standards, context, and expert insight that provides a conceptual arrangement for evaluating and incorporating new data, information and experiences”

Knowledge is therefore processed information in context and in action. It is at once descriptive, predictive and adaptive and can be applied to many situations. Information only becomes knowledge after it has been examined and compared to other information or data, and is then applied to describe, predict or adapt to a situation.

The statement ‘If the steel-mill’s smelter temperature is set at 2,000 degrees Celsius, then all the iron in the smelter will melt in 30 minutes.’ represents knowledge, because it is both predictive and descriptive, has context, and demonstrates understanding.

definition of tacit knowledge as 'personal context-specific knowledge that is difficult to formalise, record, or articulate

the understanding held by an individual that is derived from the integration of values, perceptions, opinions and personal beliefs with experience and information, which allows it to be employed effectively

The point is that information first has to be synthesised and then codified in order to metamorphose into explicit knowledge, hence tacit knowledge comes first.

CD Theory posits that providing the receivers are receptive increasing codification will result in increasing diffusion of knowledge, until it becomes public or general knowledge.

On the other hand, osmosis occurs when it is either not possible to codify the tacit knowledge, or the implicit component has yet to be codified. Osmosis therefore is an intangible human transfer of knowledge from one person to one or more others, such as a master musician may pass to a student.