*2.3.3 Third postulate: knowledge used and created in organizations includes two main categories of knowledge*

Within an organization, knowledge consists of, on the one hand, explicit knowledge comprising all tangible elements (we call it "know-how") and, on the other hand, tacit knowledge defined by [21], which comprises intangible elements (we call it "skills"). The tangible elements take the shape of formalized knowledge in a physical format (databases, procedures, plans, models, algorithms, and analysis and synthesis documents) or are embedded in automated management systems (conception and production systems) and in products. The intangible elements are inherent to the individuals, either as collective knowledge ("routines"—the logic of individual or collective actions defined by [26]) or as personal knowledge: skills, tricks, trade secrets, knowledge of history and decision-making contexts, and environmental knowledge (customers, competitors, technologies, socioeconomic influences) (see **Table 2**).

#### **2.4 Our vision of knowledge management**

Relying to the three postulates mentioned overhead, it appears that KM addresses activities, which utilize and create knowledge more than knowledge


#### **Table 2.**

*The two main categories of organization's knowledge.*

itself. With regard to this question, since 2001, our group of research3 has adopted a managerial and socio-technical approach to KM defined as follows [27]:

KM is the management of the activities and the processes that enhance the utilization and the creation of knowledge within an organization, according to two strongly interlinked goals, and their underlying economic and strategic dimensions, organizational dimensions, socio-cultural dimensions, and technological dimensions: (i) a patrimony goal, and (ii) a sustainable innovation goal (p. 980).

The *patrimony goal* has to do with the preservation of knowledge, their reuse, and their actualization; it is a static goal. The *sustainable innovation goal* is more dynamic. It is concerned with organizational learning that is creation and integration of knowledge at the organizational level. This definition of KM, by focusing on managerial and organizational problems linked to socio-technical environment and organization's value-added processes, highlights the economic and strategic dimension of KM. It leads to integrate the whole dimensions that should be involved in the management based on knowledge within organizations. In doing so, it induces a well-balanced technological, organizational, and socio-technical management based on knowledge strategy that mutualizes and structures the various themes discussed in this chapter.
