**2.3 Three fundamental postulates**

Our observations and experiments within the industry led us to set forth three postulates about knowledge within organizations: (i) knowledge is not an object, (ii) knowledge is linked to the action, and (iii) organization's knowledge includes two main categories of knowledge. We define these postulates hereafter.

#### **The cognitivist perspective of knowledge within organizations (representationism)**


#### **The constructivist perspective of knowledge within organizations (anti-representationism)**


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*Toward Management Based on Knowledge DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86757*

individual knowledge to be shared" (p. 89).

action and can be thought of as an object.

*main categories of knowledge*

influences) (see **Table 2**).

**2.4 Our vision of knowledge management**

*2.3.2 Second postulate: knowledge is linked to the action*

specialization.

and artifacts).

characterized by the perception and the intuition.

of knower and the codification of that knowledge (p. 295).

through the interpretative framework of the receiver. Any information inconsistent with his interpretative framework is not perceived in most cases. Therefore, commensurability of interpretative frameworks of members is indispensable for

of the person who has to act. This individual knowledge is tacit knowledge, selfexplanatory or not, and can be later transformed into collective knowledge, as it is shared with other people. Tacit knowledge involves talents, dexterity, and capacities

Therefore, we postulate that knowledge is not an object processed independently

Consequently, formalized and codified knowledge that are independent from individual, are not more than information. We call it **"**information source of knowledge for someone." Furthermore, taking back [24], we must discern the knowledge

The *conditions and limits under which knowledge can be thought of as an object* and therefore can be managed as information as follows: Knowledge is explicit, stable and well defined, recognized by a specific homogeneous population. Knowledge is "apparently" independent of people and situations. Knowledge is dissociated from

*Exception cases*: Knowledge is highly complex and/or has a very high degree of

Within organizations, activities contributing to value-added processes and support processes, defined by [25], use and create knowledge. So, the organizations' knowledge is depending of the context and the situation that allow using and creating this knowledge. Moreover, knowledge is partially characterized by the aim of these activities. In particular, the role of the stakeholder, involved with these activities, must be taken into account. Therefore, knowledge is linked to their decisions, their actions, and their relationships with the surrounding systems (people

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

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

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

#### **Table 1.**

*Knowledge within organizations from two perspectives.*
