Dear President Rockfish,

Thank you for your inquiry regarding the intersection of Information Technology (IT) and
Knowledge Management (KM) in our organization's processes. While IT plays a vital role in
supporting KM initiatives, it cannot solely handle the entire KM process. Allow me to explain
the relationship between technology and KM, their differences, and the challenges associated
with capturing tacit knowledge. I will also propose two methods to capture tacit knowledge that
highlight the different roles between KM and IT.
Technology and KM are closely intertwined in our organization's KM process. KM aims to
capture, organize, store, and disseminate knowledge within the organization to enhance decision-
making, foster innovation, and improve efficiency (Week 4: KM Tools, n.d.). IT, on the other
hand, provides the tools, systems, and infrastructure necessary for the storage, retrieval, and
sharing of knowledge (Week 4: KM Tools, n.d.).
However, KM and IT differ in their focus and objectives. KM is concerned with the entire
knowledge lifecycle, encompassing knowledge creation, capture, organization, sharing, and
application (Week 4: KM Tools, n.d.). It emphasizes the human aspect of knowledge,
recognizing that explicit knowledge (codified and documented) and tacit knowledge (personal
insights and experiences) both contribute to organizational success (Dalkir, 2011). IT, on the
other hand, focuses on the technological infrastructure, databases, and software applications that
facilitate the storage, retrieval, and dissemination of knowledge.
Capturing tacit knowledge is particularly challenging because it resides in people's minds and is
often difficult to articulate or document. Here are two methods to capture tacit knowledge,
highlighting the different roles of KM and IT:
Socialization (SECI Model - Socialization and Externalization): KM facilitates socialization,
which involves creating opportunities for employees to interact, share experiences, and learn
from each other (Dalkir, 2011). This can be achieved through activities like communities of
practice, mentoring programs, or regular team meetings. KM plays a crucial role in fostering a
culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing, creating an environment where tacit knowledge
can be exchanged (Garfield, 2016). IT supports this process by providing collaboration
platforms, discussion forums, and enterprise social networking tools that enable employees to
connect and share their tacit knowledge effectively.
Externalization (SECI Model - Combination and Internalization): IT plays a vital role in enabling
externalization, which involves converting tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge. This process
involves capturing tacit knowledge and transforming it into codified forms such as documents,
manuals, or multimedia content (Milton, 2016). IT tools like knowledge repositories, document
management systems, and multimedia platforms provide the means to capture and store explicit
knowledge resulting from externalization (Garfield, 2016). KM ensures that this knowledge is
organized, tagged, and made easily accessible to employees, fostering a culture of continuous
learning and knowledge reuse.
Best regards,
Jane

References
Dalkir, K. (2011). Knowledge Management in Theory and Practice.
Garfield, S. (2016). KM Conversations: Achieving KM Independence Part 1: Technology
Independence. Medium. https://stangarfield.medium.com/km-conversations-achieving-
km-independence-part-1-technology-independence-fc2bffdfc5ed
Milton, N. (2016). 5 points of difference between Knowledge Management and
Information/Content management, and one point of overlap. Knoco stories.
http://www.nickmilton.com/2016/08/5-points-of-difference-between.html
Week 4: KM Tools. (n.d.).
https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tus/bmgt/bmgt305/2228/week-4-lecture-and-
readings.html