Knowledge is a companys proprietary advantage, as it is the primary resource for continuous innovation.

Knowledge can be classified as either tacit knowledge or explicit knowledge. Explicit knowledge is codified knowledge and can be communicated in a formal systematic language. It does not require direct experience of the knowledge that is being acquired and can therefore easily be used by computers, whereas tacit knowledge is highly personal and hard to convey in a formalized language. Individual, experience-based knowhow is a form of tacit knowledge. Knowledge enables us to organise our experiences, assumptions and deeply held beliefs. Conveying this to others so that it becomes visible is by its very nature inherently difficult. Knowledge within an organisation is embodied in people, it is an intangible asset and it is derived from processes, systems and cultures associated with the organisation. Knowledge evolves. So far we may understand it as accumulated external and explicit information belonging to the community, being leveraged by tacit intrinsic insights which originate within individuals who then may act alone or cooperatively in order to control or integrate with their environment. Types of knowledge Knowledge can be classified upon a priori knowledge, which is obtained without needing to observe the world, and a posteriori or empirical knowledge, which is only obtained after observing the world or interacting with it in some way. Often knowledge is gained by combining or extending other knowledge in various ways. Isaac Newton famously wrote: "If I have seen further... it is by standing on the shoulders of giants". Inferential knowledge is based on reasoning from facts or from other inferential knowledge such as a theory. Such knowledge may or may not be verifiable by observation or testing. For example, all knowledge of the atom is inferential knowledge[citation needed]. The distinction between factual knowledge and inferential knowledge has been explored by the discipline of general semantics.aaa

METHODS OF ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE

Diagrammatic R epresentationTradition The word tradition means a long established custom or the passing on of customs or beliefs from generationto generation Many questions are answered and problems solved basedon inherited customs or traditions Traditions include truths on beliefs that are based oncustoms and past trends Traditions can positively influence nursing practicebecause they were developed from past experiences Traditions can also narrow and limit the knowledge soughtfor nursing practice The nurses on patient care units quickly inform new staff members about the accepted or traditional behaviour of the unit