McElroy‘s KM Cycle

GROUP 3
What is McElroy KM Cycle?

•This model describes a knowledge

life cycle that consists of the process
of knowledge production and
knowledge integration with series of
feedback loops.
Key Processes in KP

Individual & Group

Learning
Formulate
Codified Knowledge
Problem Knowledge Claim Knowledge Claim
Claim Foundation Claim Evaluation

Information
Acquisition Knowledge claims are
evaluated to determine their
veracity and value- greater
value than existing knowledge.
 • New Knowledge claims are introduced in the operating
environment with knowledge integration (focusing on

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knowledge transmission) including:
 Searching
 Teaching
 Sharing Validation of knowledge is a step that
WOW distinguish knowledge management
 Broadcasting from document management- KM cycle
does more than address the storage
and subsequent management of
documents.

The KM cycle focuses on processes to identify knowledge

content that is of value to the organization and its employees.
Principles of McElroy
● Organizational knowledge is held subjectively in the minds of individuals and groups as well
as objectively in explicit forms such as a knowledge base.
● Using knowledge in the business process environment gives people outcomes that either
match expectations or fail to do so

○ Matches that reinforce existing knowledge reuse that knowledge

○ Mismatches adjustments in business processing behavior

○ Multiple mismatches doubt and rejection of existing knowledge trigger

knowledge processing to produce and integrate new knowledge (double-loop learning)
Claim Formulation of McElroy

• Problem claim formulation: an attempt to learn and state the

specific nature of the detected knowledge gap.

• Knowledge claim formulation: a response to validated problem

claims via information acquisition and individual/group
learning.
Evalution of McElroy
• New knowledge claims are tested and evaluated via knowledge claim evaluation
processes.
• Evaluation leads to a decision:

○ Surviving claims are integrated as new organizational knowledge and are

used in business processing

○ Falsified/ undecided claims are discarded

Experience gained from using the new knowledge gives ride to

new claims and resulting beliefs, triggering the cycle again.
Knowledge Production Processes of McElroy

• New information comes in through individual/group learning

information acquisition.
• Need a formalized procedure to receive and codify this
information into a new knowledge claim.
• Knowledge claim evaluation tests claims to determine
veracity and value.
Knowledge Integration of McElroy
• Process by which an organization introduces new knowledge
claims into the operating environment and discards new ones.
• This includes all knowledge transition.

A major strength of the McElroy KM Cycle is that it evaluates/validates

knowledge before integrating it into the knowledge base.
THANK YOU!