1. Knowledge management Module 4 codifying knowledge
Dr Jiangang Fei AUSTRALIAN MARITIME COLLEGE

2. Focus questions Why does knowledge need to be codified?
How can knowledge be codified?
Is technology sufficient for knowledge codification?
Are there any differences between codification of tacit and explicit knowledge?
Beginning course details and/or books/materials needed for a class/project.

3. The rationale for knowledge codification
Ease of communication (of knowledge)
Effectiveness of knowledge transfer
Accessibility (ease of dissemination)
Long-term retention
Low cost
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4. Benefits of codifying knowledge
Instruction/training (from senior to junior personnel)
Prediction: inferring the likely outcomes of a given situation, therefore applying corrective actions if required
Diagnosis: addressing identifiable symptoms of specific causal factors
Planning and scheduling
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5. Codification techniques
Cognitive maps
Capture context and interrelationships
Decision trees
Suitable for process knowledge
In the form of flowchart with alternative paths
Knowledge taxonomies
Useful for declarative knowledge (diagnostic systems)
Involving identifying, defining, comparing, and grouping
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6. Codification and de-codification
Reading 4.1
The need for defining codes (either consciously or unconsciously)
The ease of interpretation
Transferability
Decode and prior knowledge
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7. Codifiable vs codified knowledge
The cost of codifying tacit knowledge
The risk of losing its original context
The risk of being imitated (once tacit knowledge is made explicit), or knowledge leaking
The risk of devaluation: if organisational competitive advantage derives from tacit knowledge, will the value of the tacit knowledge decreases once it is codified? why?
If codification decreases knowledge value (value of knowledge assets), why bother then?
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8. Review
Now return to the focus questions at the beginning of this module and consider whether you can answer them to your satisfaction.
You should now be preparing for the online discussion. Make sure that you understand the tasks and requirements. Do not wait to the last minute to post. To have meaningful discussion and interaction, you need to allow enough time to respond to each other’s viewpoints.
Beginning course details and/or books/materials needed for a class/project.