Knowledge emergence : social, technical, and evolutionary dimensions of knowledge creation

The importance of knowledge as a key source of competitive advantage is now well established in management studies, as suggested by the growing literature focusing on knowledge creation and transfer (Kogut and Zander, 1992: Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995: Strategic Management Journal Winter Special Issue, 1996). However, although concepts such as tacit knowledge and organizational knowledge unify much of this emerging research, there remains much variety in terms of angles and approaches chosen to examine the knowledge-creation process. This book is no exception. A wide variety of concepts, hypotheses, and case studies are proposed, often in a tentative manner. This diversity reflects the advancement of the field of knowledge creation is still at an infant stage. It also reflects the complex and multidimensional nature of knowledge, making research on knowledge creation a difficult yet fascinating endeavor. This book is the result of a conference held in Honolulu in December 1996.1 During the three days of the conference, researchers from a wide range of academic backgrounds and nationalities exchanged insights and proposed new avenues of research. The conference was a fertile ground, or ba, as Ikujiro Nonaka and others would put it, for advancing the field of knowledge creation. At the same time, the event revealed the rich but compelling diversity of models and concepts used to characterize knowledge and knowledge creation. Such diversity can be stimulating but may also end up hindering the advancement of the field as a whole. On the other hand, too much convergence in concepts and approaches can be misleading, if not counterproductive, particularly when there is redundant and sterile use of buzzwords. The aim of this book is precisely to reveal the richness and diversity of knowledgecreation research to the larger public, while at the same time attempting to identify common grounds that would lead to the emergence of a more unified field. This book offers a chance to assess and evaluate the state of our understanding on knowledge and knowledge creation and, hopefully, to help sustain the evolution of this fascinating field.