Historical Background of Knowledge Management
According to the literature available knowledge management practices have been in existences in societies for several centuries (Ives, Torrey, and Gordon, 1998). Ives, Torrey, and Gordon cite the palace archives of Sumer and Akkad and the cuneiform archives at Elba, Syria, which date back 4,000 years, as one of the earlier attempts to capture and store valuable knowledge for future generations in the history of mankind. They also refer to the Library of Alexandria in Egypt (Third Century BC) as an example of human efforts to preserve valuable knowledge. This library included over 500,000 hand-written works that were copied and distributed throughout the world (Ives, Torrey, & Gordon, 1998).
Newing (1999) through his research reported that the cuneiform language was inscribed on clay tablets that required a baking process. He also noted that these tablets allowed for permanent records but were not easily transportable. According to Newing, papyrus did not require the baking process and allowed greater portability. He stated that this invention led to the construction of the libraries of Akkad, Elba, and Alexandria (Newing, 1999). According to Newing (1999), the use of parchment started around 200 BC and paper in 100 AD. However, Newing asserted that these forms of media were susceptible to destruction by invading armies. He noted that to ensure the preservation of these documents, monks in monasteries made copies of important documents making them the first knowledge professionals. According to Newing, the invention of the printing press in the 15th century allowed for the mass distribution of written documents and knowledge at a low cost (Newing, 1999).
The study of knowledge has b...
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"In a landmark 1945 essay on "The Use of Knowledge in Society," Frederick Hayek spoke about the time we spend in on-the-job learning, and about the unique "knowledge of people, of local conditions, and of special circumstances" we each accumulate through our work" (Arthur, Defillippi, & Lindsay, 2008, p. 365). The enabling the presence and growth of knowledge workers are the technological developments of information systems to improve ideally the productivity of various tasks. Knowledge is "one of the most important driving forces for business success" (Mansour, Alhawari, Talet & Al-Jarrah, 2011, p. 684). As an IT discipline, knowledge management is experiencing a history and evolution since the early 90's. The composition of the development of knowledge management systems include
As part of this initiative, the company will establish an online knowledge base accessible via the company intranet and hard-copy memory aids and reference in decision-making and conflict resolution.
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Since scribes were the only people who could read and write, they kept record of important information such as ...
Before this invention, letters, maps, books, messages all had to be written by hand and would be very tedious and require hard work. The bible, which was the most popular book at the time “might require the skins of 300 sheep to make the parchment sheets”(Levack, Muir and Veldman, 2011, p.429) which is very costly and requires many hours of labour to recopy the texts. Because of the heavy cost only the high-class would be able to afford the books. The invention of the moveable metal type as well as the printing press revolutionized books, letters, and maps. It was now easier to print and read the texts that were being copied with this new invention. The following is a part of a letter that the future Pope Prius II wrote to Cardinal Carvajal, detailing how the printing press changed reading and books at the
In the country in which we know today as Iraq was where the beginning of writing was created. In Mesopotamia, the ancient Sumerians developed the first writing system, cuneiform. The term cuneiform, which means “wedge-shaped writing” was coined by nineteenth- century scholars and the invention of cuneiform shaped the future for all civilizations. This paper will explore the history of cuneiform, the evolution of writing and never ending impact it had on history.
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Turning to the issues related to information handling, the definition of the information management should be mentioned. According to Hinton’s perspective (2006, p.57) the information management is “the conscious process of gathering information”. A brief overview of the presumable information sources in a high-technology company can help to outline the situation. T...
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The fact that there was an “efflorescence of books” indicates that more people were able to read and desired to learn the knowledge imparted by books. Paper made learning easier because difficult concepts could be written down so that people could study, reread, and learn at their leisure. Paper enabled authors, scholars, and other intellectuals to record knowledge and disseminate it to others. Prior to the invention of paper, many cultures, including Islamic ones, relied on oral tradition to pass down knowledge. The introduction
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-During the first dynasty of Egypt, the primitive form of paper, the papyrus was invented. Therefore as a result the government used it as a device to input the laws they make. As a justification to the invention of the papyrus, some artefacts about it were found.
Indigenous Knowledge (IK) can be broadly defined as the knowledge and skills that an indigenous (local) community accumulates over generations of living in a particular environment. IK is unique to given cultures, localities and societies and is acquired through daily experience. It is embedded in community practices, institutions, relationships and rituals. Because IK is based on, and is deeply embedded in local experience and historic reality, it is therefore unique to that specific culture; it also plays an important role in defining the identity of the community. Similarly, since IK has developed over the centuries of experimentation on how to adapt to local conditions. That is Indigenous ways of knowing informs their ways of being. Accordingly IK is integrated and driven from multiple sources; traditional teachings, empirical observations and revelations handed down generations. Under IK, language, gestures and cultural codes are in harmony. Similarly, language, symbols and family structure are interrelated. For example, First Nation had a
Before writing even existed, ancient civilizations would etch pictures in clay in order to record things. These stones were used for recording and papyrus was used soon after. These inventions brought great progress in the time period they came into existence but had many negative effects. The process of making clay stones was a long one and wasn’t always available. They were usually very large and not easy to transport so communication was limited. One of the earliest sign of writing and a newspaper was the Romans, Acta Diurna. It included the rules of the day and was carved into stone daily. Papyrus was only available in certain areas and was also a long process to make. Papyrus was able to withstand dry climates but if br...