Personal Knowledge Management. Individual, Organizational, and Social Perspectives

Citation

Foscarini, F. (2012), "Personal Knowledge Management. Individual, Organizational, and Social Perspectives", Records Management Journal, Vol. 22 No. 2, pp. 134-135. https://doi.org/10.1108/09565691211268207

The authors contributing to this book offer different, sometimes discordant definitions not only of personal knowledge management (PKM) but also personal information management (PIM) knowledge management (KM) information management (IM) knowledge and information. The lack of a consensus should not suggest that such distinctions are meaningless; rather it should encourage further explorations and a broader debate. Understanding how people technology and information/knowledge interact is central to many areas of research and practice notwithstanding the specialized view each discipline may have.

As knowledge and information are always contextual and cannot de facto be separated from the individual who creates, acquires, shares, retrieves, processes, and makes sense of them, the three perspectives through which PKM is discussed in this book are always intertwined, although one may notice a progression from the individual to the organizational to the social sphere from the initial to the conclusive chapters.

Because each chapter provides a unique and informative view of the evolving field of PKM, it seems appropriate to summarize briefly all of them, and let the meaning(s) of PKM emerge from this plurality of voices.

In Chapter 1, the book's editors interpret PKM as a way to recognize the centrality of the individual in organizational KM strategies. When it first appeared in the 1990s, KM focused on organizational knowledge and how it can be exploited – mainly through the use of technology. Yet it did not deny that much of an organization's critical knowledge resides with the employees. However, there appears to be a tension between the knowledge that individuals potentially offer their organization and the individual employees' quest for personal growth and self‐realization. Pauleen and Gorman suggest that especially in a time characterized by information overload and constant change in the environment, an effective PKM strategy is one that primarily assists individuals in maintaining knowledge currency and improving decision‐making in relation to employment and life opportunities.

In Chapter 2, professors of organization studies Case and Gosling from the UK remind us of the distinction operated in Western cultures between data, information, knowledge, and wisdom. The ethics and self‐management aspects of classical Stoicism are invoked as a practical route to personal knowledge and its inherent “reflectiveness”.

In a similar vein, Murphy (Monash University) discusses the role played by imagination in creating the multivalent logic in which knowledge emerges as a creative act, thus distinguishing it from the rational and linear world of information.

Still considering the philosophical roots of PKM, in Chapter 4, Canadian communications consultant and lecturer Wolfe turns to linguistics and Habermas' notion of communication pragmatics in order to recover the interpersonal dimension of communication as the locus of knowledge. The author is concerned that the emphasis placed on technology, with particular regard to Web 2.0 applications, may create “solipsistic workplaces.” He believes that it is through enhancing people's linguistic competence and engendering a sense of “communityship” (where people care about the organization and each other) that knowledge can be created and communicated effectively.

In Chapter 5, Jones (University of Waikato), Corner (University of Waikato) and Hämäläinen (Helsinki University of Technology) argue that PKM is about social and communication skills as much as it is about interacting with technology, and propose Systems Intelligence (SI) as a way to bridge the gap between the organic and technological aspects of KM. One of the objectives of PKM is to help people survive, if not prosper, in dynamic organizational settings. SI is a theory that looks to drive and foster positive change. It encourages individuals' ability to function successfully within the complex world of continually emergent systems in which they live, by assisting them develop their intuition, reflectiveness, and communication skills. SI emphasizes a deeper self‐awareness (i.e. the ability to reflect on one's own behavior and beliefs), but also systemic awareness (i.e. the awareness of the pervasiveness of systems and of the influence of each person's behavior on the system as a whole).

Chapters 6 and 7 offer the perspectives of two well‐known KM consultants, Prusak and Snowden. Neither chapter discusses the nature of PKM. Prusak and his co‐author Cranefield (Victoria University of Wellington) build their arguments around four key PKM practices (i.e. scan and reinvent; vet and filter; invest in your networks; and get out of your office). Snowden, assisted by Pauleen and van Vuuren, suggests that Social Knowledge Networking may be the right tool to help individuals stay current, fluid, and knowledgeable in a constantly changing world.

Almost in a dialogue with Snowden, in Chapter 8, professors of management Kolb (University of Auckland) and Collins (University of Washington) elaborate on the idea of managing personal connectivity, but also recognize the benefits of being from time to time disconnected.

Based on the premise that knowledge cannot be experienced or represented directly, and that therefore there is no management of knowledge, except through the management of information, Jones (University of Washington) argues that PKM is a useful subset of PIM. Part of Chapter 9 is dedicated to the analysis of knowledge elicitation and knowledge instillation as techniques that may assist individuals to accomplish goals and fulfil roles in their lives.

In Chapter 10, Davenport, another well‐known KM author, academic and consultant, discusses how PKM can be used to improve the individual‐level performance of knowledge workers, that is, people who have a high degree of expertise, education or experience and whose jobs primarily involve creating, distributing or applying knowledge. PKM is seen as a useful framework to support knowledge workers' capabilities.

The next chapter, written by Cheong (Southern Cross University) and Tsui (Hong Kong Polytechnic University), focuses on the relationship between individual learning and organizational learning. Although these are phenomena of a different nature, linkages between them can be found in their respective learning objectives, factors, and processes. PKM, in this case, provides a platform to connect the efforts of individuals and those of the organization.

Finally, in Chapter 12, chairman and CEO of the Knowledge Research Institute, Inc. Wiig addresses the key role played by PKM in the knowledge society. Achieving societal goals requires that citizens are sufficiently knowledgeable to participate intelligently in public affairs and government. Deliberate and systematic PKM seems to be essential to facilitate the intellectual growth and renewal required to support personal, enterprise, and societal viability and success.

Is this book recommendable for a records management audience? Given that records are a subset of the information universe, and both carriers and outcomes of personal and organizational knowledge, looking at them in the broader context provided by this book may certainly be useful. Additionally, the way work is conducted in today's organizations – particularly knowledge work – involves tools, skills, and attitudes that resemble those employed by individuals in their personal lives. Thus, investigating how people learn and how they apply their knowledge as individuals may shed light on how organizations work and “think”. However, the book should not be approached as a PKM handbook or toolkit. In fact, more research is needed to identify specific PKM techniques and practices, which would fully satisfy an audience knowledgeable in organization, storage, and retrieval methods such as information and records professionals.