SECI+Knowledge+Creation

SECI Knowledge creation
Knowledge is infinite. Like the universe itself, the concept of knowledge is forever expanding. As individuals gather new bits of data, this data can be organized, added to, and expanded upon by circulating tacit knowledge with explicit knowledge using different individuals. This theoretical process is called the SECI Knowledge Creation. This process involves 4 steps to circulate and expand knowledge; socialization, externalization, combination and internalization.



From an Organization's Perspective:
Organizations use this knowledge creation everyday to gain a better understanding of how to complete goals for the organization. The knowledge everyone contributes is considered a resource, but is used quite differently than tangible resources. It can still be stored, but is only useful in certain circumstances and is useless out of context. This resource once used, is not depleted, instead it is cycled. This resource within each person is very difficult to see and can only be useful to create new knowledge when combined with the right individuals, therefore hiring employees and building a team is a difficult task to do, and this creates the need to build resumes which can indicate who might have the correct qualifications and knowledge building assets to make a meaningful contribution in an organization. Once a compatible team is established, knowledge creation begins circulating.

//__Socialization: __// Socialization involves transferring tacit knowledge from one individual to another through a combination of visual examples, demonstrations, verbal descriptions, observing and analyzing. This allows the recipient to absorb the knowledge through personal life experiences, and relate the information in their minds with different examples. By spending time together, this allows the learner to see subtle actions which are second nature to the teacher, yet would be difficult to put into words and ignored in any text. Apprenticeships are a practical demonstration which helps the apprentice learn how to think and feel the same as the master. The longer the exposure, the more thorough the practices can be copied, but within socialization the limit of knowledge is the knowledge of the master. If the apprentice wishes to exceed and learn more, they must externalize this knowledge so the knowledge creation can continue.

//__Externalization: __// This step changes tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge. As new tacit knowledge is acquired, developing concepts or models helps crystallize it, and helps increase it's communicative ability by turning it into explicit knowledge.

__//Combination: //__ Once explicit knowledge is obtained by an individual, they can change or sort the information. Combination involves sorting, adding or categorizing the information for ease of learning and transforming explicit knowledge into different explicit knowledge.

__//Internalization: //__ Internalization is when explicit knowledge is finally transformed back into tacit knowledge. A user will view or read the explicit knowledge, then use their foundation of information to change that knowledge into their own version of tacit knowledge. This creates unique new knowledge that can be retransmitted through socialization and the entire cycle can grow again.