Scientists, Philosophers, and Knowledge Managers, Oh My!: The Use of Philosopher of Science Michael Polanyi’s Ideas in the Literature of the Knowledge Management Movement

This paper asks and attempts to answer the following questions in the order they appear:

1) What does formal philosophy have in common with business?

2) What, according to KM authors Nonaka and Takeuchi, paved the way for Michael Polanyi’s ideas in KM?

3) In what context were Michael Polanyi’s ideas originally made well-known to the world of KM?

4) What are some practical examples of how Polanyi’s insights have been applied?

5) But do most in the KM movement really understand the core of Polanyi’s ideas regarding:

a) tacit and explicit knowledge,

b) information and knowledge, and

c) the management of knowledge

6) What might the future of KM, Polanyi, and philosophy in general, hold?

In this article’s conclusion, the importance of Polanyi’s thought is stressed, and KM practitioners are encouraged to take a closer look yet at the work of Michael Polanyi to assist them in their organizations.

URL : http://hdl.handle.net/10760/14757