The Inquiring Organization: Tacit Knowledge, Conversation, and Knowledge Creation: Skills for 21st-Century Organizations

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Provides the background necessary to nurture skills in collaborative knowledge creation via a continuous, proven process of questioning and conversation In the information economy, knowledge is an asset and a currency. The creation of new knowledge, therefore, enhances an organization's position in the marketplace. How do we create new knowledge We do not do it by learning what is already known. The learning organization is already passe. Instead, we do it by inquiring, which is a method of bringing tacit knowledge to the forefront of awareness. The inquiring organization surfaces tacit knowledge, which is what its employees bring to the table - their background, education, experience, character, and judgment - and transforms that knowledge into new, explicit knowledge that can be transferred from one employee to another through conversation. That is true knowledge creation, and this book provides the tools, skills, techniques, and processes for executives and professionals in any field to accomplish this task in today's fluid environment. Introduces the theoretical background to explain how to surface and share tacit knowledge

Reviews

"John and Catherine Kikoski offer their insight into the critical factors underlying innovation and change in this era. More importantly, they introduce a process of inquiry for organizations to compete and prosper in the 21st century. They identify the conditions for the creation and use of knowledge that define and distinguish a thriving enterprise."-Frederick B. Taylor, former Vice Chairman and Chief Investment Officer U.S. Trust
"This book contributes to both the theory and practice of management. It helps managers tap an organization's greatest resource--the tacit knowledge of it employees. The book also introduces the hands-on skills for managers to launch a process of continuous knowledge creation, a major source of competitive advantage for organizations in this Information Era."-James van B. Dresser, retired Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer The Boston Consulting Group

Author Bio

CATHERINE KANO KIKOSKI is Professor and Director of the Graduate Program in Marriage and Family Therapy at Saint Joseph College, West Hartford, Connecticut. JOHN F. KIKOSKI is Professor of Political Science at Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, Connecticut.