Using events to connect thinking and doing in knowledge management

Abstract

Knowledge management (KM) is disputed in concept and practice. This is related to the conventional objectivist view, where knowledge is independent, generic and passive, thus disconnecting thinking about practice from doing practice. A practice-based view is presented as being applicable to construction where practitioners compose action from past experience using intuition, situation awareness, analogical thinking and dialogue. Results from Knowledge Event Management demonstrate such composition in construction events. This view develops the KM proposition from being ‘to think better about practice’ to one of ‘supporting people to act better in practice’. Such improvement is facilitated by learning from events in practice. Events are sensitive points of deep learning, critical to the recall of learning, and effective in the communication of learning within social contexts. Events are analogues for future practice of doing as ideas are for thinking. Improvement in practice requires changing analogues and using analogues more proficiently when composing practice. Organizational improvement then takes place through individuals working collectively both through seeing the consequences of action and from sharing narratives of events in a critical manner. Objectivist knowledge can be used as part of this critical challenge. This can be facilitated and encouraged by active management.

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