Posted by Mezei on February 23, 1998 at 13:23:59:

In Reply to: Re: KM is an Oxymoron, but come to think of it, so is Intellectual Capital posted by Tom Sudman on February 23, 1998 at 12:08:47:

Hi Tom,

It's a question I've considered quite a bit when looking at the overall direction KM and IC are taking as practical business applications. At an entry point level, we are left considering the meaning of 'empty' phrases, which in itself can be rather disconcerting. It's only when the overall non-meaning is fleshed out or given context - then KM and IC start to make a lot more sense as oxymorons. Because at the heart of the discussion about knowledge managament is the inherent paradox of contradictions ie opposite truths or opposing yet complementary forces. A good example is the nature of light being both a way and a particle. Managing knowledge is a bit like managing light, we have to be able to account for seemingly disparate natures. Solving any problem from the level of knowledge means synthesizing a creative solution, and this means once again looking at endpoints in order to shape a common ground.

What I find interesting is that intellectual capital picks up where knowledge management lets off. I liken this analogy to that point where a theory ends and a practice begins, or where to working on one half of an equation only to discover the symmetry of someone else's work on the other half. Intellectual capital is an oxymoron for different reasons than KM is. The only way I can think of explaining it is this: we arrive at the IC paradox by adding knowledge up, and we arrive at the KM paradox by cancelling knowledge out. But the end result is the same.

So what we have in the final analysis is a dollar figure called intellectual capit which essentially valuates an non-definitive process called KM. The dollar figure means nothing or 'represents' nothing, yet is considered extremely important because it's a measure against which to valuate competing companies. It's a lot like a zen koan. IC is the koan itself, while KM is the process of understanding it's meaning.

From a definition point of view, oxymoron is Greek for oxy = sharp and moros = dull. As such, it equates with all the other universal dichotomies like yin and yang. So I define knowledge as expansive, while management is contractive or controlling 'in it's most ideal state'. We use the process of knowledge to free up our directions, and management to maintain the focus. Like Built to Last's perscription of 'preserve the core' and 'stimulate progress'.

With intellectual capital, I see the dichotomy as pretty straightforward ie intellect and capital are at opposite ends of the physical spectrum. Intellect is ethereal and capital is material.

Don

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Follow Ups:

• Re: KM is an Oxymoron, but come to think of it, so is Intellectual Capital Tom Sudman 09:33:16 2/24/98 (12)
  • Re: KM is an Oxymoron, but come to think of it, so is Intellectual Capital Yogesh Malhotra 11:32:04 2/24/98 (11)
    • Re: KM is an Oxymoron, but come to think of it, so is Intellectual Capital Tom Sudman 19:36:45 2/24/98 (10)
      • Re: Hard Reality of 'Soft' Issues in Knowledge Management Yogesh Malhotra 01:22:07 2/25/98 (7)
        • Re: Hard Reality of 'Soft' Issues in Knowledge Management Larry Embley 11:31:12 9/30/98 (3)
          • Cowboys, Captains & Commanders vs. Hunters, Gatherers & Farmers Yogesh Malhotra 10:44:13 10/05/98 (2)
            • Re: Cowboys, Captains & Commanders vs. Hunters, Gatherers & Farmers Larry Embley 21:22:25 10/15/98 (0)
            • Re: Cowboys, Captains & Commanders vs. Hunters, Gatherers & Farmers Larry Embley 21:20:50 10/15/98 (0)
        • Re: Hard Reality of 'Soft' Issues in Knowledge Management Mezei 19:57:37 2/25/98 (1)
          • Re: Hard Reality of 'Soft' Issues in Knowledge Management Yogesh Malhotra 01:21:55 2/26/98 (0)
        • Re: Hard Reality of 'Soft' Issues in Knowledge Management Tom Sudman 12:09:00 2/25/98 (0)
      • Re: KM is an Oxymoron, but come to think of it, so is Intellectual Capital Mezei 21:48:32 2/24/98 (1)
        • Re: KM is an Oxymoron, but come to think of it, so is Intellectual Capital Tom Sudman 12:21:56 2/25/98 (0)

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