Total Knowledge Management (TKM): Enhancing Competitiveness Through Knowledge Management Systems*

Abstract

Differentiation between vigyan or the empirical knowledge and gyan or the atmik or the knowledge of Self is central to the Indian thought. At the holistic level, Total Knowledge implies both vigyan and gyan. However, when we talk of 'Total Knowledge Management ', we are looking at the management of knowledge at the self, society and enterprise level. It may be indicated that in the Western idiom, total knowledge has a restricted meaning in terms of only two components <i>viz. </i>codified knowledge and tacit knowledge. Total knowledge is a combination of the ‘explicit’ and the ‘tacit’. This definition of total knowledge is also at the

vigyan level. For pragmatic reasons we restrict the idea of Total Knowledge to ‘vigyan’ level as indicated earlier. Accordingly the idea of ‘‘Total Knowledge Management’’ deals with managing the ‘‘Total Knowledge’’ comprising the explicit and tacit knowledge. In the knowledge economy the competitive advantage of enterprises depends upon its Total Knowledge Management Systems and linking it up with strategic architecture.We provide some conceptual frameworks to understand the processes involved in knowledge creation and development. Application of these ideas at the enterprise level to enhance enterprise competitiveness is then explored. Implications for the academia in its role in knowledge creation and development is also discussed.