Implementing a knowledge management system or exploring your knowledge strategy? Before you begin, it’s essential to understand the different types of knowledge to ensure you’re capturing, managing, and sharing this valuable information effectively within your organization.
In this article, we will define the nine types of knowledge, provide practical examples for each, and explain why each type is crucial for your business operations.
Brief Overview of the 9 Types of Knowledge:
- Explicit Knowledge: Easily captured, documented, and shared information such as manuals, procedures, and tutorials.
- Implicit Knowledge: Experience-based knowledge that is not always obvious but essential, gained through practical application.
- Tacit Knowledge: Hard-to-transfer knowledge, often based on intuition or ingrained skills.
- Declarative Knowledge: Facts and information that describe what something is or how it works.
- Procedural Knowledge: Step-by-step instructions on how to perform tasks.
- Conditional Knowledge: Understanding when and why to apply declarative and procedural knowledge.
- A Priori Knowledge: Knowledge that is gained independently of experience, based on logic and definitions.
- A Posteriori Knowledge: Knowledge acquired through experience and analysis.
- Contextual Knowledge: Knowledge that is relevant in specific contexts or situations.
Each of these types of knowledge plays a critical role in managing corporate knowledge and can help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your workforce.
1. Explicit Knowledge
What is explicit knowledge?
Explicit knowledge is the easiest form of knowledge to capture and manage. It includes structured information that is well-documented and can be easily shared and communicated without any loss of accuracy. Most organizations rely heavily on explicit knowledge to standardize processes.
Examples of explicit knowledge:
- Employee training manuals
- Product tutorials and guides
- Market research reports and financial information
- Software documentation
Why explicit knowledge matters:
Explicit knowledge allows businesses to codify essential procedures and share them across teams efficiently. This type of knowledge is vital for standardizing operations and ensuring consistency. Well-documented processes help businesses operate smoothly, allowing employees to follow repeatable steps and achieve high-quality results.
2. Implicit Knowledge
What is implicit knowledge?
Implicit knowledge is derived from real-life experiences and hands-on applications. It is the “know-how” that people accumulate over time as they apply explicit knowledge in specific situations. While it’s not always easy to articulate, it remains valuable for your company.
Examples of implicit knowledge:
- A seasoned technician knowing how to troubleshoot recurring problems quickly
- An experienced sales representative who has learned the most effective approaches with clients
Why implicit knowledge matters:
Capturing implicit knowledge helps prevent knowledge loss when experienced employees leave the company. It also enables new hires to avoid mistakes and reduce their learning curve. Implicit knowledge is often transferred through mentoring, but integrating it into your knowledge management system can make it more accessible.
3. Tacit Knowledge
What is tacit knowledge?
Tacit knowledge is often confused with implicit knowledge because both are gained from experience. However, tacit knowledge is more challenging to express or document. People may not even realize they possess tacit knowledge until someone asks how they do something so well, and they reply, “I just do it.”
Examples of tacit knowledge:
- A natural talent for leadership that allows someone to motivate a team effortlessly
- A veteran chef who instinctively knows how to adjust a recipe for different palates
Why tacit knowledge matters:
Tacit knowledge can distinguish top performers from average employees. By finding ways to capture and share this type of knowledge, companies can enhance their competitive edge and foster innovation. Organizations can use interviews, observations, and even storytelling to help surface and share tacit knowledge.
4. Declarative Knowledge
What is declarative knowledge?
Declarative knowledge refers to the “knowing what.” This type of knowledge includes facts, figures, and information that can be easily stored and retrieved. Declarative knowledge is the foundation for understanding how processes work and is typically easy to document and manage.
Examples of declarative knowledge:
- Company policies and regulations
- Product specifications
- Historical data or industry standards
Why declarative knowledge matters:
Declarative knowledge is fundamental to employee training and onboarding. By ensuring that your team understands the “what” behind their tasks and responsibilities, they are better equipped to perform their jobs. Incorporating declarative knowledge into your knowledge management system helps streamline daily operations.
5. Procedural Knowledge
What is procedural knowledge?
Procedural knowledge is the “knowing how” — it involves understanding how to perform a task step by step. Unlike declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge requires practical application and is often gained through experience rather than instruction.
Examples of procedural knowledge:
- Knowing how to operate machinery or software
- Following safety procedures on a job site
- Processing customer orders in a warehouse
Why procedural knowledge matters:
Procedural knowledge is crucial for roles that rely on consistent, repeatable actions. Employees who master procedural knowledge can complete tasks efficiently and with fewer errors. While procedural knowledge is often learned through practice, documenting the associated steps in your knowledge management system can make training more effective.
6. Conditional Knowledge
What is conditional knowledge?
Conditional knowledge is knowing when and why to use declarative and procedural knowledge. It requires the ability to assess a situation and determine the appropriate course of action. Critical thinking and decision-making are essential components of conditional knowledge.
Examples of conditional knowledge:
- A customer service agent determining which process to follow based on a client’s complaint
- A manager deciding when to roll out a new product based on market trends
Why conditional knowledge matters:
Without conditional knowledge, employees may struggle to know when to apply their knowledge effectively. Having decision trees or guidelines in your knowledge management system can help employees use conditional knowledge efficiently, ensuring they make informed decisions in complex situations.
7. A Priori Knowledge
What is a priori knowledge?
A priori knowledge is knowledge that can be gained without experience, solely through logical reasoning. It is often based on definitions or universal truths that do not require practical application to verify.
Examples of a priori knowledge:
- “Triangles have three sides.”
- “A bachelor is an unmarried man.”
Why a priori knowledge matters:
In business, a priori knowledge helps in planning and strategizing, allowing teams to predict outcomes without having to test every assumption. It provides a logical foundation for decision-making and helps streamline processes by relying on well-established facts.
8. A Posteriori Knowledge
What is a posteriori knowledge?
A posteriori knowledge is gained through experience. It is similar to implicit knowledge but focuses more on the outcomes of specific experiences and observations.
Examples of a posteriori knowledge:
- Lessons learned from a completed project or campaign
- Insights gathered from customer feedback after product launch
Why a posteriori knowledge matters:
A posteriori knowledge allows businesses to continuously improve their processes and products. By analyzing past experiences and incorporating them into your knowledge management system, you can avoid repeating mistakes and enhance future performance.
9. Contextual Knowledge
What is contextual knowledge?
Contextual knowledge is knowledge that is relevant only in certain situations or environments. It includes the specific skills or information needed in a particular context, such as cultural or situational awareness.
Examples of contextual knowledge:
- Understanding cultural differences in international negotiations
- Knowing the economic conditions that affect decision-making in certain markets
Why contextual knowledge matters:
Contextual knowledge helps tailor strategies to fit specific circumstances, making your business more adaptable and responsive. It ensures that your decisions and actions are relevant and effective within the context of the environment you’re working in.
How to Capture and Use All Types of Knowledge
To effectively manage these diverse forms of knowledge, your organization needs a well-documented knowledge management system that can capture, store, and distribute knowledge in various formats. Modern knowledge management tools, combined with automation and AI, can help process large amounts of data and ensure that your knowledge is always up-to-date and easily accessible.
A Practical Knowledge Management Best Practices Guide
Applying outdated knowledge management best practices? Here’s what knowledge managers need to know in a modern enterprise environment.
