Hitotsubashi on Knowledge Management [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Hirotaka Takeuchi (Author), Ikujiro Nonaka (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 9, 2004

Knowledge Management (KM) is the art and science of utilizing knowledge as the most important resource towards gaining competitive advantage in today's business environment. Despite the huge and growing interest in KM, there has been no serious attempt to bridge theory and practice, the practices of East and West, the soft side (organizational capabilities) with the hard side (information technology), or the practices of large companies with start-ups. Until now. Written by the Dean of Hitotsubashi Business School in Tokyo, the world's leading centre of KM, and featuring contributions from thought leaders around the world, this book will provide a synthesis towards the emerging field of KM. It brings together the latest trends in the field and re-ignites the debate on the future form of knowledge management.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"The Hitotsubashi Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy is a new kind of business school in Japan, shattering every convention. This book, the product of the School's outstanding faculty, reveals the new dynamism in Japanese business thinking." - Michael Porter, Bishop, William Lawrence University; Professor, Harvard University

"There is no stronger brand in the field of knowledge management than Hitotsubashi University, home of both Nonaka and Takeuchi. Other members of the Hitotsubashi community helped to break new ground by looking at other management disciplines strategy, branding, networking, international competition, and information technology from a knowledge perspective. Hitotsubashi's brand equity has been further enriched as a result." - David A. Aaker, Professor EmeritusHaas School of Business University of California, Berkeley

"Fuji Xerox has been supporting Professors Nonaka and Takeuchi's research efforts on knowledge since the late 1990s. We are delighted to see our collaboration bear fruits in the form of this publication. This book is a must read for companies and business executives trying to cope with change and utilize knowledge to their advantage." - Yotaro Kobayashi, Chairman Fuji Xerox

"Leaders in both the private and public sectors need to teach their organizations the new rules of the game to win in today's Knowledge Society. Nonaka and Takeuchi, acclaimed around the world as the fathers of the knowledge movement, offer new insights in this book on how to embrace paradox and turbulence using dialectical thinking." - Noel Tichy, Professor, University of Michigan Business School

"This is the best collection of writings on Nonaka and Takeuchi's theory of knowledge creation, it provides rich insights for academic and practitioner alike." - Dave Snowden, Director, Canolfan Cynefin Centre IBM Global Services

From the Back Cover

A once-in-200-years shift is taking place today...from the Industrial Society to the Knowledge Society.

For one thing, the two societies differ in the means of production they utilize. In the Industrial Society, we relied on machinery, assembly line, and robots as the means of production. In the Knowledge Society, every member of society has the means of production within his or her head and hand. Head is used as a metaphor for explicit knowledge. Hand is used as a metaphor for tacit knowledge. Knowledge is made up of two opposites, namely explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge. This book shows that new knowledge is created through synthesis, which is a continuous and dynamic process that reconciles and transcends opposites.

For another, the two societies differ in the pace of change and the degree of complexity. We are living in very turbulent times and in a very complex world today. The more turbulent the times, the more complex the world, the more paradoxes there are. One of the main reasons that companies fail today is their tendency to kill paradoxes by sticking to old routines. Knowledge is the key to success in a world where only the paranoid survive. Since knowledge becomes obsolete as soon as it is created, new knowledge has to be created constantly and ubiquitously.

Written by leading professors at Tokyos Hitotsubashi University Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy, this book is a bold attempt to re-think management from a knowledge perspective. How should we think about strategy, organization, branding, global competition, or IT from the point of view of knowledge? Read on for new insights.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 250 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; illustrated edition edition (February 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470820748
• ISBN-13: 978-0470820742
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,553,579 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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