Customer Reviews

The Knowledge Evolution: Expanding Organizational Intelligence

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At times, The Knowledge Evolution delved too much into semantics and ontology, in an attempt to develop a "common language". At the time of publication (1997) this may have been relevant but the prevalence of "knowledge management glossaries" reveals that indeed a common language has emerged, making this specific content a bit of an arduous read. Perhaps a second edition is needed, especially since the proprietary value of this book is still not being addressed in current knowledge management (KM) literature. Current KM books almost exclusively focus on data, information and knowledge (DIK). The Knowledge Evolution visions past DIK and adds complex dimensions of meaning, wisdom and philosophy to the knowledge framework.

If you do purchase this selection, I recommend writing unabashedly in the margins, or keeping a notebook on hand, connecting the theoretical constructs of knowledge and it's management discussed in the book to a personal context. By and large the scope of the book is very broad, looking inclusively at the field of KM. Since the writing of this book, specific sub-fields within KM have emerged i.e. data mining, group memory technologies, knowledge mapping etc. A reorganization of the content in this book along those lines (i.e. "procedural knowledge" with data mining, "functional knowledge" with knowledge mapping) was a worthwhile endeavor of this reader and would be a tremendous value-add to a second edition.

By and large The Knowledge Evolution is a readable and comprehensive introductory text to the field of KM. The book is broad and encompasses so much of the theory and principles behind KM that the actual industry has yet achieve or implement everything discussed. With the enormous influx and popularity of KM books in the past two years I hadn't heard anything about The Knowledge Evolution and now having read it, I realize the book that all these current authors must have also read.

It should come as no surprise that without knowledge, systems fail. In The Knowledge Evolution, Verna Allee focuses on an analysis of the role knowledge plays in contributing to the success of an organization. According to Allee, knowledge becomes of greater and greater importance as the validity and strength of an organization is called into question. Without a doubt, the availability of a strong knowledge base has, in many corporations, played a fundamental role in the company's survival.

Presently, workers at numerous companies are struggling with the concept of how knowledge becomes a driving influence within their organization. Because it is intangible and hard to grasp a common understanding of what organizational knowledge is, leaders are finding it hard to capture, organize, and use knowledge as a tool. Verna attempts to establish a frame-work which lends itself to this understanding and provides today's corporate leaders with the tools to better make decisions regarding organizational knowledge.

Allee provides a general understanding of how advancements in technology define corporate culture and how learning is effected by the widespread use of available technologies. Community relationships are also influenced by technology and leaders are being forced to rethink how organizations are structured and how knowledge is used to influence decision-making processes.

Current conditions indicate that the future of companies -- how well prepared they will be to compete in the global economy -- will be determined by how well they understand and use knowledge. Allee provides a management road-map to get companies where they want to be regarding knowledge.

Like it or not, the Knowledge Evolution is upon us. Allee identified some effective ways organizations should create, adapt and apply knowledge. This book is essential reading for leaders who want to win!

Taking an organic systems view, the author explores how organizations acquire, manage, and transfer knowledge. Covers: the nature, role and order of knowledge; best practices; types of organizational structures that support knowledge sharing; technologies for knowledge building; developing knowledge strategies; and efforts to measure results. An very impressive gathering and integration of ideas about organization in the Knowledge Era. A first-rate book on a cutting-edge subject.

If you are a manager, consultant, student, teacher and you want a good picture of the state of the art of the most strategic issue in organizations today - read this book. Verna Allee`s book presents a broad picture of knowledge in organizations including both theoretical and practical perspectives. Based on a very wide literature and experience she walks the reader through many issues of this new organizational field.

This book delivers much-needed depth of insight for its stated target audience: "leadership teams who have the responsibility for developing, implementing, and supporting strategies for enhancing organizational knowledge." Verna's distinctions and models allow leaders to fine-tune their efforts to manage knowledge organically, as an ecosystem, rather than through old command-and-control methods. Her attention to higher values -- her life question is "What is wisdom and how do we find it?" -- gives a strong voice to an often-missing element in knowledge management books. The evolution of knowledge must serve a higher purpose, and Verna prompts each of us to define that for ourselves. This book makes a true contribution to an important, emerging field.

An excellent treatment of the subject matter. Provided insigts on knowledge learning and performance. Prepares us for the knowledge era, where knowledge is king. I wish she had included some material on creativity, having knowledge is nice but being creative is better.

Knowledge management and intellectual capital are among the newest developments in business press, and the avalanche of titles about them threatens to bury the earnest student of management science. "The Knowledge Evolution" defies easy labelling: while generally a shallow discussion of the issues, it does skim the surface of deeper topics--then shies back to shallow. The difference between "shallow" and "skimming" is this: a shallow discussion is presented as complete, while a "skimmer" discussion is clearly a survey of selected issues in the interests of time and space. When compared to discussions of the social and technical implications of the knowledge economy, knowledge management, and global information exchange, Allee's work leaves quite a bit out. In particular, the lack of thorough and critical discussion of the conflicts and paradoxes of organizational dynamics and reward systems makes the notion of "expanding organizational intelligence" a little too slick to be implemented as described. It's better read as a tickle to learning more, than as a scratch to satisfy your itch.

Knowledge management is a fuzzy and unclear topic for a great many people - it was for me. Prior to Allee's book, most of what I could find on the topic was an attempt to sell me on a particular approach or framework. "Knowledge Evolution" is not an attempt to sell a particular conceptual model, but covers the issues related to knowledge management in a fair, easy to understand and refreshing original way. If you want in introduction to this fascinating topic, including the social and technical implications of the knowledge economy, Allee's book is a perfect place to start. Highly recommended!

Verna quickly brings us all up to speedon the field of knowledge. As she reviews it, she compares and contrasts the current working theories and then integrates them into a working template that links knowledge, learning and performance. This template/model allows us to quickly apply the information to the organizations in which we live or to which we consult. She presents a developmental process for the different levels of knowledge that compares in scholarship and in practical use with Piaget's developmental intelligence, and Kolbergs developmental morality. She then follows up with 6 practical chapters where she more fully explores each level, helping us all to identify where our organization is, where it should be, and some methods to use to get us where we need to be. She writes in an exciting, clear and creative style giving us the basis for understanding more thoroughly what has gone before (giving consistent credit to the many minds that have worked in this field), what links knowledge management does and should have with other crucial systemic concepts such as systems thinking, organization learning, and organizational sustainability, and including us in the innovative ideas that occurred to her as she was doing such scholarly research. The bibliography and references are worth the price of admission themselves.