Change is omnipresent — nothing ever stays quite the same. Probing deeper usually reveals some element of change in what may appear to be unchanged on the surface. For example, the small town where you grew up may look like the same place that you remember — not much
traffic, beautiful locale, same houses through proper upkeep, and the same nice townspeople. However, as you walk down the main street, you may notice that things really are not quite the same. The $1 movie theatre now charges $8. The leading and almost sole large employer has now moved most of its operations out of town. Many of the establishments on the main street are out of business due to the harsh economic situation. And even the old high school that you fondly remember has now been converted into a seniors’ center.
Your hometown looks the same on the surface, but upon closer examination, reveals that change has taken place. The paradox “change is constant” is certainly true. But how can change be constant? Does not change indicate movement versus stillness? Or do we really mean that a constant rate of change exists, versus change vacillating unpredictably?We have also heard the expression “people never change.” Is this quite true? There are certainly many events in life that may change a person. However, some believe that the genetic composition of an individual enforces a certain stability and pattern such that the environment may change, but the person never really changes.
The same argument is made for knowledge management. Knowledge management involves best leveraging knowledge internally and externally in an organization and creating a process for valuing the organization’s intangible assets. Some people say that knowledge cannot be managed, i.e.,the environment in which knowledge is housed, transferred, and used can change, but knowledge itself cannot be controlled.