The importance of learning to differentiate between 'Hard' and 'Soft' knowledge

Matthew Hall, Stewart R. Clegg, John Sillince

Research output: Chapter in Book/Published conference outputConference publication

Abstract

For knowledge to be managed it has to be severed from those who produced it; it must be stable, replicable, and translatable across contexts, space and time. What this entails is that at some point in its development it has to be divided from its auspices as a specific knowledge of specific people. In science the norms of replication and experimentation enable this division. In the commercial world, where what is required is a commercial product that can be marketed as distinct, different norms operate. In this paper we explore what we take to be a significant way of making such division, which entails the strategy of differentiating that which is 'soft' from that which is 'hard'. Such categories are not self evident and are always socially constructed. In this paper we look at the process through which the division is made up.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationInnovation and Knowledge Management in Business Globalization: Theory and Practice - Proceedings of the 10th International Business Information Management Association Conference
PublisherIBIMA
Pages1224-1231
Number of pages8
Volume1-2
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2008
Event10th IBIMA Conference on Innovation and Knowledge Management in Business Globalization - Kuala Lumpur, United Kingdom
Duration: 30 Jun 20081 Jul 2008

Conference

Conference10th IBIMA Conference on Innovation and Knowledge Management in Business Globalization
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityKuala Lumpur
Period30/06/081/07/08

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