What is knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

What is knowledge - Essay Example The paper examines the practice of knowledge management and how it has helped Japanese companies to gain a competitive edge. Porter (1998) gave the structure of the Five Forces Analysis that gives companies a sustainable competitive edge in a market. While the structure allows analysts to form a grouping of manifestations and market forces such as threats of suppliers and substitutes, power of buyers and barriers for new entrants, the framing is not a mantra that yields solutions. Kadapa (2006) argues that after employing tools such as PEST and SWOT, analysts still have to find a way to solve problems and the industry is interested in solutions. At such junctures, when easy solutions are not obvious, it is knowledge management practices that help to provide the means to achieve competitive advantage. Again Drucker (1981) tried to provide answers to the phenomenal success that Japanese industries have achieved since the Second World War when the country was reduced to rubble. The author argues that just by using oriental philosophy, it is not possible to explain how the country went ahead in all fields of industries such as automobiles and electronics. The author suggests that the main secret lay in sharing knowledge and information among the workers and diffusing it to the people who need it, that helped Japan to achieve its success. A rigorous mindset, good knowledge of mechanical and electrical engineering that existed from the pre war days and the insight to apply it effectively helped the country to go forward. By extensively reading the works of the author, it is obvious that he is explaining a culture where knowledge is continuously being recycled and redistributed. Drucker (1999) speaks of the management challenges for the future and speaks of how organizations need to ap ply and reapply their learning and knowledge if they want their competitive advantage to be sustained. Meyer