Understanding Organizational Memory

Many Organizational Memory (OM) models and definitions can be found in the literature. Most models are complex or too general to directly build a computer system to manage them, i.e., to capture significant information, organize it and make it available to people who needs it. This paper presents a review of some OM models as well as some systems intended to manage part of the information stored in it. A few observations about the human memory from a cognitive science point of view are also included, giving design ideas for new OM systems. Finally, a new OM model is presented. This model is based on a previous collaborative application. The model emphasizes information privacy aspects.