The Essence of Organizational Knowledge: A Social Epistemology Perspective

The relationships between organizational static substance knowledge with ‘belief’, ‘the true’, ‘true belief’, or ‘justified true belief’ have been outlined briefly in 2003. In this article, through combining new research outcomes, I further explore why different kinds of organizational static substance knowledge can be counted as belief, the true, true belief, or justified true belief. The discussion on the subtle differences between belief, the true, true belief and justified true belief will shed light on our comprehensive and intensive understanding of different kinds of organizational knowledge and will enable managers or chief knowledge officers (CKO) to effectively and efficiently manage knowledge related activities in our knowledge era. [Article copies are available for purchase from InfoSci-on-Demand.com] INTRODUCTION The attributive term ‘organizational’ in the phrase of ‘organizational knowledge’ makes the phrase very different from the meaning of the single term ‘knowledge’. On the one hand, organizational knowledge, as it was discussed in Gao et al (2003), must be judged by objective criteria (such as through strict scientific thinking based on scientific method, approaches, and tools like logical and rational thinking (i.e. logical deduction, rational induction, and/or rational interpretation); sensory experience (i.e. experiment or field study); and the synthesis of rational thinking and sensory experience; and Nonaka’s evaluating criteria of the market1). On the other hand, organizational knowledge has also to be judged by subjective criteria, and further, these subjective criteria are established by the organization based on its own social and cultural background, history, and actual environmental position. This subjective aspect of organizational knowledge is different from