What is the relationship between structural capital and knowledge management?
Originally answered Feb 17, 2018
Knowledge management provides infrastructure, processes, and databases that are a part of an organization’s structural capital.
From Wikipedia: Structural capital is one of the three primary components of intellectual capital — the intangible value of a business (1. human capital — its people, 2. relational capital — the value relating to its relationships , and 3. structural capital — everything that is left when the employees go home). It consists of the supportive infrastructure, processes, and databases of the organization that enable human capital to function. Structural capital is owned by an organization and remains with an organization even when people leave. It includes capabilities, routines, methods, procedures, and methodologies embedded in organization. There are three sub-components of structural capital:
- Organizational capital includes the organization philosophy and systems for leveraging the organization’s capability.
- Process capital includes the techniques, procedures, and programs that implement and enhance the delivery of goods and services.
- Innovation capital includes intellectual property and certain other intangible assets. Intellectual property includes protected commercial rights such as patents, copyrights and trademarks. Intangible assets are all of the other talents and theory by which an organization is run.
From Knowledge & Knowledge Management Defined: Knowledge management (KM) is the art of transforming information and intellectual assets into enduring value for an organization’s clients and its people. The purpose of knowledge management is to foster the reuse of intellectual capital, enable better decision making, and create the conditions for innovation. KM provides people, processes, and technology to help knowledge flow to the right people, at the right time, so they can act more efficiently, effectively, and creatively. Knowledge management enables Sharing, Innovating, Reusing, Collaborating, and Learning.
See also:
