Consider that certain knowledge is needed to produce a product. If several companies are working on similar products, the company that has the knowledge in time to be first to market gains the most value from the knowledge. After this point, the value of the knowledge decreases. Maxim 5 Assumption of Accessibility A knowledge transaction might involve three parties - a seller, a buyer, and the third party in the process, a broker. A broker serves as middleman between buyer and seller.
Brokers have knowledge about knowledge.
Brokers can make knowledge available by sharing its location, ways to get at it, or by providing the knowledge itself. Even though a broker may be able to identify where the knowledge resides, this does not ensure that anyone will be able to access it. There must be some assurance in a brokered transaction that the knowledge can be accessed. Final Thoughts From the standpoint of knowledge work, these five assumptions are highly interconnected. These maxims try to address some important people considerations, by specifying the underlying assumptions and expectations that are the basis for knowledge interactions.