In my own work, I have found two schools of thought. The first is the 'quick fix' school who substitute the word knowledge for information in their language and literature. They then carry on as if nothing is different. The second school is challenged by the dilemma that knowledge and management seem uneasy bedfellows. Tacit and Explicit Knowledge Part of the solution to the dilemma is the recognition of two distinct types of knowledge - explicit and tacit.
Explicit knowledge is that which is written down or expressed in some tangible form.
This can be construed as its embodiment in information. Its very intangibility makes its management a challenge. Many writers and academics give elaborate definitions of the differences between data, information, and knowledge, alongside even higher order concepts like intelligence and wisdom. In business practice such distinctions, while intellectually interesting, are peripheral to the main knowledge focus. This is the identification of that knowledge which the organisation can share, develop and exploit for bottom- line business benefits.