Knowledge and Process Management Volume 5 Number 4 p 207 (1998)

" Editorial

The Value of Science, Judgement andExperience

One of the interesting features of knowledge is that it mustboth be husbanded and also continually questioned and laidopen to doubt. Our initial focus in organizations is oftendirected towards capturing, representing, sharing and apply-ing knowledge. However, there is also a need to forgetwhat one knows. commonly held assumptions may nolonger hold. These assumptions are often embedded in thevery fabric of organizations they are part of the commonknowledge of these organizations.

In a recent paper on knowledge and knowledge manage-ment, Michael Earl argues that there are three differenttypes of knowledge: scientific, judgement, and experience.Though we might quibble at this tripartite classificationit does encapsulate some important distinctions. On thewhole it will not be necessary for organizations to continu-ally question their scientific knowledge. Presently manyorganizations do not have the capability to assess thestatus of scientific knowledge and therefore must wait forother authorities to indicate when revision is necessary.Obviously there are organizations that will be involved inthe direct revision of scientific knowledge—pharmaceuticalcompanies spring to mind. However, companies should atleast be able to classify the knowledge that they have.

Companies should be able to differentiate between scien-tific knowledge, judgement and experience. Such a classifi-cation is key to maintaining and enhancing the knowledgewithin the organization. In the case of scientific knowledgesuch maintenance and enhancement derives both frominternal experimentation and also the establishment of closelinks with other experimenters in other organizations andinstitutions. Organizations must develop competencies inperforming experimentation. Some of these skills may havebeen developed in such areas as market research or opera-tions management in the past. However, skills in experimen-tal design, data mining, and data analysis must be morewidely distributed throughout the organization. Employeesmust be encouraged to study the scientific method andapply it to their everyday lives!

In the context of knowledge in the form of judgement weprobably have an even longer path to tread. Althoughconsiderable research has been conducted into the nature ofjudgement over the past two to three decades much of thisresearch has not been absorbed or applied in organizations.Organizations need to work to encourage safe judgementpractices. Practices that are likely to lead to good judge-

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ment. Once judgements have been made they should berecorded and discussed. Good judgements provide theframework for better judgements only when they are sharedand critically examined.

Finally, organizations must ensure that their employeescritically examine all the experimental knowledge that isutilized in planning and decision-making. It is interesting tonote that the medical profession is assessing medicalknowledge—although they are not seeking to devalueexperiential knowledge they are developing approachesthat integrate experiential knowledge with scientificknowledge.

Anthony Wensley

REFERENCES

Knowledge Strategies: Propositions from Two ContrastingIndustries. Michael J. Earl. Information Management. Michael J.Earl (ed.). Oxford University Press, 1996.

Coming up in future issuesVolume 6 Issue 1CasesTen Knowledge Domains: Model of a Knowledge-DrivenCompanyDan HoltshouseOrganizational Structure in Process-Based OrganizationsWim VanhaverbekeReengineering comes to the non-profit sector: A case studyof Goodwill Industries of the Laurel Highlands IncorporatedJames A RodgerExploiting Information Systems and Technology ThroughBusiness Process ImprovementVishanth Weerakkody and C. Matthew HintonPapersStriving for ‘Methodological Fit’ in Business ProcessChange ProjectsJurgen Vanhoenacker, Antony Bryant, Guido DendeneKey Ingredients to the Success of an Organization’sKnowledge Management StrategyDr. Jay LiebowitzOrganizational Network AnalysisFaren Foster and Gerry Falkowski

anuel Ltd