Relationship between KM Process and Creativity
KM seems to be a critical factor in the success of any organization. Successful organizations have
the capacity to absorb creativity into the organization and management processes. The basic elements
of KM (socialization, internalization, combination, & externalization) influence creativity
in an organization. As knowledge organizations, institutions of higher education focus their major
activities on learning, creating, and publishing knowledge. Universities as educational institutes
are devoted to major knowledge activities. Therefore, it is necessary to highlight the place of KM
in the higher education system and then use the theory of KM to find a trend to coordinate activities
related to the processes of conversion and production of knowledge and thereby demonstrate
the value of mental capitals for active and continuous existence in society (Rowely, 2000). That
knowledge is a key component of all forms of creativity and is a widely accepted principle of
modern innovation management (Chapman & Magnusson, 2006). Knowledge is more and more
regarded as a vital asset and the main source of the competitive advantage of a university. There
is no simple, generally accepted definition of knowledge. The epistemology has also changed
from a monist view to the pluralist one. Knowledge is different from data and information, but
related to both of them. Unlike data and information, knowledge emerges from human interpretations
and their complex interactions (Stacey, 2000). Organizational knowledge creation can be
viewed as an upward spiral process from the individual level to the collective group level, and
then to the organizational level, sometimes to the interorganizational level. Creativity is at the
base of problem solving.
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