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The Knowing Organization: How Organizations Use Information to Construct Meaning, Create Knowledge, and Make Decisions
The Knowing Organization is the first text that links the broad areas of organizational behavior and information management. It looks at how organizations behave as information-seeking, information-creating, and information-using communities, and offers models of how organizations behave and
how information participates in that behavior. Choo pursues three main objectives throughout the text. First, he analyzes and compares the principal modes by which an organization uses information strategically to make sense of its changing environment, create knowledge, and make decisions. Second,
he examines the structure and dynamics of how information is sought and used in each of these sensemaking through the development of shared meanings; knowledge creation through the conversion and sharing of different forms of organizational knowledge; and decision making through the use of
rules and routines that reduce complexity and uncertainty. Lastly, the author proposes a new framework of the knowing organization in which sensemaking, knowledge-creating, and decision-making are linked as a continuum of nested activities that invigorates an organization with the information and
knowledge to act intelligently. Knowing how to manage information effectively within the organization is key to the success of the modern firm, a failure of which can cause a breakdown of organizational purpose. The Knowing Organization is essential for students of organizational behavior and
information management courses, and serves equally well as a guide for researchers studying organizations and information use.
how information participates in that behavior. Choo pursues three main objectives throughout the text. First, he analyzes and compares the principal modes by which an organization uses information strategically to make sense of its changing environment, create knowledge, and make decisions. Second,
he examines the structure and dynamics of how information is sought and used in each of these sensemaking through the development of shared meanings; knowledge creation through the conversion and sharing of different forms of organizational knowledge; and decision making through the use of
rules and routines that reduce complexity and uncertainty. Lastly, the author proposes a new framework of the knowing organization in which sensemaking, knowledge-creating, and decision-making are linked as a continuum of nested activities that invigorates an organization with the information and
knowledge to act intelligently. Knowing how to manage information effectively within the organization is key to the success of the modern firm, a failure of which can cause a breakdown of organizational purpose. The Knowing Organization is essential for students of organizational behavior and
information management courses, and serves equally well as a guide for researchers studying organizations and information use.
- GenresNonfiction
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 8, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 31, 2018
Really interesting way to think about organizations
May 14, 2011
OK, like most of the books posted on this shelf, I'll admit to not having read this book cover-to-cover (I generally follow that standard for other books). I only ready the assigned chapters and I really wish the professor had saved me the money by just placing these three chapters on library reserve.
There's nothing wrong with Choo. It's a bit dense and the discussion of how information becomes knowledge feels a bit like a librarian playing around in a philosopher's playground. Eh, it was Masters-level reading. I retained information but lost my opinion once it hit the online class discussion board. I know I should care more, but I don't.
There's nothing wrong with Choo. It's a bit dense and the discussion of how information becomes knowledge feels a bit like a librarian playing around in a philosopher's playground. Eh, it was Masters-level reading. I retained information but lost my opinion once it hit the online class discussion board. I know I should care more, but I don't.
October 13, 2014
Read this in grad school, along with his earlier book, 'Web Work', which I think is also excellent. Choo's prose style is artful, especially for an academic textbook. The case studies are particularly lucid and informative, especially the one on the Space Shuttle Challenger Case. Much to learn here about information/knowledge management and pitfalls that can come to organizations for failing to understand these principles.
February 2, 2008
Currently reading for a class on Information Management in Organizations taught by the University of Toronto Faculty of Information faculty member and author of this book Chun Wei Choo.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews