Affiliations: Center for Research in Information Management,
Department of Information & Decision Sciences, University of Illinois at
Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA | 555 West Madison Street, Apt # 3705, Chicago, IL
60661, USA, Tel: +1 312 207 1577, E-mail: yawazu1@ameritech.net
Note: [] Corresponding author: Kevin C. Desouza, Center for Research in
Information Management, Department of Information & Decision Sciences,
University of Illinois at Chicago, 601 South Morgan Street, M/C 294, Chicago,
IL 60607, USA, Tel.: +1 312 829 8447; Fax: +1 312 413 0385; E-mail:
kdesou1@uic.edu
Abstract: The following essay argues for a new approach to knowledge
management – "need to know". The main tenets of this paper are centered on
two issues. First we contend the use of the phrase "organizational
knowledge" is inappropriate for its intended purpose and suggest a specific
meaning based on semiotic theory and a resource-based view of organizations. We
argue that only a small portion of what is commonly considered to be
organizational knowledge actually meets the definition of being a resource that
can sustain competitive advantages. Hence, this small portion is what needs to
be known and should get the attention of management efforts. Second, using this
prescribed frame of "organizational knowledge" we employ transaction cost
economics and principal-agent theory to elaborate on the need for the control,
protection, and constant monitoring of the knowledge based on a centralized
management scheme. It is our contention that to preserve and ensure the
effective and efficient deployment of the organizational knowledge, we need to
ascribe to the ideology of many defense organizations and provide it on a need
to know basis.
