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Why is the KM Experience Different in Europe?

By

Larry Prusak

on June 29, 2008 Comments (3)

I recently spent ten days talking to practitioners and some academics about knowledge and learning in four different European locations--two in Italy, two in Denmark. Now I won't bore you with who said what, but some things stand out for me as very distinct from when I do the same sort of thing in the U.S. Here they are--fire at will!

No 1. European managers have a far greater interest in the theory and philosophy of knowledge and learning. Here's why: Very few of them major in business or engineering at university, and few study computer science or even hard sciences.   For better or worse, this leads them to believe that discussing concepts that may seem obscure or philosophical can be valuable. It must be since they did it at school!  They also are comfortable with ambiguity--something one would have to be if studying anything in the humanities or social sciences (economics possibly excluded). In my experience, saying to an audience of business majors, "We just don't know enough about that" or "There is no certainty that this will happen" is a guaranteed turnoff. As is the all-time killer: "It can't be measured."

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