Information System Note

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InternationalJournal of Information Management, Vol. 16, No. 5, pp. 329-340, 1996

Copyright (~ 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd Printed in Great Britain. All rights reserved 0268-4012/96 $15.00 + 0.00

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The Knowing Organization: How Organizations Use Information to Construct Meaning, Create Knowledge and Make Decisions

C W CHO0

An organization uses information strategically in three areas: to make sense of change in its environment; to create new knowledge for innovation; and to make decisions about courses of action. These apparently distinct processes are in fact complementary pieces of a larger canvas, and the information behaviors analyzed in each approach interweave into a richer explanation of information use in organizations. Through sensemaking, people in an organization give meaning to the events and actions of the organization. Through knowledge creation, the insights of individuals are converted into knowledge that can be used to design new products or improve performance. Finally, in decision making, understanding and knowledge are focused on the selection of and commitment to an appropriate course of action. By holistically managing its sensemaking, knowledge building and decision-making processes, the Knowing Organization will have the necessary understanding and knowledge to act wisely and decisively. Copyright O 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd

Chun Wei Choo is Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Information Studies at the University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His recent books include Information Man-

Introduction

How do organizations use information? This question is much harder than it sounds. Information is an intrinsic component of nearly every activity in the organization, so much so that its function has become transparent. Yet the question is not a frivolous one. Without a firm grasp of how it creates, transforms and uses information, an organization would lack the...