Knowledge Harvesting: A Deep Probe into Organizational Values

Vol. 5 No. 1

Year:2008

Issue:April-June

Title	: Knowledge Harvesting: A Deep Probe into Organizational Values
Author Name	: Hanan Yaniv
Synopsis	:
This paper describes a methodology for harvesting knowledge within a professional development workshop in a large organization. Knowledge harvesting is a process aimed to (1) document every possible contribution of every participant and (2) arrange that documentation into an indexed summarized representation. The product of knowledge harvesting creates a deeper understanding of what people know as individuals and harness that knowledge into the continuous growth of the organization. A well-documented product of a professional development workshop can lead to planning future activities, reexamine values and beliefs, surface organizational challenges and serve to readjust relationships between values and practices. Literature (Argyris & Schon, 1978; Senge, 1990) suggests that organizations tend to be plagued with internal conflicts between their stated beliefs and their actual practice.