Managing large amounts of knowledge objects: cognitive and organisational problems

The process of knowledge objectification entails several advantages in terms of capitalising the owned knowledge, facilitating its localisation, retrieval and reuse, establishing a common cognitive base and so on. However, the management of knowledge objects is all but simple, especially in the case of llarge organisations with an extensive and dispersed production of knowledge objects. In principle, this issue seems to have a simple solution, that is, merging the various cognitive bases in a single one. In practice this raises several questions, both on the technical-cognitive and the organisational side. The paper deals with this topic, by discussing the case of Ernst & Young that 3 years ago started a project aimed at developing a common knowledge platform. In particular, it intends to identify and discuss the main problems (and possible solutions) raised by the management of large amount of knowledge objects scattered in different parts of the organisation. In addition, it aims to show how a codification, technology-based approach to knowledge management cannot be successfully pursued without taking into account the relevant social and organisational aspects