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468 Glossary

of knowledge and ideas into a new benefi t, such as new or improved processes or services. An
improvement of an existing technological product, system, or method of doing something.
Organizational innovation is the process by which new products or new methods of production
are introduced, including all the steps from the inventor ’ s idea to bringing the new item to
market.
Intellectual asset/capital Intellectual assets generally refer to an organization ’ s recorded infor-
mation (and, increasingly, human talent itself), where such information is typically either inef-
fi ciently warehoused or simply lost, especially in large, physically dispersed organizations. An
asset is a claim to future benefi ts (value, cash fl ows). An intangible asset can be defi ned as a
nonphysical claim to future value or benefi ts. Intangibles, intangible assets, knowledge assets,
and intellectual capital are more or less synonyms. All are widely used — intangibles specifi cally
in the accounting literature, knowledge assets by economists, and intellectual capital predomi-
nantly in the management literature.
Intelligent agent Also called an Internet agent. Most commonly found on web sites, this mini-
program is designed to retrieve specifi c information automatically. Agents rely on cookies to keep
track of the user ’ s preferences, store bookmarks, and deliver news through push technology.
Intelligent agents cannot perform their duties if the user ’ s browser rejects cookies, and some
web pages (especially online ordering sites) will not function properly without the agent ’ s
information.
Internalization The conversion of explicit knowledge into tacit knowledge. Understanding of
new knowledge and its integration into existing mental models. Accepting that this new knowl-
edge is valuable and acting accordingly.
Invisible college An informal communication network, typically consisting of scholars or
researchers working around a common theme.

Jargon A characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves); “ they don ’ t speak our
lingo. ” The technical language of an occupation or group. The informal or technical language
used by members of the same profession or industry.
Job analysis An analytical technique that entails structuring the major responsibilities of a job
and high-level description of the key tasks encompassed by that job.
Knowledge Subjective and valuable information that has been validated and that has been
organized into a model (mental model); used to make sense of our world; typically originates
from accumulated experience; incorporates perceptions, beliefs, and values.
Knowledge acquisition The process of extracting, transforming, and transferring expertise from
a knowledge source.

Knowledge audit A qualitative evaluation, essentially a sound investigation into an organiza-
tion ’ s knowledge “ health. ” The knowledge audit provides an evidence-based assessment of where
the organization needs to focus its knowledge management efforts. It can reveal the organiza-
tion ’ s knowledge management needs, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and risks.