What Is Knowledge?

Knowledge is the collection of information, skills, and insights that individuals acquire
through education, experience, and interactions. It encompasses facts, concepts, and
practical know-how, enabling people to understand and navigate the world around
them. Knowledge management is essential for problem-solving, decision-making, and
innovation, making it a critical asset for individuals and organizations.
In the context of knowledge management, knowledge isn't simply a collection of data or
information. Rather, it is a fluid mix of framed experiences, values, contextual information,
and intuition that a person or organization develops over time. Knowledge serves to
enhance individual and organizational understanding, performance, and innovation,
transcending the basic understanding provided by raw data and interpreted information.
The 10 Types of Knowledge Explained
Here are the most common types of knowledge.

1. Explicit knowledge
Explicit knowledge is easily articulated, documented, and shared. It includes information
codified in books, manuals, databases, and other formalized structures.
Explicit knowledge is systematic and easily transferable between individuals or groups,
making it the most accessible form. This knowledge can be readily communicated through
language, symbols, diagrams, and other forms of documentation.
Examples of explicit knowledge:
A company’s training manual that outlines the procedures for using a particular software is
an example of explicit knowledge. Employees can easily refer to the manual to understand
how to perform specific tasks.
Characteristics of explicit knowledge:
1. Codifiable: It’s easily documented, stored, and transferred.
2. Accessible: Available in formats that can be found and used by others.
3. Structured: Organized to make it easy to navigate and understand.
4. Reproducible: Can be consistently applied across different contexts without losing its
value.
5. Applications of explicit knowledge in the workplace:
6. Knowledge transfer: Facilitates training and development and helps ensure critical
knowledge is passed on to new employees or across teams.
7. Consistency and standardization: Helps maintain process governance and consistent
decision-making across the organization.
8. Efficiency and productivity: Reduces the time and effort needed to perform tasks by
providing clear instructions and guidelines.
9. Compliance and risk management: Ensures employees follow legal and regulatory
requirements, reducing non-compliance risk.

2. Implicit knowledge
Implicit knowledge is the practical application of explicit knowledge. People often develop
the know-how through experience and practice without consciously thinking about it.
Implicit knowledge is not as quickly articulated as explicit knowledge but can be inferred
from actions and decisions. While it’s derived from explicit knowledge, implicit knowledge is
more intuitive and often remains unspoken.
Examples of implicit knowledge:
 General problem-solving skills formed over time by experiencing and overcoming
various challenges and tasks.
 Customer service representatives who know the exact tone and approach when
dealing with an upset customer.
 Sales professionals’ knowledge of how to manage a customer relationship based on
each client’s needs, preferences, and behavior.
 A manager prioritizes tasks or delegates responsibilities based on the team dynamics.
 An engineer knows which tools or techniques to fix a recurring issue based on years
of experience with similar problems.
Characteristics of implicit knowledge:
1. Context-specific: Highly dependent on the company’s environment, relationships,
sector, and situations.
2. Develops over time: Acquired through years of experience, making it unique to the
individual.
3. Informally transferred: Implicit knowledge is often passed down informally
through peer-to-peer learning, mentoring, and learning experiences.
 4. Applications of implicit knowledge in the workplace:
5. Innovation and creativity: Employees rely on their implicit knowledge to think
outside the box and creatively solve problems without clear directions or
documentation.
6. Cultural fit: Understanding and aligning with the implicit cultural norms of the
organization can improve collaboration, employee satisfaction, and retention.
7. Crisis management: In high-stakes situations with no clear precedent, implicit
knowledge enables quick, effective decision-making.
3. Tacit knowledge
Tacit knowledge is deeply embedded in individual experience and intuition, making it
difficult to articulate or transfer to others. It includes insights, intuitions, and skills that are
often learned through personal experience or social interactions rather than formal
instruction.
Tacit knowledge is often subconscious and is passed on through observation, practice, and
shared experiences rather than through written or verbal communication.
Examples of tacit knowledge:
 Effective leadership often relies on tacit knowledge, such as the ability to read a
room, inspire a team, or navigate complex interpersonal dynamics.
 A seasoned product manager’s uncanny ability to predict market trends.
 A veteran developer’s intuition for identifying potential bugs in a new product
release.
 A long-term employee’s deep understanding of the company’s culture, unwritten
rules, and social norms that helps them navigate the workplace effectively and foster
positive relationships with colleagues.
Characteristics of tacit knowledge:
1. Personal and context-specific: Tacit knowledge is deeply rooted in individual
experience and is often specific to a particular context or environment.
2. Difficult to articulate: Tacit knowledge is often subconscious and not easily expressed
in words or documentation.
3. Gained through experience: Tacit knowledge is acquired over time through hands-on
experience, trial and error, and personal reflection.
4. Intuitive and informal: This knowledge often involves intuition, insights, and hunches
that are developed informally rather than through structured learning.
5. Mentorship and job shadowing: Tacit knowledge is often transferred informally
through mentorship programs, where experienced employees guide newcomers by
demonstrating tasks and sharing personal insights.
6. Applications of tacit knowledge in the workplace:
7. Innovation and problem-solving: Employees rely on their tacit knowledge to develop
innovative solutions and tackle complex problems requiring more straightforward
 answers. This creative problem-solving is crucial for driving innovation in the
workplace.
8. Crisis management: In high-pressure situations, tacit knowledge enables quick,
effective decision-making. Experienced employees can use their intuition and past
experiences to navigate crises successfully.
9. Building strong experiences: Leaders with deep tacit knowledge of team dynamics
can build stronger, more cohesive teams by understanding individual strengths,
fostering collaboration, and creating a positive work environment.
4. Declarative knowledge
Declarative knowledge, often called “know-what,” is understanding factual information,
concepts, and truths. It encompasses the knowledge of facts, definitions, theories, and
principles that can be explicitly stated and communicated.
This foundational knowledge forms the basis for further learning and understanding various
fields. In the workplace, declarative knowledge is essential for roles that require a strong
sense of specific concepts or facts, such as in education, research, or any field where
information must be analyzed, explained, or taught.
Examples of declarative knowledge:
 Knowledge of key dates, events, and milestones in the company’s history. For
instance, knowing when the company was founded, major product launches, or
significant mergers and acquisitions.
 Detailed information about a company’s products, such as technical specifications,
features, and benefits. For example, a salesperson’s knowledge of the specifications
of a particular model of a laptop they are selling.
 Understanding of the rules, laws, and standards that govern the industry in which the
company operates. For example, an HR manager’s knowledge of employment laws
and compliance requirements.
 Familiarity with the specific terms, jargon, and definitions used within a particular
field or organization. For example, a finance professional’s knowledge of accounting
terms like “liabilities,” “assets,” and “equity.”
Characteristics of declarative knowledge:
1. Fact-based: Declarative knowledge consists of factual information and is often
concerned with the “what” rather than the “how” or “why.” It involves
understanding and recalling specific data, concepts, and definitions.
2. Easily communicated: This type of knowledge can be easily articulated, documented,
and shared with others through language, whether in written or spoken form.
3. Formalized: Declarative knowledge is typically well-organized and structured, making
it suitable for formal education, training programs, and documentation.
4. Foundational: Declarative knowledge serves as the foundation for more complex
types of knowledge, such as procedural or implicit knowledge. It provides the basic
understanding needed to perform tasks or engage in higher-order thinking.
 5. Applications of declarative knowledge in the workplace:
6. Training and education: Declarative knowledge is crucial in employee onboarding and
training programs, where employees learn about company policies, product details,
and industry-specific regulations.
7. Decision-making: Managers and employees rely on declarative knowledge when
making informed decisions. For instance, a manager’s knowledge of past sales data
can inform future marketing strategies.
8. Compliance and risk management: Declarative knowledge is essential to ensure the
company adheres to legal and regulatory requirements.
5. Procedural knowledge
Procedural knowledge refers to the understanding of how to perform specific tasks or
processes through a series of steps or actions. It is practical and action-oriented and is
typically acquired through hands-on experience, practice, and repetition, making it essential
for tasks that require a certain level of skill and precision.
Procedural knowledge is often sequential, following a logical order that ensures tasks are
completed correctly and efficiently. This knowledge is foundational in manufacturing,
customer service, project management, and any other domain where specific procedures
must be followed to achieve desired outcomes.
Examples of procedural knowledge:
 Knowledge of operating specific software applications, such as Excel for data analysis
or Photoshop for graphic design.
 The step-by-step knowledge of operating machinery and producing goods in a
manufacturing setting.
 The procedure for handling customer inquiries, complaints, and returns.
 Knowledge of managing a project from start to finish, including planning, execution,
monitoring, and closing.
Characteristics of procedural knowledge:
 Action-oriented: Procedural knowledge focuses on “how” to perform tasks or
procedures, emphasizing the steps or actions required to achieve a specific outcome.
 Developed through practice: This knowledge is typically acquired through repeated
practice and hands-on experience rather than theoretical learning.
 Context-specific: Procedural knowledge is often tailored to specific tools,
environments, or situations, primarily applicable within those contexts.
 Sequential and logical: Procedural knowledge follows a sequence of logically ordered
steps to ensure tasks are performed correctly and efficiently.
 Applications of procedural knowledge in the workplace:
 Employee training and development: Procedural knowledge is critical in training
programs where employees learn how to perform specific tasks, such as using
equipment and software, or following safety protocols.
  Operational efficiency: Procedural knowledge ensures that tasks are performed
consistently and correctly, which is essential for maintaining operational efficiency.
 Problem-solving: Employees use procedural knowledge to troubleshoot and resolve
issues that arise during their work.
 Standardization and compliance: Procedural knowledge supports standardization
across the organization, ensuring that processes are followed consistently.
6. A priori knowledge
A priori knowledge is independent of experience, relying instead on reasoning and logical
deduction. It is the knowledge considered universally true and can be known through
thought alone, without the need for empirical evidence or sensory experience.
This knowledge is foundational in mathematics, philosophy, and logic, where certain truths
are accepted as self-evident and do not require external validation. In the workplace, a priori
knowledge might underpin certain principles or guidelines accepted as universally valid,
serving as the basis for decision-making, problem-solving, and theoretical frameworks.
Examples of priori knowledge:
Ability to excel in mathematics or logical reasoning due to their natural ability to understand
and interpret information without further explanation.
An individual’s inherent ability to recognize patterns and solve complex problems without
extensive training or prior experience.
An individual’s ability to instinctively distinguish between right and wrong and make ethical
decisions without requiring detailed ethical training.
Characteristics of priori knowledge:
Independent of experience: A priori knowledge is known to be true without empirical
evidence or sensory experience. It is understood through reasoning and logical deduction.
Universal and necessary: This knowledge is considered universally valid and applies in all
cases without exception.
Foundational reasoning: A priori knowledge provides the foundational principles for further
rationale, theories, and knowledge. It serves as the basis for deductive reasoning and
theoretical frameworks.
Applications of priori knowledge in the workplace:
Theoretical frameworks: In research and development, a priori knowledge is used to develop
theoretical models and frameworks that guide exploring new ideas.
Decision-making: A priori knowledge is applied in decision-making processes requiring
logical reasoning. For example, in strategic planning, leaders may use logical deductions to
anticipate outcomes and make decisions that do not solely rely on empirical data.
Policy and rule formation: Organizations use a priori knowledge to create policies and rules
that are universally applicable, such as ethical guidelines or legal principles.
Philosophical and ethical reasoning: In areas such as corporate ethics and governance, a
priori knowledge is applied to reason about what is right or wrong, fair or unfair, often
without needing empirical evidence to support these judgments.
7. A posteriori knowledge
A posteriori knowledge is derived from experience and empirical evidence. Unlike a priori
knowledge, which is based on reasoning independent of experience, a posteriori knowledge
is gained through observation, experimentation, and sensory experience.
This type of knowledge is often used in scientific research, data analysis, and practical
decision-making, where outcomes are determined by testing hypotheses against real-world
data. A posteriori knowledge is fundamental in areas that require validation through
evidence, making it crucial for understanding and navigating complex environments where
direct experience informs understanding.
Examples of posteriori knowledge:
A company’s knowledge of consumer preferences and purchasing behavior, derived from
analyzing survey data and sales trends, is a posteriori knowledge.
Understanding an employee’s effectiveness based on observed performance metrics and
feedback is an example of a posteriori knowledge.
Learning that a product needs improvement based on customer reviews and feedback is a
form of a posteriori knowledge, as it relies on real-world data to inform decisions.
Characteristics of posteriori knowledge:
Experience-based: A posteriori knowledge is derived from direct experience, observation,
and empirical evidence rather than theoretical reasoning alone.
Empirical validation: This knowledge requires verification through experiments, data
analysis, and sensory experience, and it can change if new evidence emerges.
Context-sensitive: A posteriori knowledge is often specific to particular situations,
environments, or conditions, as it is based on real-world occurrences.
Dynamic and evolving: Since it depends on empirical evidence, a posteriori knowledge can
evolve as new data is gathered and previous conclusions are reevaluated.
Applications of posteriori knowledge in the workplace:
Data-driven decision-making: A posteriori knowledge is crucial in making informed business
decisions based on data analysis and market research, such as product development or
marketing strategies.
Quality control and improvement: In manufacturing or service delivery, a posteriori
knowledge helps identify areas for improvement based on observed defects, customer
complaints, or performance issues.
Employee development: Performance evaluations and professional growth plans are often
based on a posteriori knowledge from observing employee behavior, achievements, and
feedback over time.
Risk management: Organizations use a posteriori knowledge to manage risks by analyzing
past incidents, failures, and successes. This empirical knowledge helps develop strategies to
mitigate future risks and improve operational resilience.
8. Embedded knowledge
Embedded knowledge is ingrained within an organization’s processes, systems, products,
and culture. It is often not explicitly documented but is integral to the organization’s
functioning and success. This knowledge is reflected in the way things are done within the
company, such as operational workflows, technology platforms, and organizational routines.
Embedded knowledge is difficult to extract and transfer because it is built into the
organization’s fabric, often through years of practice, cultural norms, and accumulated
expertise. It supports the consistency and efficiency of operations, enabling the organization
to maintain quality and achieve strategic goals.
Examples of embedded knowledge:
A company’s project management software automatically assigning tasks and deadlines
based on previous projects and team member capabilities is an example of embedded
knowledge, as it reflects the organization’s accumulated experience in managing projects.
The specific steps and machine settings used in a manufacturing process that consistently
produces high-quality products are embedded knowledge developed and refined over time.
The unspoken rules and behavioral expectations within a company, such as decision-making
processes or communication styles, are embedded knowledge that influences how
employees interact and perform their roles.
A CRM system that automatically suggests customer interaction strategies based on
historical data and customer behavior patterns reflects embedded knowledge of successful
sales practices within the organization.
Characteristics of embedded knowledge:
Context-specific: Embedded knowledge is closely tied to an organization’s specific processes,
systems, and culture, making it unique to that particular context.
Not easily articulated: This knowledge is often implicit and complex to document or transfer
because it is embedded within organizational routines and technology.
Integral to operations: Embedded knowledge is crucial for the smooth functioning of
organizational processes and is often a key factor in maintaining operational consistency and
efficiency.
Evolves: This type of knowledge develops and accumulates through experience and practice,
becoming more refined and effective as it adapts to the organization’s changing needs.
Applications of embedded knowledge in the workplace:
Operational efficiency: Embedded knowledge ensures that workflows and processes are
optimized for efficiency. For example, an automated supply chain system that adjusts orders
based on past demand patterns helps streamline operations and reduce waste.
Consistency in quality: By embedding knowledge into manufacturing processes or service
delivery protocols, organizations can maintain consistent quality in their products or
services.
Decision-making: Managers and leaders rely on embedded knowledge when making
strategic decisions, providing a foundation built on the organization’s accumulated
experience and best practices.
9. Institutional knowledge
Institutional knowledge refers to the collective understanding, skills, processes, and
historical context that an organization accumulates over time. This type of knowledge is
often undocumented and resides in the minds of long-standing employees or is embedded
within the organization’s culture and practices.
Institutional knowledge encompasses everything from the company’s founding history to its
decision-making processes, internal policies, and unwritten norms. It is critical to
maintaining continuity, ensuring smooth operations, and preserving the organization’s
identity.
Examples of institutional knowledge:
Knowledge of how the company was established, including the original mission, vision, and
challenges faced by the founders.
Understanding the history of key customer accounts, including past interactions,
preferences, and the nuances of relationship management.
Detailed knowledge of how certain internal processes were developed and refined and why
specific methods are used.
The shared beliefs, norms, and values cultivated over the years, guiding employee behavior
and decision-making.
Characteristics of institutional knowledge:
Collective and cumulative: Institutional knowledge is the sum of the experiences, decisions,
and practices accumulated over time within an organization.
Often undocumented: Much of institutional knowledge needs to be formally recorded,
making it reliant on the memory and experience of long-term employees. It includes
unwritten rules, informal procedures, and historical context that may need to be captured in
official documents.
Crucial for continuity: This knowledge is essential for maintaining operational continuity,
especially during transitions, such as when key employees retire or leave the organization.
Embedded in culture: Institutional knowledge is deeply embedded in the organization’s
culture, influencing how employees interact, make decisions, and approach their work.
Applications of institutional knowledge in the workplace:
Succession planning: Institutional knowledge is crucial for preparing new organizational
leaders. It ensures that successors understand the historical context, key relationships, and
the rationale behind current strategies, allowing for a smooth leadership transition.
Crisis management: During crises, institutional knowledge provides valuable insights into
how similar situations were handled in the past, helping the organization respond
effectively.
Onboarding and training: During the onboarding process, new employees are exposed to
institutional knowledge, helping them understand the company’s culture, values, and
unwritten rules.
Strategic decision-making: Leaders rely on institutional knowledge to make informed
decisions that align with the company’s long-term goals and values. This knowledge helps
ensure that decisions are consistent with the organization’s history and culture, maintaining
strategic coherence.
10. Domain expertise
Domain expertise knowledge refers to the deep, specialized understanding and skills an
individual possesses in a particular field or industry. This type of knowledge is gained
through extensive experience, education, and continuous learning within a specific domain,
making the individual an expert or authority in that area.
Domain expertise is critical for solving complex problems, making informed decisions, and
driving innovation within a particular field. It encompasses the theoretical knowledge of the
subject and the practical application and nuances that are often only learned through years
of dedicated practice.
Examples of domain knowledge:
An investment banker with extensive knowledge of financial markets, valuation techniques,
and risk management strategies. This expertise allows them to make informed decisions on
mergers and acquisitions, investment opportunities, and financial structuring.
A software engineer with deep expertise in AI, machine learning algorithms, and data
science, capable of developing advanced AI models and systems that drive innovation in
technology companies.
A healthcare administrator with specialized knowledge in hospital operations, healthcare
regulations, patient care protocols, and health informatics, enabling them to manage and
improve healthcare delivery effectively.
Characteristics of domain knowledge:
Deep and specialized: Domain expertise is characterized by a profound and highly
specialized understanding of a specific field or industry, often encompassing both theoretical
and practical aspects.
Acquired over time: This knowledge is developed through years of dedicated study,
experience, and continuous learning within a particular domain. It is not easily transferable
to other fields.
Highly valued and sought after: Individuals with domain expertise are often considered
authorities in their field and are highly valued for their ability to solve complex problems and
provide expert insights.
Applications of domain knowledge in the workplace:
Strategic decision-making: Leaders and managers rely on domain expertise to make
informed decisions that require specialized knowledge. For example, a CTO with domain
expertise in cybersecurity can make critical decisions about protecting company data and
infrastructure.
Innovation and problem-solving: Domain experts drive innovation by applying their deep
knowledge to develop new solutions, products, or services.
Mentorship and knowledge sharing: Domain experts play a crucial role in mentoring less
experienced colleagues and sharing their knowledge within the organization.