Knowledge management
Sociological predictions to the effect that an information age would arrive due to the advancement of computer technology were already being made in the 1970s. The full-scale diffusion of the PC since then has accelerated the informationization of society. In Japanese&sbquo the interpretative translation of this word "information" (joho) separated off into several branches including information&sbquo intelligence&sbquo consciousness&sbquo and "knowledgement." Today&sbquo joho is generally described as information&sbquo and technology in an information society as information technology&sbquo or IT. The word "knowledgement" has been used as a concept of knowledge from information or the recognition of knowledge value. The question of how the information system that leads to knowledge value should be has also been raised. It is a management system for sharing elements of information—the knowledge of individuals—among the entire organization in which those individuals are situated&sbquo and makes effective use of that knowledge as an intangible asset of the organization. Such activities as accumulating&sbquo operating and managing the knowledge&sbquo or knowledge management&sbquo are defined as knowledgement (KM); the knowledge and information subjected in this case is not just formal knowledge or data that can be digitized or compiled into a manual&sbquo and generally includes tacit knowledge such as empirical rules and personal non-verbal know-how. By introducing and spreading knowledgement&sbquo it will become possible to develop individual ability&sbquo rationalize the process of self-realization&sbquo and improve the integrity and productivity of the organization itself. It is also thought that changing the consciousness of the organization and individual can be realized. To do this&sbquo it is essential to design a process that arranges the sharing&sbquo application and learning of the knowledge in addition to the mere application of a computer system. Design is considered to be a software-like means for the environment to sustain that process and system.