I've previously written about knowledge as justified true belief , however the conception of knowledge as justified true belief is not universally accepted.   For some knowledge is more than justified statements and cannot be subjected to atomic reduction in the same way water can be reduced to molecules and elements.  One of the alternative views is that knowledge is holistic, and is represented and embedded in artefacts (Allen 2004; Bardige 2002; Beckerman 2007; Rust et al. 2000) - this is common in the information and management sciences. 

The Macquarie Dictionary defines an artefact as ‘any object made by humans with a view to subsequent use' (Eurofield Information Systems 2002).  Bardige (2002) extends the definition by including ideas, concepts and theories, because they are also human constructions.  Allen (2004) extends Bardige's idea even further and sees artefacts as:

‘... the unit of knowledge, the primary instance, where knowledge first begins to exist.  Artifacts focus knowledge - they record it, test it, translate it demonstrate it and apply it.  Artifacts are centers of gravity for knowledge; they concentrate it, make it tangible, instrumental, effective' (p. 62).

He qualifies this statement later by saying:

‘Knowledge is in the first instance a capacity for superlative artifactual performance.  The performances and expressions of knowledge include good judgements, observations, descriptions, predictions, explanations, and the like' (p. 67).

The difference between knowledge as justified true belief and knowledge as artefacts is important because it provides the bridge to business and management conceptions of knowledge.   Justified true belief is propositional or ‘know that knowledge'.  Knowledge as artefacts introduces ‘know how knowledge', which in the literature is commonly called tacit knowledge.  Explicit knowledge in the form of documents, databases, and so on are quite clearly knowledge artefacts.   Artefacts are also central to the distinction commonly made between data, information and knowledge.

For me the conception of knowledge as an artefact is useful.   Understanding the different conceptions of knowledge, and what one really means by knowledge in a business context, matters in a knowledge management initiative.

Regards Graham

References:

Allen, B 2004, Knowledge and civilization, Westview Press, Oxford.

Bardige, A 2002, The invention of knowledge:  the unique artifacts theory, The University of Chicago, viewed 30 Nov 2008.

Beckerman, C 2007, Transforming and computerizing professional artifacts, Stockholm School of Economics, Management and Organization, Stockholm, SSE/EFI Working Paper Series in Business Administration.

Eurofield Information Systems 2002, The Megalex Macquarie Dictionary, 2.40 edn, Eurofield Information Systems, Chatswood, Australia, Software.

Rust, C, Hawkins, S, Whitley, G, Wilson, A & Roddis, J 2000, Knowledge and the artefact, La Clusaz, France.