Knowledge-information autopoietic cycle: towards the wisdom systems

Abstract

Decision-making processes are characterised by purposeful coordination of interrelated activities of pre-decision, decision and post-decision stages. In this sense, human decision-making processes require explicit knowledge generation, enhancement and renewal. So far, the areas of decision-making have remained mostly free of knowledge and knowledge management, process orientation and autopoiesis and self-producing cycles in general. Yet, in this paper, we move further ahead. The transition from information to knowledge is still going on and much remains to be accomplished, but the next transition – from knowledge to wisdom – is already taking shape. We formulate clear, unambiguous and pragmatic definitions and distinctions of knowledge and information, establish simple and natural measures of the value of knowledge and describe the knowledge-information autopoietic cycle A-C-I-S and its circulatory nature in managing knowledge of the enterprise. Then we elaborate on the future evolution of knowledge management by discussing the outlines of wisdom, wisdom systems and the contours of the Wise Enterprise.