Conceptualizing Knowledge Emergence

                   The Information Systems literature points to an abundance ofKMstrategies in the category of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC). Such systems provide the infrastructure for enabling the interactions needed for a group’s knowledge synergies and interactive activities [Maier, R., 2002] and may include bulletin boards, electronic meeting/conferencing, or online chat. In this model, the notion of space [Ruhleder, K., 2002], physical or otherwise, is important primarily because the meeting place or system provides an environment that allows for interactions to unfold, at the convenience of individual participants, often asynchronously. Further, such CMC interactions allow for the creation of persistent records [Robins, J., 2002] of the interactions. Chat and other kind of social media transcriptions can be preserved too as another example. To the extent that discourse occurs through such interactions, the dialectics can be archived for future reference and subsequent “reuse.” However, as Hislop, D. [2002] points out, while technology may provide the tools for interaction and communication, the application of technology alone may not be a sufficient condition for sustaining the creation and sharing of knowledge.

                        Generic Decision Support Systems (DSS) that act more like expert systems with the added feature of suggesting decision options are well suited to the Web, and they are proliferating as the Web becomes the ubiquitous information and communication platform for information storage and retrieval, and for interaction as well.The range ofWeb-based DSSs vary in quality fromthemundane (e.g., cosmetics or movie choices) to sophisticated tools such as diagnosing illnesses and suggesting appropriate drug therapies. Especially in the medical domain, DSS systems have taken the burden of calculating dangerous drug interactions from the physician’s shoulders and offer drug suggestions that include cautions about side effects and problems with other prescriptions patients already have. Anyone can useWebMD or Isabel to test his or her own symptoms against the collected wisdom of clinical experts who have contributed to the systems’ “knowledge bases.” Generally, these reputable clinical decision support systems are advised by an independent board of medical professionals, and they rely on the experts’ knowledge in order to make suggestions for conditions and treatment. Other dependable DSSs have used the expertise of meteorologists to predict storms, knowledge of cattle managers to give advice on culling herds, or the know-how of environmentalists on managing water resources. No doubt, these systems will be replaced by others as technology advances, and their capabilities and functionality will increase.