A Path to Wisdom Redefined

By cannonco | 31 January 2022 |

I have been going some academic research on Knowledge and Innovation Management and how it interlinks to decision-making at a strategic level. Looking at the “DIKW Hiearchy or Pyramid” as presented by Rowley 2007.

Figure 1: The data-information-knowledge-wisdom (DIKW) hierarchy (Rowley 2007, p. 164)

It starts with Data and goes to Information then Knowledge and at the top is Wisdom. Going through this model there are four assumptions that are made:

  1. All data is relevant.
  2. All data can be synthicised into factual information
  3. Information to Knowledge without applying Intelligence or logic to the information
  4. Wisdom can exist without insight or intelligence

So with these assumptions in mind I am proposing a new path from data to wisdom. (Roll over the words for the defintions from Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

  1. Data
  2. Facts
  3. Information
  4. Knowledge
  5. Insight
  6. Wisdom

Below is an infomation graphic that shows a revised path from Data to Wisdom.

Developing a Knowledge Management framework utilzing the above model allows to close the loop in the four assumptions. This would also allow the users of the model to take a closer look at what data and information is being used to develop knowledge and wisdom for any organization.

References:

Rowley, Jennifer E. 2007. “The Wisdom Hierarchy: Representations of the DIKW hierarchy.” Journal of Information Science 33: 163-80. doi.org/10.1177/0165551506070706

Posted in Cannon-Lear Enterprises, Knowledge Management and tagged , ,

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