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1. Introduction
The idea that knowledge needs to be codified is central to many claims that knowledge can be managed. In the mainstream knowledge management literature, commentators such as [17] Ruggles (1997) and [10] Davenport and Prusak (1998) view codification as the primary vehicle by which knowledge becomes "portable," "re-usable" or "transferable" within the organization. Indeed, the idea that knowledge needs to be moved around or "transferred" within organizations is a fundamental precept of knowledge management. However, such literature says little about the actual process of codification, and appears to gloss over the many complex issues that the concept of codification raises: codification as a process (cf. [18] Saviotti, 1998) is ignored in preference for discussing the management of codified knowledge as information (e.g. [29] Zack, 1999) and the process of codifying knowledge is discussed as unproblematic in the organizational context (e.g. [30] Zander and Kogut, 1995; [5] Cohendet and Steinmueller, 2000; [8] Cowan et al. , 2000). More recently it has been suggested that the preoccupation with codification arises from an over-simplistic view of knowledge, particularly the relationship between tacit and explicit knowledge (e.g. [6] Connell et al. , 2003; [21] Styhre, 2003; [25] Tell, 2004). [21] Styhre (2003) argues that such a "reductionist" view necessarily results in organizations neglecting the dynamic and complex practices of knowledge in favor of less valuable information. Nevertheless, a fundamental aspect of how we communicate our knowledge depends upon information flowing between people, and as such, the role and nature of codification within this process remains an important topic for research in organizations.
This paper draws upon empirical research into processes of knowledge codification in a knowledge management context conducted in a single case-study organization, the UK Post Office. The research was conducted using a methodology of participant-observation around a knowledge management project initiated to transfer knowledge through the medium of codified text "captured" in an interview situation. This project involved mobilizing intermediaries to broker this process, acting as interviewees tasked with eliciting specialist knowledge from an identified group. Observing the nature of interaction among those participants has generated some interesting findings about the nature of the knowledge codification process.
This paper builds upon these empirical findings to propose that a new conceptual approach is needed for the...