Knowledge management design, planetary-scale computation and emergent organizational post- humanism

Abstract

The Post-Anthropocene, as a fast-moving era of complexity, fluidity and ubiquity of the digital within our everyday reality, is an age of planetary scale computation. This complex notional entity referred to as The Stack was introduced by Benjamin Bratton and presents simultaneously as accidental megastructure and single meta-technology. The context of knowledge management (and specifically artefact design) is impacted upon by the tensions between the structures, devices, layers and other elements of ubiquitous planetary-scale computation, in as much as it seems to be imposing limits on the degree of freedom of design. Furthermore, we face knowledge creation by new actors that are increasingly (artificially) intelligent, automated, difficult to observe and complex to analyse and understand. A further dynamic that complicates our conceptualization of knowledge management and its design is by Matthew Gladden’s emergent positioning of the organization as the locus of technological Post-humanisation. Within this emergent reality, that is both creating and being created, the concept of knowledge management has become deictic. The meaning of ‘knowledge management’, and the design thereof is changing rapidly as its context changes. The intersection and interplay between the accidental mega structures of planetary-scale computation (that is both designed and designing), non-human (and increasingly intelligent) actors and emerging technological post-humanisation in organisations will require us to take an ongoing critical look at how we conceptualise both the processes of knowledge management, the nature of explicit, and specifically tacit knowledge, as well as any artefacts we aim to design. The purpose of this exploratory study is to investigate some of these emerging tensions. We suggest Gladden’s Post Human Management Matrix as a potentially useful starting point to guide our ongoing processes of rapidly renewing how we view knowledge management, both as construct and process. We also briefly comment on the possible utility of this matrix in informing future knowledge management.