You can find the introductory post, including links to all episodes, here.
While the SECI model(Episode1) and knowledge spiral(Episode2) explain how knowledge is converted and scaled, they do not tell us where or under what conditions knowledge is born. To address this, Ikujiro Nonaka introduced the concept of "Ba"—a shared context in which knowledge is created.
Ba is not just a physical location. It is a dynamic, interactive platform—a space where individuals share time, relationships, emotions, and experiences to co-create meaning. Without Ba, knowledge creation would be disconnected and shallow. With Ba, knowledge becomes living and contextual.
Nonaka identified four types of Ba, each aligned with a phase of the SECI model:
- Originating Ba – Supports socialization. This is a place for face-to-face interactions and shared emotional experiences. Tacit knowledge flows here through empathy and trust (e.g., mentoring relationships, on-the-job shadowing).
- Dialoguing Ba – Supports externalization. In this space, participants use dialogue, metaphor, and analogy to articulate tacit insights (e.g., brainstorming sessions, design thinking workshops).
- Systemizing Ba – Supports combination. Digital platforms, knowledge databases, and formal documentation systems enable the integration and reconfiguration of explicit knowledge.
- Exercising Ba – Supports internalization. This space emphasizes learning-by-doing, where people embody explicit knowledge through action (e.g., job rotation, hands-on training programs).
This set of Ba represents essential environmental factors at each stage of knowledge creation, exerting a significant impact on both the quality and speed of knowledge.
- Originating Ba
The Originating Ba is the initial stage where tacit knowledge is shared through direct, person-to-person interaction. Conversations and shared experiences based on empathy and trust go beyond surface-level information exchange, enabling participants to gain a deeper understanding of each other’s thoughts and values. This builds psychological safety within the team and makes it easier for new ideas to emerge organically. In terms of speed, intuitive knowledge can be exchanged without the need for formalization, leading to quicker insights. In terms of quality, understanding rooted in empathy reduces misunderstandings and discrepancies, thus improving the accuracy of knowledge creation.
- Dialoguing Ba
The Dialoguing Ba is where people with diverse backgrounds and expertise engage in conversation and co-create new concepts. Through discussions and brainstorming, tacit knowledge is articulated and transformed into explicit knowledge that everyone can understand. In terms of speed, the fusion of multiple perspectives accelerates problem-solving and decision-making. In terms of quality, complementary ideas emerge more easily, often resulting in innovative solutions or theoretically grounded knowledge. This Ba is particularly effective in online meetings and knowledge-sharing sessions, strengthening the overall knowledge foundation of the organization.
- Systemizing Ba
The Systemizing Ba is where explicit knowledge is organized, integrated, and accumulated as structured assets, such as manuals or databases. Here, individual insights are converted into forms that the organization can reuse, dramatically increasing reusability and scalability. In terms of speed, knowledge is shared in searchable and accessible formats, allowing new projects and challenges to be addressed more efficiently. In terms of quality, knowledge that has been standardized and validated provides a reliable basis for decisions and actions. As a result, both the learning speed and execution accuracy of the organization improve significantly.
- Exercising Ba
The Exercising Ba is where explicit knowledge is reconverted into tacit knowledge through practice and real-world application. Training, on-the-job learning, and hands-on project challenges are typical forms of this Ba, in which knowledge shifts from something “understood in theory” to something “embodied through experience.” In terms of speed, immediate application of newly acquired knowledge accelerates both individual and organizational growth. In terms of quality, trial and error through experience deepens retention and transforms theory into practical know-how. This process generates new tacit knowledge once again, serving as a source that fuels and accelerates the knowledge spiral.
In today’s organizations, Ba may exist physically (offices), virtually (online tools), or mentally (shared vision and goals). The key is not the format, but the presence of trust, openness, and shared commitment that enables meaning-making and knowledge flow.
Creating and nurturing effective Ba is one of the most strategic investments a knowledge-driven organization can make. It's where innovation is incubated—not in the tools themselves, but in the interactions they enable
Knowledge creation advances through the existence of Ba, the understanding of the SECI model, and the activation of the knowledge spiral. In the next episode (Episode 4), we will discuss knowledge assets, which can be seen as the fuel that further accelerates this process.
