The Knowledge Creation Series: Episode 0: The Journey to Becoming a Knowledge-Creating Company

[Kentaro Suzuki]

This post serves as the introduction to a six-part blog series.
It provides a deeper look at the Theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation, a topic I also covered during the AI Learning Days held on July 31, 2025.

Japanese Version of this series also available here. 

The Knowledge-Creating Theory, proposed in the early 1990s by Ikujiro Nonaka and Hirotaka Takeuchi, gained international recognition as a groundbreaking framework that explained how Japanese companies excel at innovation. Their seminal article, The Knowledge-Creating Company, was first published in the Harvard Business Review in 1991, followed by a more comprehensive book of the same title in 1995, and a Japanese translation, 『知識創造企業』, was released in 1996 by Toyo Keizai Inc.

Source: Harvard Business Review, The Knowledge-Creating Company (https://hbr.org/2007/07/the-knowledge-creating-company)

At the heart of the theory is the idea that knowledge is created through a dynamic interaction between tacit and explicit knowledge, a process that is captured in the SECI Model (pronounced “seh-kee”): Socialization, Externalization, Combination, and Internalization.

While this theory was developed more than three decades ago, recent advances in generative AI have changed how we acquire, organize, and share knowledge. Tasks once thought to require human intellect are increasingly being handled by AI. However, the core of knowledge creation—making sense of the world and generating new value—still relies heavily on human intuition, context, and creativity.

In this blog series, we will draw on the 1991 article “The Knowledge-Creating Company” (published in Harvard Business Review) and the 2000 article “SECI, Ba and Leadership: a Unified Model of Dynamic Knowledge Creation” (published inLong Range Planning) to explain the framework of this theory in a clear and accessible way within today’s context.

As you progress through this series, you may realize that these concepts are not entirely new theories, but rather a structured articulation of practices we have long engaged in as part of our daily work.

This perspective allows you to identify any missing processes, contexts, or resources within your own day-to-day practice.

I encourage you to leverage this series as a tool for uncovering those small but meaningful insights.

The series is organized into the following six parts:

Episode 1: The SECI Model – Four Modes of Knowledge Conversion

Episode 2: The Knowledge Spiral – Innovating Across Boundaries

Episode 3: Ba – Shared Context for Knowledge Creation

Episode 4: Knowledge Assets – Four Core Resources for Creation

Episode 5: Enabling Creation – Leadership and Supportive Conditions

Episode 6: The SECI Model in Learning – ServiceNow University in Action

Let’s take a quick look at what each of the next six episodes will cover.

Episode 1: The SECI Model – Four Modes of Knowledge Conversion

The SECI model describes knowledge conversion between tacit and explicit knowledge through four modes: Socialization, Externalization, Combination, and Internalization. In today’s workplaces, generative AI facilitates this process—for example, transcribing spoken insights (externalization) and organizing them into shared documents (combination). The SECI model remains a robust framework for understanding how knowledge is shared and developed both within and beyond organizations.

Explore Episode 1

Episode 2: The Knowledge Spiral – Innovating Across Boundaries

The SECI process is iterative and expands through a “knowledge spiral,” moving from individuals to groups, organizations, and even across industries. In today’s digital and remote-first environment, this spiral accelerates beyond physical boundaries. Generative AI contributes by enabling cross-industry knowledge sharing and surfacing best practices, further amplifying the growth of collective intelligence.

Explore Episode 2

Episode 3: Ba – Shared Context for Knowledge Creation

“Ba” refers to the shared space or context where knowledge is created. Today, Ba can range from physical meeting rooms to virtual collaboration platforms and even AI-powered learning environments. Modern Ba transcends time and location, enhanced by digital technologies and AI, accelerating collaborative knowledge creation.

Explore Episode 3

Episode 4: Knowledge Assets – Four Core Resources for Creation

Knowledge creation involves four types of knowledge assets: experiential, conceptual, systemic, and routine. Generative AI significantly supports conceptualization (conceptual assets) and organizing knowledge repositories (systemic assets). Effectively managing and leveraging these assets enables continuous knowledge creation and organizational learning.

Explore Episode 4

Episode 5: Enabling Creation – Leadership and Supportive Conditions

Effective knowledge creation requires enabling conditions such as purposeful leadership, supportive culture, infrastructure, and incentives. Successful integration of AI depends not only on the technology itself but also on leaders who promote its use and foster a culture of sharing. Creating environments that encourage—not hinder—knowledge creation is a key management responsibility today.

Explore Episode 5

Episode 6: The SECI Model in Learning – ServiceNow University in Action

At ServiceNow University, learners can experience each element of the SECI model. Peer collaboration (socialization), visualization of learning content (externalization), integrated knowledge portals (combination), and real-world application (internalization) all contribute to practical knowledge creation. Generative AI is also expected to further enhance personalized learning and knowledge generation in the future.

Explore Episode 6