Abstract
In the present work we argue that coordination is a key factor for managing knowledge within organisations. Given the classification of organizational principles suggested by C. I. Barnard in the 1930s, based on the proposition that persons in an organization should be regarded either as ‘objects to be manipulated’ or as ‘subjects to be satisfied’ (we identify these principles respectively as structure‐centric and people‐centric organizational principles), we show how this classification encompasses every management model proposed from Taylor's Scientitic Administration to the most recent ones. We also show how the same principles have been rediscovered recently within the context of knowledge management. Although structure‐centric organizational principles have been regarded as outdated in many situations nowadays, they have received more attention from information technology researchers than people‐centric ones. We analyse this fact from a conceptual viewpoint, identifying the potentialities and advantages of each of these principles, as well as their pitfalls and restrictions. The main conceptual tool for structure‐centric knowledge management are artificial ontologies. Since we have not identified any predominant tool to pair up with artificial ontologies on the side of people‐centric knowledge management, we propose one such tool, which we believe that can be the main contribution of the present work. The conceptual tool we propose is called structures of capability providers, for reasons that will become clear when it is presented. The article aims at providing an encompassing view of knowledge coordination, based on the principles above. We are particularly careful to show that much of what has been discussed and used today for knowledge management has been around for at least 60 years. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.