The document discusses the concept of "Ba", a shared space for knowledge creation proposed by Japanese philosophers. It provides three types of Ba - physical, virtual, and mental. Ba exists at different levels from individual to organization and beyond. Knowledge is also categorized into explicit and tacit forms. The SECI model is presented as a framework for knowledge conversion between tacit and explicit through socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization processes. Examples of companies applying Ba concepts such as dedicated teams and cross-functional groups at Toshiba and Maekawa are outlined.

1. Made By:
Imran Khan Saurabh Gupta
Shreshtha Jaiswal Subash Kumar

2. *Concept of Ba proposed by Japanese philosopher, Kitaro
Nishida and further developed by Shimizu.
*Provides platform & shared space for advancing
individual and collective knowledge.
*Shared space can be:
 Physical (e.g. office, dispersed business space)
 Virtual (e.g. email, teleconference)
 Mental (e.g. shared experiences, ideas, ideals)
 Any combination of the above.
*According to theory of existentialism, Ba is a context
which harbours meaning. In other words, Ba is a shared
space which serves as foundation for knowledge
creation.

3. *Ba exists at many levels, which may be connected to form a
greater ba (known as Basho).
*Levels of Ba:
*Individual
*Team
*Organisation
*Market environment
*Participating in a Ba means to get involved and transcend one’s
own limited perspective or boundary.

4. TYPES OF KNOWLEDGETYPES OF KNOWLEDGE
EXPLICIT TACIT
• Expressible in words and shared
in form of data, formulae,
manuals, specifications, etc.
• Readily transmittable between
individuals formally and
systematically.
• Highly personal and hard to
formalize, making it difficult
to communicate with others.
• Exists in the form of subjective
insights, intuitions, hunches,
etc.

5. TACIT KNOWLEDGE DIMENSIONSTACIT KNOWLEDGE DIMENSIONS
TECHNICALTECHNICAL COGNITIVECOGNITIVE
Informal Personal Skills or
Crafts. Also referred to as
“KNOW-HOW”.
Informal Personal Skills or
Crafts. Also referred to as
“KNOW-HOW”.
Beliefs, ideals, values,
schemata, mental models.
They are deeply ingrained
in us and often take for
granted.
Beliefs, ideals, values,
schemata, mental models.
They are deeply ingrained
in us and often take for
granted.

6. SECI MODEL
SOCIALIZATION (Tacit-to-Tacit)
EXTERNALIZATION (Tacit to Explicit)
COMBINATION (Explicit-to-Explicit)
INTERNALIZATION (Explicit-to-Tacit)

8. *Tacit to Tacit (Socialization) - This dimension explains Social
interaction as tacit to tacit knowledge transfer, sharing tacit
knowledge through face-to-face or share knowledge through
experiences. For example, meetings and brainstorm can
support this kind of interaction.
*Tacit to Explicit (Externalization) - Between tacit and
explicit knowledge by Externalization (publishing, articulating
knowledge), developing factors, which embed the combined
tacit knowledge which enable its communication. For example,
concepts, images, and written documents can support this kind
of interaction.

9. *Explicit to Explicit (Combination) - Explicit to explicit by
Combination (organizing, integrating knowledge), combining
different types of explicit knowledge, for example building
prototypes. Explicit knowledge is collected from inside or
outside the organisation and then combined, edited or
processed to form new knowledge. The new explicit knowledge
is then disseminated among the members of the organization.
*Explicit to Tacit (Internalization) - Explicit to tacit by
Internalization (knowledge receiving and application by an
individual), enclosed by learning by doing; on the other hand,
explicit knowledge becomes part of an individual's knowledge
and will be assets for an organization.

12. *It is the world where individuals share feelings, emotions,
experiences and mental model.
*An individual sympathises or further empathises with
others, removing the barriers between the self and others.
*It is the primary ba from which the knowledge creation
process begins and represents the socialization phase.
Physical and face to face experiences are the key to
conversion and transfer of tacit knowledge.

13. *Selecting people with the right mix of specific knowledge
and capabilities for a project team, taskforce, or cross-
functional team is critical.
*Through dialogue, individual’s mental models and skills are
converted into common terms and concepts.
*Two processes operate in concert: individuals share the
mental model of others, but also reflect and analyse their
own.
*This is the place where tacit knowledge is made explicit,
thus it represents the externalization process. Dialogue is
key for such conversions; and the extensive use of
metaphors is one of the conversion skills required.

14. *It is a place of interaction in a virtual world instead of real
space and time. It represents the combination phase.
*Here, the combining of new explicit knowledge with existing
information and knowledge generates and systematises
explicit knowledge throughout the organisation.
*The use of online networks, group-ware, documentation and
database has been growing rapidly over the last decade,
enhancing this conversion process.

15. *Exercising ba supports the internalisation phase.
*It facilitates the conversion of explicit knowledge to tacit
knowledge.
*Focused training with senior mentors and colleagues
consists primarily of continued exercises that stress certain
patterns and working out of such pattern.
*Rather than teaching based on analysis, learning by
continuous self-refinement through on job training or
peripheral and active participation is stressed.

16. *Sharp Corporation
*Toshiba
*Maekawa Seisakusho

17. *Unique project team to provide flexibility for dynamic
resource development.
*Full financial support of headquarters to achieve high
quality developments.
*Proposals for Urgent Project Teams can be made by each
division.
*A separate, dedicated unit created to transcend the
levels of knowledge among the Business Groups and
Divisions.

19. *Sample of 600 leading consumers ranging from students,
married and senior citizens created for reviewing the new
product concept.
*Prediction of consumer trends with time frame through
intensive face-to-face interaction with the focus groups
technique to collect large amount of tacit and explicit
knowledge.

20. *Introduced the concept of Ba as a separate division
within an organizational structure.
*Toshiba’s vision of ADI’s (Advanced I Strategy)
mission:-
•Transfer core technologies to new businesses as
well as reintroduce innovation, challenge and
speed into management structure.
•Provide new markets & business opportunities in
the interactive multimedia field.

22. *Ba permeated to individuals, teams,
individual companies & entire group.
*Arenas where the group grows & innovates
such as business domains or markets.
*Ba jointly possessed by customers not
dominated by company’s ideas.