Knowledge Systems
Description
This book is the first to present knowledge systems as an integrative framework that unifies systems thinking and knowledge management into a coherent approach for understanding, designing, and sustaining collective intelligence. It distinguishes itself from existing work by shifting attention away from isolated tools, information assets, or learning initiatives and toward the systemic conditions under which knowledge becomes cumulative, actionable, and resilient. At the heart of this book is the concept of the knowledge system: an adaptive arrangement of people, processes, technologies, and institutions through which knowledge is generated, integrated, and used over time. Rather than treating knowledge-related challenges as separable technical, organizational, or human problems, the book shows how learning and performance depend on the coherence of structures, practices, and feedback loops that connect them. Drawing on conceptual analysis, historical and organizational cases, empirical studies, and methodological development, the book identifies recurring patterns that explain both sustained success and persistent failure across organizations and collective settings.
Its central contribution lies in a design-oriented methodology that enables readers to move beyond diagnosis toward deliberate cultivation and renewal of knowledge systems. This methodology emphasizes reflection, experimentation, and developmental interpretation, supporting long-term learning rather than short-term optimization. By providing a unifying conceptual language and a practical orientation for use, the book advances research in systems thinking and knowledge management while equipping readers to design more adaptive, human-centered, and resilient forms of collective intelligence under conditions of complexity and uncertainty.
More details
Person
Yoshiteru Nakamori earned his Ph.D. in applied mathematics and physics from Kyoto University in January 1980. Following a period at Konan University in Kobe, he joined the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in April 1998 as a professor in the School of Knowledge Science. Since then, he has dedicated himself to advancing knowledge science by integrating principles from systems science.
He served as Dean of the School of Knowledge Science at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology from April 2002 to March 2008. From November 2003 to December 2008, he served as president of the International Society for Knowledge and Systems Sciences. Subsequently, he served as Vice-President of the International Federation of Systems Research from April 2008 to March 2010. Since April 2010, he has been an academician of the International Academy for Systems and Cybernetic Sciences.
His research journey began in systems science, focusing on optimizing measurement techniques, constructing system models, and developing decision-support tools for environmental issues. He then transitioned to knowledge science, applying systems methodology to knowledge management practices and concurrently delving into decision analysis under conditions of uncertainty or ambiguity. Subsequently, he pioneered knowledge synthesis decision-making, crafting a framework that integrates systems thinking and knowledge management principles.
Drawing on his original research in knowledge construction methodology, he has lectured on systems thinking and knowledge management at several prestigious universities, including the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in China, Thammasat University in Thailand, and the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.
He published 23 books, 58 book chapters, 184 peer-reviewed journal papers, and 289 international conference papers.
Content
Part 1. Defining Knowledge Systems.- Chapter 1. Systems Thinking.- Chapter 2. Knowledge Management.- Chapter 3. The Knowledge System.- Part 2. Knowledge Systems in Organizational Contexts.- Chapter 4. Great Powers as Knowledge Systems.- Chapter 5. Japan as a Knowledge System.- Chapter 6. Corporations as Knowledge Systems.- Chapter 7. University Laboratories as Knowledge Systems.- Chapter 8. R&D Projects as Knowledge Systems.- Chapter 9. Secondary Schools as Knowledge Systems.- Chapter 10. Sports Teams as Knowledge Systems.- Part 3. Broader Perspectives on Knowledge Systems.- Chapter 11. Knowledge Systems at the Individual Level.-Chapter 12. Knowledge Systems and Intelligent Systems.- Chapter 13. Knowledge Systems for Decision-Making.- Chapter 14. Knowledge Systems through Philosophy and Religion.- Part 4. Designing and Evolving Knowledge Systems.- Chapter 15. Conceptualizing Knowledge Systems.- Chapter 16. Representing Knowledge Systems.- Chapter 17. Designing Knowledge Systems.- Chapter 18. Implementing Knowledge Systems.