TED as a knowledge accelerator: unpacking the processes of knowledge dissemination and creation
Introduction
TED1 is a non-profit organisation dedicated to spreading ideas and communication. It stands for “Technology, Entertainment, Design”, which are the three areas that TED originally focused on. Over time, though, the topics of TED have expanded to cover almost all fields of human knowledge, including science, education, business, art, etc., bringing together experts, scholars and innovators from all over the world. Each talk lasts less than 18 minutes, and the diverse thinking conveyed allows the audience to think from different views and be inspired.
I attended TEDxNTU on 7 September 2024. It was my first time attending such an event, I looked up information after the conference and learned that TEDx is a TED-style event organised by local people, independently of the official TED, which makes me feel a powerful global influence on TED. Why is TED so popular? What can audiences gain from the talks? As a KMer, I decided to analyse the knowledge transfer processes of TED from the perspective of knowledge management (KM), so that we can have a deeper understanding of it.
Explicit and tacit knowledge
Knowledge is the foundation for human beings to understand the world, solve problems and create new things. It can be classified into two types: explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge2. In TED talks, explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge from the speaker are often intertwined and constitute the core content of the talk.
Explicit knowledge can be clearly expressed and transferred, usually communicated and recorded in written or oral form. It provides specific information and a theoretical basis, is systematized, easy to teach and learn. For examples, research data about an experiment, theoretical explanation and application, as well as an introduction to the working principle of a new technology or the specific steps of a certain method.
While tacit knowledge is difficult to express in words and is usually acquired through experience. It is more difficult to systematize and formalize and often relies on personal intuition, judgment, and experience. It brings deep understanding and innovative perspectives. Such as the personal experiences and insights related to personal intuition and subjective judgment shared by the speakers, the understanding of social phenomena and cultural customs of speakers, and their strategies and ways of thinking on how to deal with complex problems, and so on.
SECI model
- Socialization: This is the process of transferring personal tacit knowledge to others and achieving group sharing of tacit knowledge. It is usually carried out through observation, imitation, and practice, and knowledge is transferred through feeling and understanding. Audiences can absorb the inexpressible knowledge by observing the mannerisms and tone of voice, as well as the emotions from the speakers.
- Externalization: This is the process of converting tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge. Speakers make their ideas and insights clear by using metaphors, diagrams, or other tools, turning their tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge, so that it can be understood by others. Such as, we can clearly understand the purpose of TED and the spirit they hope to convey to people from their slogan: ‘Idea worth spreading’.
- Combination: This is the interaction between them after receiving explicit knowledge, by combining and analysing the newly acquired explicit knowledge, eventually creating new knowledge. It is worth mentioning that, in a TED talk, there will be several speakers from different industries and with different identities. They may have different experiences and perspectives, use different ways to present different contents they want to share. In such an environment, it is easy for the audience to combine the views of different speakers and integrate them with their own former knowledge to create a new knowledge structure.
- Internalization: This is the process of converting explicit knowledge into personal tacit knowledge. After attending the speech, the audience can apply what they have learned to practice through learning, practice and experience of explicit knowledge. Through practice, they will internalize theoretical knowledge into personal skills and intuition, so as to apply this knowledge in future decision-making and innovation. For the speakers, they can also learn from this presentation and learn the explicit knowledge from other speakers, transform what they have learned into their own implicit knowledge so that they can better use them next time.
In the context of TED lectures, these four processes do not occur in isolation, but are intertwined and cyclical. The interaction between the audience and the speaker, as well as the discussion among the audience, can promote the further creation and deepening of knowledge. TED provides an ideal platform to promote the transfer and creation of knowledge among people all over the world.
Conclusion
The role of TED as a knowledge accelerator is profound. By combining human resources (represented by speakers and the audience) with technological tools (represented by the Internet), TED fosters a global community where ideas evolve and multiply. The success of TED lies in its ability to transform passive recipients into active participants in collective advancement, bringing together global thought leaders and innovators on one platform to inspire, disseminate knowledge, and promote global dialogue through carefully prepared short speeches.
Through learning and communication, knowledge can be shared and accumulated between individuals and in society, and TED provides a channel for knowledge to be spread. The TED stage is not merely a platform for monologue from speakers, but a place where the collective intelligence of the audience is engaged and where knowledge is shared and amplified. As mentioned above, knowledge is not static, but a dynamic resource that can be developed, enriched and disseminated. This characteristic makes TED not only an engine for knowledge dissemination, but also a vital carrier of innovation. This feature coincides with the strategy of knowledge management (KM) and supports the goal of continuous learning.
Article source: Adapted from TED as a Knowledge Accelerator: Unpacking the Processes of Knowledge Dissemination and Creation, prepared as part of the requirements for completion of course KM6304 Knowledge Management Strategies and Policies in the Nanyang Technological University Singapore Master of Science in Knowledge Management (KM).
Header image source: Katrien Grevendonck on Pexels.
References:
- Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. ↩
- Stevens, R. H., Millage, J., & Clark, S. (2010). Waves of knowledge management: The flow between explicit and tacit knowledge. American Journal of Economics and Business Administration, 2(1), 129. ↩
- Elezi, E., & Bamber, C. (2018). A guiding conceptual framework for individualized knowledge management model building. Management Dynamics in the Knowledge Economy, 6(3), 343-369. ↩
- Nonaka, I. (1994). A dynamic theory of organizational knowledge creation. Organization Science, 5(1), 14-37. ↩
