The Difference Between Knowledge, Solutions Problem-Solving and it's Important in Business, Organisational and Economic Management and Performance

Knowledge is important because it opens our minds and makes us become aware of things. Some occupations and jobs cannot be performed without some background knowledge. Most of our academic qualifications are knowledge-based, meaning we are tested for our knowledge and understanding of the discipline as prescribed in our syllabi or program of study. So our certificates in those situations are certificates showing a successful completion of course of study. Yes, some qualifications have a combination of knowledge and operational skills while others can even be predominantly skills-based and therefore not just knowledge-based qualifications but also certificates of practice.?

In general we mistake knowledge for solutions. We therefore assume that if we have some knowledge of some subject then we are able to provide solutions in that area. We think that if we know, then we can solve.

Let me take an example of marketing. This is one area where the confusion between knowledge and solutions is very common. Many people literary correlate marketing knowledge and the ability to solve marketing problems and provide marketing solutions. Worse still, many people assume that the higher the marketing degree, the better the person who has a marketing degree is in solving marketing problems and creating or generating marketing solutions. This is a flawed assumptions. This is not by any means to say all people with high degree and top marketing qualifications are not good at solving serious marketing problems or providing great marketing solutions; there are many excellent marketing solutions providers with high degrees but there are also as many marketing problem solvers without. Even when talking about marketing knowledge itself, it does not mean that someone who has no formal marketing qualifications is less capable in practical marketing than one who has knowledge-based marketing qualifications.

The most important argument here is about the difference between knowledge and solutions. Many people in organisations, in search of solutions, mistake knowledge for solutions. They therefore seek the solutions from the wrong people; believing that having subject matter knowledge equates to having solutions in the area.

Knowledge is basically a body of facts, assumptions, information and beliefs that you possess about a discipline, object or phenomena. After learning or acquiring knowledge, we forget most of it very fast with some arguing that as much as 80% of what we learn has disappeared from our immediate automatic memories two years after we graduate or we get our qualifications. Knowledge is useless unless it helps us solve problems including making sound judgments and decisions in areas where that knowledge is relevant. But raw general knowledge is, by itself, any solution. This is important.

Having knowledge does not mean having solutions. Knowledge can help us navigate life under normal routine situations. But knowledge can quickly become useless when we want to deal with a special situation such as solving a problem or achieving a certain goal that we have never achieved before.

A solution is a very specific mental or intellectual input or object that we use to resolve a specific unique or difficult situation or achieve a specific goal. It is possible to have a lot of general knowledge in a subject but then lack solutions or in generating solutions in the same discipline. Ok like you can have a lot of marketing knowledge but then dismally fail at solving marketing problems and generating or creating marketing solutions.

A solution is also that which you use to successfully solve a specific problem or achieve a specific goal.

Academics Versus Consultants Versus Problem Solvers

In business, organisations and economics, when people are looking for solution providers, they directly link knowledge and solutions. They think, automatically, that if someone has proven knowledge in some area, then that person is able to solve problems or generating solutions in the area. This often results in agony when the highly academic qualified people then fail to deliver results.

·??????Not all academics are good problem solvers and solutions developers in their areas.

·??????Except in STEM areas, there is no correlation between academic qualifications and the ability to solve problems or generate solutions in the field

·??????Academics are generally subject matter experts but it does not always mean that they are good solution providers and problem solvers in their areas.

·??????Consultants are solutions providers and problem solvers. Good consultants can solve problems and provide solutions even in areas where they do not have personal subject matter knowledge. Problem solving is largely based on thinking and processes and strategies rather than on raw, basic, subject matter knowledge.

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?Simon Bere, 2022