To make sense of rapid change, we are inclined to make incremental alterations to our existing world view — much like adding a patch to a comfortable shirt. A good example is the phrase "horseless carriage," a kind of neologism that helped people absorb the concept of a self-propelled vehicle. Although they can be expedient in the short term, most neologisms are eventually replaced by other terms that more accurately reflect the new reality. In the meantime, they can confuse both developers and consumers, increase costs, and obscure the true nature of change. In this article, we’ll look at neologisms in knowledge management — why they appear, who creates them, what problems they can cause, and how to manage them.

What are neologisms?
The term neologism is used by linguists to describe a new word, usage, or expression. It is often created by combining existing words (e.g. horseless + carriage) or by using a word in a different context (e.g. using the biological concept of taxonomy in the context of Web publishing). Some neologisms of the 19th century have now become a part of Standard English, while others have faded away. In the same way, some of today’s neologisms will become a part of the dictionaries of the 22nd century, while others will be discarded, replaced by more descriptive language.

Neologisms help us understand and cope with change by creating mental bridges between the old and the new. An example is knowledge management, an attempt to describe how new technologies and traditional management practices can be used to increase the return on intellectual capital. Neologisms also play a key role in branding of both products and services. A classic example is the brand name Kleenex, invented by Kimberly-Clark in 1924. Initially, the name was used for a product to remove cold cream, but eventually it was accepted in common usage to denote a disposable handkerchief.

Knowledge management examples
The temptation to coin neologisms is hard to resist. More ... (members only) How to become a member

Created on January 25, 2010 l Updated on January 27, 2010