SECISElement

SECIElement is a conceptual unit used in knowledge management and related software systems to represent a single instance of the SECI knowledge conversion process. It formalizes how knowledge moves through one of the four stages—Socialization, Externalization, Combination, and Internalization—within a given context. As a data or documentation construct, a SECIElement captures the details of a specific transformation, such as who participated, what artifacts were produced, and when the transition occurred, enabling traceability of knowledge flows.

A SECIElement typically comprises fields such as an identifier, stage, description, location or context, involved artifacts, participants, timestamps, and relationships to other elements. It may also record the methods or tools used to enact the transition, and any external references or inputs that influenced the change. In practice, SECIElements are linked to form sequences or graphs that model the overall knowledge conversion process.

Use of SECIElement supports auditing, analysis, and improvement of knowledge practices. It helps organizations document tacit-to-explicit conversions (Externalization), socialize knowledge exchanges (Socialization), aggregate and recombine information (Combination), and embed new knowledge through practice and learning (Internalization). Examples include a record of a mentoring session mapped to Socialization, or a documented articulation of an expert insight mapped to Externalization.

The concept aligns with the SECI model by Nonaka and Takeuchi and is commonly implemented in knowledge-management tools, process repositories, or research studies that examine knowledge flows.