Genesis Post

The Knowledge Cactus is a new, unique, eclectic social media channel that I wish to use in order to kick-off this New Year. Knowledge Cactus, which I have given the moniker KMQ, will begin quietly and modestly. The goal is to provide a venue for knowledge acquisition, codification, creation, exchange, production, and diffusion on topics associated with a range of ideas encompassing my vocations and professions:

• Business Intelligence,
• Coaching and Mentoring,
• Competitive Intelligence,
• Curriculum Architecture and Design for Higher Education,
• Entrepreneurship,
• Epistemology,
• Information Science,
• Innovation, Creativity, and Design Theory,
• Knowledge Management,
• Knowledge Mobilization,
• Knowledge Science,
• Leadership Development and Management,
• Learning Organizations,
• Organizational Analysis and Design,
• Organizational Studies and Theory,
• Organizational Learning,
• Philosophy,
• Qualitative Research Methods,
• Strategic Management,
• Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, and
• Theology.

I have blogged for a while, but in obscure locations without the time commitment necessary to flesh out my ideas in-depth and lacking the visibility I need to promote my attempt at innovation and creativity. I want to take greater ownership, responsibility, and accountability for preparing “thought threads” to weave a mosaic with other thought leaders I respect. Of course, only you, (the reader), will be the judge and jury that determines whether my goal will be rated as a success.

I have chosen the title Knowledge Cactus for a number of reasons. First, my wife and I now live in a high desert region, and we absolutely enjoy the challenges of the ecology associated with deserts. Second, the study of knowledge has gradually become my passion over the past 45 years. I want to convey my thoughts on this abstract concept and grapple with others trying to inculcate knowledge in some fashion within their work lives and learning experiences. Third, cacti were the first plants I cultivated in my living quarters after leaving home; and I always found the geometry, texture, and colours to be intriguing and fascinating.

The cactus is defined as “Any of various succulent, spiny, usually leafless plants native mostly to arid regions of the New World, having variously colored, often showy flowers with numerous stamens and petals” (ETYMOLOGY: Latin, cardoon, from Greek kaktos) [American Heritage College Dictionary. 4^th ed., (2004). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin]. In my imagination I picture “knowledge nuggets” as abstract concepts I seem to express metaphorically as cacti, i.e., succulent plants containing juices worth the effort of getting past the ‘firewall protection’ of the spiny thorns and needles that protect the inner core of its being. I will continue to use the cactus as a metaphor throughout my writing here.

Finally, the last reason I chose the title Knowledge Cactus was that I discovered a range of fascinating websites portraying cacti when I looked to see if the domain name had been acquired yet, [http://cactusfacts.com/ and http://www.cactuslimon.com/, to name only a few].

The cornucopia of cacti-based websites will yield wonderful photos (with attribution of course) that I can include with my missives, like:

Photo 1: Echinopsis Haku-Jo Cactus

[Source: http://www.cactuslimon.com/images/Echinopsis%20Haku-Jo.jpg]

I am currently an Associate Professor at the Bill & Vieve Gore School of Business,

Westminster College, in Salt Lake City, UT, USA. I am a faculty member responsible for motivating and stimulating the learners in my classes, which have included:

• organizational behavior,
• leadership (executive development),
• strategic management,
• coaching,
• entrepreneurship,
• competitive/business intelligence, and
• knowledge management/knowledge mobilization.

This is my personal blog. The opinions I express here do not necessarily represent those of my employer, Westminster College. The information I provide is on an as-is basis. I make no representation as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this blog. I will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its use.

My external website is http://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljdsutton/. My external blog is http://michaeljdsutton.net

My email is: michaeljdsutton @ gmail.com. I may be contacted at 801-832-2563.