In the discussion of knowledge transfer the concept of cognitive maps plays an itnportant role. We believe that the processes of construction or re-construction of reality in the individual mind and within
organizations-where we have difficulties to localize physically the place of the tnind-<:an be described and represented with the concept of cognitive maps or cause maps. Both words and concepts have been in
use for more than twenty years (Taylor & Lerner, 1996: 260). This concept is used in different relations and levels of analysis, so we have to refer to four different concepts or views of cognitive maps.
In the first view-and il was the only one in the beginning and it is the basic view for all the other concepts-”cognitive map” is a metaphoric description of all the processes involved in obtaining, storing, retrieving
and adapting knowledge and of the structure of knowledge, which is emerging and continuously varying. These processes and structures contain models of description, models of explication and decision models
which initiate action (Kahle, 2001: 18). The analogy of “map” is quite limited, because the cognitive map contains much more than a nornial map. Il contains rttles of observation, interpretation and action and often gives explanations. These mental processes and structures are the “real” or “original” cognitive map.