Definition Of Knowledge Management Research Articles

From knowledge theory to management practice: towards an integrated approach

This paper critically contrasts the three main schools of thought on knowledge – namely, those that respectively conceptualize knowledge as situated in mind, process, and object – and assesses the resulting implications for knowledge management (KM). Against the background of the existing diversity of definitions of KM an integrated and holistic view of the KM value chain is put forward. Within this theoretical framework five main research streams (culture, knowledge location, awareness, evaluation, and absorption) are identified with a view to devising a practical concept of KM applicable in a business context. With a focus on knowledge flow and detailed approaches to potential solutions, conflicts and compatibilities between existing business strategies and KM are examined. A conceptual model is devised to offer a holistic integration of the theoretical and practical themes in order to serve as a framework for developing a future research agenda for the development of theoretically grounded, yet practical, KM business tools and applications.

Knowledge Management: Why It's Not an Information Technology Issue

As with any emerging technology or concept, the definition of knowledge management from an information technology (IT) perspective is extremely loose and is often interpreted to include what the company happens to be offering. Document management systems, data warehouse products, database systems, and expert system technology have all been presented as solutions to the knowledge management problem. However, knowledge management is fundamentally not an IT issue, and operating as if it were totally misses the point. No knowledge management technology can succeed without addressing the organizational change issues. Every organizational approach to knowledge management is likely to be unique, varying along many dimensions: industry, customers, geography, and even the corporate culture of the organization itself. There are a few basic, perhaps self-evident, steps toward knowledge management: hire good people; create an environment where intuition, exploration, guesswork, and creativity can be exercised; and connect these people with one another, with customers, with partners, and with the world.

Knowledge Management, Practically Speaking

This article, the first in this issue's look at knowledge management (KM), establishes a practical definition of KM and backs it with examples from organizations leading the KM movement. the article also provides a survey of technologies that make KM happen.

Maximizing the results of federally-funded research and development through knowledge management: A strategic imperative for improving U.S. competitiveness

Abstract Federally-funded research and development (R&D) represents a significant annual investment (approximately $79 billion in fiscal year 1996) on the part of U.S. taxpayers. Based on the results of a 10-year study of knowledge diffusion in the U.S. aerospace industry, the authors take the position that U.S. competitiveness will be enhanced if knowledge management strategies, employed within a capability-enhancing U.S. technology policy framework, are applied to diffusing the results of federally-funded R&D. In making their case, the authors stress the importance of knowledge as the source of competitive advantage in today's global economy. Next, they offer a practice-based definition of knowledge management and discuss three current approaches to knowledge management implementation—mechanistic, “the learning organization,” and systemic. The authors then examine three weaknesses in existing U.S. public policy and policy implementation—the dominance of knowledge creation, the need for diffusion-oriented technology policy, and the prevalence of a dissemination model—that affect diffusion of the results of federally-funded R&D. To address these shortcomings, they propose the development of a knowledge management framework for diffusing the results of federally-funded R&D. The article closes with a discussion of some issues and challenges associated with implementing a knowledge management framework for diffusing the results of federally-funded R&D.