Knowledge Management: an Introduction

Knowledge management as a discipline has matured over the last decade. It has moved from being a mere buzzword to an inherently fundamental concept. Simply put, the knowledge-based assets of the organization are the only source of sustainable competitive advantage in today s marketplace. Traditional resources such as land, labor, and capital, while important, are no longer sufficient for survival in today s fiercely competitive marketplace. Here, Desouza, a faculty member at the University of Washington s Information School and a leader of more than 100 knowledge management efforts in businesses and governments in thirty countries, and Scott Paquette, a faculty member at the College of Information Studies, University of Maryland who is involved in knowledge management research and corporate projects, provide an introductory overview of KM today. This book balances the theory and practice of KM. Desouza and Paquette consider the issues organizations encounter in the global marketplace. Their book is the first to integrate social media and networking into KM practice. The book s nine chapters are divided into three major parts: Part I covers foundational concepts and introduces the reader to the key elements of knowledge management. Part II explores critical activities of knowledge management. Part III offers a strategic view of knowledge management in organizations. Each chapter provides a broad overview, graphics that help readers visualize key points, and several vignettes documenting case scenarios that will help the reader digest concepts. Knowledge Management will prove ideal for instructors who have been forced to design courses around KM business texts, augmented with scholarly articles. It will also be useful to anyone who needs to better understand KM to apply it in his or her organization.