(Nowy Sacz School of Business – National-Louis University, 2014) Bennet, Alex; Bennet, David
Embedded throughout this paper you will find the diversity of opinions that
correlates to the diversity of theories, frameworks, case studies and stories that are
related to the field of Knowledge Management (KM). We begin by introducing the
Sampler Research Call approach and the 13 KM academics and practitioners working
in different parts of the world who answered the call. We then provide baseline
definitions and briefly explore the process of knowledge creation within the human
mind/brain. After a brief (and vastly incomplete) introduction to KM literature at
the turn of the Century, the frameworks of Sampler Call participants are introduced,
and two early frameworks that achieved almost cult status—the Data-Information-
Knowledge-Wisdom (DIKW) continuum and the SECI (socialization, externalization,
combination and internalization) model—are explored through the eyes of
Sampler Call participants. We then introduce the results of the KMTL (Knowledge
Management Thought Leader) Study, which suggest theories consistent with the
richness and diversity of thought interwoven throughout this paper. The field of KM is
introduced as a complex adaptive system with many possibilities and opportunities.
Finally, we share summary thoughts, urging us as KM academics and practitioners
to find the balance between the conscious awareness/understanding of higher-order
patterns and the actions we take; between the need for overarching theory and the
experiential freedom necessary to address context-rich situations.