Not to be confused with [Content management](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_management "Content management") or [Information management](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_management "Information management"). | | | --- | | Part of a series on | | [Library and information science](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_and_information_science "Library and information science") | | | | * [Outline](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_library_and_information_science "Outline of library and information science") * [Glossary](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_library_and_information_science "Glossary of library and information science") | | Areas [Academic](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_library "Academic library") - [Archival](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archive "Archive") - [Legal](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_library "Law library") - [Health](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_library "Medical library") - [Private](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_library "Private library") - [Public](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_library "Public library") - [School](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_library "School library") - [Special](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_library "Special library") | | Curation [Data](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data "Data") - [Metadata](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metadata "Metadata") - [Information](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information "Information") - [Documents](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Document "Document") - [Artefacts](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_artifact "Cultural artifact") - [Knowledge](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge "Knowledge") | | Focus [Advocacy](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_library_advocacy "Public library advocacy") - [Archives management](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archives_management "Archives management") - [Collections management](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collections_management "Collections management") ([Preservation](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preservation_(library_and_archive) "Preservation (library and archive)")) - [Data management](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_management "Data management") - [Education](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_for_librarianship "Education for librarianship") - [Information management](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_management "Information management") ([cataloguing](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cataloging_(library_science) "Cataloging (library science)")) - [Knowledge management](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_management) - [Library management](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_management "Library management") | | Histories [Libraries](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_libraries "History of libraries") - [Information](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_history "Information history") | | Interdisciplinary fields [Archival science](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archival_science "Archival science") - [Communication studies](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication_studies "Communication studies") - [Computer science](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_science "Computer science") - [Data science](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_science "Data science") - [Documentation science](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Documentation_science "Documentation science") - [Epistemology](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistemology "Epistemology") - [Library science](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_science "Library science") - [Information science](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_science "Information science") - [Science and technology studies](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_and_technology_studies "Science and technology studies") | | Organizations [Associations](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_library_associations "List of library associations") - [Libraries](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_libraries "Lists of libraries") - [Schools](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_library_science_schools "List of library science schools") | | * [WikiProject](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Libraries "Wikipedia:WikiProject Libraries") * [Category](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Library_and_information_science "Category:Library and information science") | | * [v](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:LibraryandInformation-TopicSidebar "Template:LibraryandInformation-TopicSidebar") * [t](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template_talk:LibraryandInformation-TopicSidebar "Template talk:LibraryandInformation-TopicSidebar") * [e](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:LibraryandInformation-TopicSidebar "Special:EditPage/Template:LibraryandInformation-TopicSidebar") | **Knowledge management** (**KM**) refers to a range of processes focused on organizational awareness, learning, collaboration, and innovation. It involves using and sharing knowledge to support an organization's goals.[[1]](#cite_note-1) Courses in business administration, information systems, management, libraries, and information science are all part of knowledge management, a discipline that gained prominence in the 1990s[[2]](#cite_note-2) and centered on the "Knowledge Workers" that [Peter Drucker](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Drucker "Peter Drucker") first identified in his 1954 book, *The Practice of Management*.[[3]](#cite_note-3) Information and media, computer science, public health, and public policy are some of the other disciplines that may contribute to KM research. Numerous academic institutions provide master's degrees specifically focused on knowledge management. As a component of their IT, human resource management, or business strategy departments, many large corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations have resources devoted to internal knowledge management initiatives. These organizations receive KM guidance from a number of consulting firms. Organizational goals including enhanced performance, competitive advantage, innovation, sharing of lessons learned, integration, and ongoing organizational improvement are usually the focus of knowledge management initiatives. These initiatives are similar to [organizational learning](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizational_learning "Organizational learning"), but they can be differentiated by their increased emphasis on knowledge management as a strategic asset and information sharing. Organizational learning is facilitated by knowledge management. The setting of [supply chain](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supply_chain "Supply chain") may be the most challenging situation for knowledge management since it involves several businesses without a hierarchy or ownership tie; some authors refer to this type of knowledge as transorganizational or interorganizational knowledge. [Industry 4.0](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industry_4.0 "Industry 4.0") (or [4th industrial revolution](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Industrial_Revolution "Fourth Industrial Revolution")) and [digital transformation](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_transformation "Digital transformation") also add to that complexity, as new issues arise from the volume and speed of information flows and knowledge generation. History ------- [[edit](/w/index.php?title=Knowledge_management&action=edit&section=1 "Edit section: History")] Knowledge management efforts have a long history, including on-the-job discussions, formal [apprenticeships](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apprenticeships "Apprenticeships"), [discussion forums](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_forum "Internet forum"), corporate libraries, professional training, and mentoring programs.[[4]](#cite_note-2UNC-4)[[5]](#cite_note-1Sanchez-5) With increased use of computers in the second half of the 20th century, specific adaptations of technologies such as [knowledge bases](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_base "Knowledge base"), [expert systems](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expert_system "Expert system"), [information repositories](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_repository "Information repository"), group [decision support systems](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision_support_system "Decision support system"), [intranets](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intranet "Intranet"), and [computer-supported cooperative work](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-supported_cooperative_work "Computer-supported cooperative work") have been introduced to further enhance such efforts.[[4]](#cite_note-2UNC-4) In 1999, the term [personal knowledge management](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_knowledge_management "Personal knowledge management") was introduced; it refers to the management of knowledge at the individual level.[[6]](#cite_note-48Wright-6) In the enterprise, early collections of case studies recognised the importance of knowledge management dimensions of strategy, [process](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_process "Business process") and [measurement](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measurement "Measurement").[[7]](#cite_note-25Booker-7)[[8]](#cite_note-35Morey-8) Key lessons learned include people and the cultural norms which influence their behaviors are the most critical resources for successful knowledge creation, dissemination and application; cognitive, social and organisational learning processes are essential to the success of a knowledge management strategy; and measurement, [benchmarking](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benchmarking "Benchmarking") and incentives are essential to accelerate the learning process and to drive cultural change.[[8]](#cite_note-35Morey-8) In short, knowledge management programs can yield impressive benefits to individuals and organisations if they are purposeful, concrete and action-orientated. The [ISO 9001:2015 quality management standard](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_9001 "ISO 9001") released in September 2015 introduced a specification for 'organizational knowledge' as a complementary aspect of quality management within an organisation.[[9]](#cite_note-9) Research -------- [[edit](/w/index.php?title=Knowledge_management&action=edit&section=2 "Edit section: Research")] KM emerged as a scientific discipline in the early 1990s.[[10]](#cite_note-34JAS-10) It was initially supported by individual practitioners, when [Skandia](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skandia "Skandia") hired Leif Edvinsson of Sweden as the world's first [chief knowledge officer](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_knowledge_officer "Chief knowledge officer") (CKO).[[11]](#cite_note-6KU-11) Hubert Saint-Onge (formerly of [CIBC](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Imperial_Bank_of_Commerce "Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce"), Canada), started investigating KM long before that.[[4]](#cite_note-2UNC-4) The objective of CKOs is to manage and maximise the intangible assets of their organizations.[[4]](#cite_note-2UNC-4) Gradually, CKOs became interested in practical and theoretical aspects of KM, and the new research field was formed.[[12]](#cite_note-10Bray-12) The KM idea has been taken up by academics, such as [Ikujiro Nonaka](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikujiro_Nonaka "Ikujiro Nonaka") ([Hitotsubashi University](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitotsubashi_University "Hitotsubashi University")), Hirotaka Takeuchi (Hitotsubashi University), [Thomas H. Davenport](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_H._Davenport "Thomas H. Davenport") ([Babson College](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babson_College "Babson College")) and Baruch Lev ([New York University](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_University "New York University")).[[13]](#cite_note-37HBR-13)[[14]](#cite_note-27Davenport-14)

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  "text": "Not to be confused with [Content management](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_management \"Content management\") or [Information management](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_management \"Information management\").\n\n|  |\n| --- |\n| Part of a series on |\n| [Library and information science](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_and_information_science \"Library and information science\") |\n|  |\n| * [Outline](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_library_and_information_science \"Outline of library and information science\") * [Glossary](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_library_and_information_science \"Glossary of library and information science\") |\n| Areas  [Academic](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_library \"Academic library\") - [Archival](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archive \"Archive\") - [Legal](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_library \"Law library\") - [Health](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_library \"Medical library\") - [Private](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_library \"Private library\") - [Public](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_library \"Public library\") - [School](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_library \"School library\") - [Special](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_library \"Special library\") |\n| Curation  [Data](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data \"Data\") - [Metadata](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metadata \"Metadata\") - [Information](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information \"Information\") - [Documents](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Document \"Document\") - [Artefacts](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_artifact \"Cultural artifact\") - [Knowledge](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge \"Knowledge\") |\n| Focus  [Advocacy](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_library_advocacy \"Public library advocacy\") - [Archives management](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archives_management \"Archives management\") - [Collections management](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collections_management \"Collections management\") ([Preservation](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preservation_(library_and_archive) \"Preservation (library and archive)\")) - [Data management](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_management \"Data management\") - [Education](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_for_librarianship \"Education for librarianship\") - [Information management](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_management \"Information management\") ([cataloguing](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cataloging_(library_science) \"Cataloging (library science)\")) - [Knowledge management](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_management) - [Library management](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_management \"Library management\") |\n| Histories  [Libraries](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_libraries \"History of libraries\") - [Information](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_history \"Information history\") |\n| Interdisciplinary fields  [Archival science](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archival_science \"Archival science\") - [Communication studies](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication_studies \"Communication studies\") - [Computer science](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_science \"Computer science\") - [Data science](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_science \"Data science\") - [Documentation science](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Documentation_science \"Documentation science\") - [Epistemology](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistemology \"Epistemology\") - [Library science](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_science \"Library science\") - [Information science](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_science \"Information science\") - [Science and technology studies](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_and_technology_studies \"Science and technology studies\") |\n| Organizations  [Associations](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_library_associations \"List of library associations\") - [Libraries](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_libraries \"Lists of libraries\") - [Schools](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_library_science_schools \"List of library science schools\") |\n| * [WikiProject](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Libraries \"Wikipedia:WikiProject Libraries\") * [Category](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Library_and_information_science \"Category:Library and information science\") |\n| * [v](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:LibraryandInformation-TopicSidebar \"Template:LibraryandInformation-TopicSidebar\") * [t](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template_talk:LibraryandInformation-TopicSidebar \"Template talk:LibraryandInformation-TopicSidebar\") * [e](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:LibraryandInformation-TopicSidebar \"Special:EditPage/Template:LibraryandInformation-TopicSidebar\") |\n\n**Knowledge management** (**KM**) refers to a range of processes focused on organizational awareness, learning, collaboration, and innovation. It involves using and sharing knowledge to support an organization's goals.[[1]](#cite_note-1)\n\nCourses in business administration, information systems, management, libraries, and information science are all part of knowledge management, a discipline that gained prominence in the 1990s[[2]](#cite_note-2) and centered on the \"Knowledge Workers\" that [Peter Drucker](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Drucker \"Peter Drucker\") first identified in his 1954 book, *The Practice of Management*.[[3]](#cite_note-3) Information and media, computer science, public health, and public policy are some of the other disciplines that may contribute to KM research.\n\nNumerous academic institutions provide master's degrees specifically focused on knowledge management.\nAs a component of their IT, human resource management, or business strategy departments, many large corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations have resources devoted to internal knowledge management initiatives. These organizations receive KM guidance from a number of consulting firms.\n\nOrganizational goals including enhanced performance, competitive advantage, innovation, sharing of lessons learned, integration, and ongoing organizational improvement are usually the focus of knowledge management initiatives. These initiatives are similar to [organizational learning](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizational_learning \"Organizational learning\"), but they can be differentiated by their increased emphasis on knowledge management as a strategic asset and information sharing. Organizational learning is facilitated by knowledge management.\n\nThe setting of [supply chain](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supply_chain \"Supply chain\") may be the most challenging situation for knowledge management since it involves several businesses without a hierarchy or ownership tie; some authors refer to this type of knowledge as transorganizational or interorganizational knowledge. [Industry 4.0](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industry_4.0 \"Industry 4.0\") (or [4th industrial revolution](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Industrial_Revolution \"Fourth Industrial Revolution\")) and [digital transformation](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_transformation \"Digital transformation\") also add to that complexity, as new issues arise from the volume and speed of information flows and knowledge generation.\n\nHistory\n-------\n\n[[edit](/w/index.php?title=Knowledge_management&action=edit&section=1 \"Edit section: History\")]\n\nKnowledge management efforts have a long history, including on-the-job discussions, formal [apprenticeships](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apprenticeships \"Apprenticeships\"), [discussion forums](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_forum \"Internet forum\"), corporate libraries, professional training, and mentoring programs.[[4]](#cite_note-2UNC-4)[[5]](#cite_note-1Sanchez-5) With increased use of computers in the second half of the 20th century, specific adaptations of technologies such as [knowledge bases](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_base \"Knowledge base\"), [expert systems](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expert_system \"Expert system\"), [information repositories](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_repository \"Information repository\"), group [decision support systems](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision_support_system \"Decision support system\"), [intranets](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intranet \"Intranet\"), and [computer-supported cooperative work](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-supported_cooperative_work \"Computer-supported cooperative work\") have been introduced to further enhance such efforts.[[4]](#cite_note-2UNC-4)\n\nIn 1999, the term [personal knowledge management](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_knowledge_management \"Personal knowledge management\") was introduced; it refers to the management of knowledge at the individual level.[[6]](#cite_note-48Wright-6)\n\nIn the enterprise, early collections of case studies recognised the importance of knowledge management dimensions of strategy, [process](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_process \"Business process\") and [measurement](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measurement \"Measurement\").[[7]](#cite_note-25Booker-7)[[8]](#cite_note-35Morey-8) Key lessons learned include people and the cultural norms which influence their behaviors are the most critical resources for successful knowledge creation, dissemination and application; cognitive, social and organisational learning processes are essential to the success of a knowledge management strategy; and measurement, [benchmarking](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benchmarking \"Benchmarking\") and incentives are essential to accelerate the learning process and to drive cultural change.[[8]](#cite_note-35Morey-8) In short, knowledge management programs can yield impressive benefits to individuals and organisations if they are purposeful, concrete and action-orientated.\n\nThe [ISO 9001:2015 quality management standard](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_9001 \"ISO 9001\") released in September 2015 introduced a specification for 'organizational knowledge' as a complementary aspect of quality management within an organisation.[[9]](#cite_note-9)\n\nResearch\n--------\n\n[[edit](/w/index.php?title=Knowledge_management&action=edit&section=2 \"Edit section: Research\")]\n\nKM emerged as a scientific discipline in the early 1990s.[[10]](#cite_note-34JAS-10) It was initially supported by individual practitioners, when [Skandia](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skandia \"Skandia\") hired Leif Edvinsson of Sweden as the world's first [chief knowledge officer](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_knowledge_officer \"Chief knowledge officer\") (CKO).[[11]](#cite_note-6KU-11) Hubert Saint-Onge (formerly of [CIBC](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Imperial_Bank_of_Commerce \"Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce\"), Canada), started investigating KM long before that.[[4]](#cite_note-2UNC-4) The objective of CKOs is to manage and maximise the intangible assets of their organizations.[[4]](#cite_note-2UNC-4) Gradually, CKOs became interested in practical and theoretical aspects of KM, and the new research field was formed.[[12]](#cite_note-10Bray-12) The KM idea has been taken up by academics, such as [Ikujiro Nonaka](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikujiro_Nonaka \"Ikujiro Nonaka\") ([Hitotsubashi University](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitotsubashi_University \"Hitotsubashi University\")), Hirotaka Takeuchi (Hitotsubashi University), [Thomas H. Davenport](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_H._Davenport \"Thomas H. Davenport\") ([Babson College](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babson_College \"Babson College\")) and Baruch Lev ([New York University](//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_University \"New York University\")).[[13]](#cite_note-37HBR-13)[[14]](#cite_note-27Davenport-14)",
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