Are we in the knowledge management business

Abstract

Knowledge management (KM) has become a hot topic in the business world. Even though much confusion exists about what KM is and what it involves, there has been a phenomenal growth in interest and activity, as seen in many new publications, conferences, IT products, and job advertisements, but few formal KM initiatives in the higher education sector. Various professional groups, notably human resource professionals, information technology specialists, and librarians, are staking their claims, seeing KM as an opportunity to move to center stage. Asserts that since people often used to describe librarianship as involving the organization of recorded knowledge, perhaps the time has come for librarians to move into the KM arena. Defines KM and the related concept of intellectual capital, and discusses their relationships to existing practices. Describes typical applications found in business and industry, and the technological infrastructure, organizational processes, and the technical, organizational, and interpersonal skills required.