Knowledge Management

Knowledge Mangement (KM) can be seen as a umbrella term for a range of management activities or practices.

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The theoretical base for KM

According to Grant (2016), the theoretical base for KM is a set of concepts, principles and theories which can be referred to as the knowledge-based view of the firm (KBV).

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A definition of KBV

The knowledge-based view of the firm (KBV) can be defined as a view on an organization, where the organization is seen as an assembly of knowledge assets, and the focus in this view is on the development and application of these knowledge assets.

According to Grant, KBV can be used as a base for deriving the most prominent KM concepts, principles and theories.

Today, many of the KM concepts, principles and theories have been incorporated into broader framework of management practices, for example, KM concepts, principles and theories can be found in different areas, such as organizational design, new product development, leadership, organizational capabilities, inter-firm networks and alliances.

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KM principles and ideas

Grant present the most KM prominent theoretical principles and concepts, derived from KBV:

• transferability of knowledge: distinction between tacit and explicit knowledge;
• purpose of knowledge: distinction between exploration and exploitation of knowledge;
• the primary rationale for a firm: coordination principles
• designing organizational structures for generating new knowledge
• distribution of decision-making authority given knowledge in focus
• analyzing inter-firm relations from a KM perspective