Knowledge Management literature review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Knowledge Management literature review - Essay Example This research will use the mixed-method design, but will lean more toward the evidences that have been quoted in various knowledge management studies. Since the Knowledge management area of study is relatively new area of study not much of quantitative information is readily available in free domain. This will be the primary limitation of the research submission. The primary and most important source used for this literature review is book named 'The Handbook of Knowledge Management written by Thomas J. Beckman, a research scholar from The George Washington University, Baltimore country. The main reason for considering this book as a primary source is that it serves the role as a key reference book in integrating views of researchers in and practitioners of knowledge management. Even though the field of knowledge management is evolving and is still maturing, this book is considered as a first step in helping to formulate methodologies, techniques, and practices for making knowledge management a sound field (Beckman, 2003). Professor D. Neef of the Management Decisions (Venters W. , 2008) Institute feels that "In order to understand Knowledge Management, it is necessary to see the subject within the broader context of the enormous changes taking place in the global economic framework itself" (Neef, 1999). Alfred Marshall, a forefather of neo-classical economics (Venters W. , 2001), was one of the earliest authors to state explicitly the importance of knowledge within economic affairs; "Capital consists in a great part of knowledge and organisation knowledge is our most powerful engine of production (Marshall, 1965)." All the above stated definitions form the basis for the evolution of Knowledge Management as a separate branch of study. But this view of looking at the subject was contrasted (Nonaka, 1995) by some researchers like Nonaka and Takeuchi as they feel that neo-classical economists only consider the utilization of the existing knowledge and they are not very concerned and particular about creation of new knowledge (Venters W. , 2001). Another important material which was helpful in this research is The Blackwell Handbook of Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management (Smith M. E., 2005). It is a state-of-art international handbook about the emerging field of Knowledge Management which occupies a central position in the fields of contemporary management and organizational theory. The author of the book has drawn together analyses and critical commentary from the leading experts on organizational learning and knowledge management around the world. Links are made to existing bodies of theory in the root disciplines of economics, psychology and social theory, while the challenging implications for research and future paths of inquiry are outlined and discussed (Smith E. , 2005). The special issue on Knowledge Management and e-research technologies is another material that has been of great help in working on this paper (Venters W. , 2008). This special issue of Knowledge Management Research & Practice will focus on the role of technology within wider debates on knowledge management. Information and Communication technologies lend themselves to the capture, transfer and