Knowledge Management

Knowledge management as a discipline has matured over the last decade. It has moved from being a mere buzzword to an inherently fundamental concept. Simply put, the knowledge-based assets of the organization are the only source of sustainable competitive advantage in today's marketplace. Traditional resources such as land, labour, and capital, while important, are no longer sufficient for survival in today's fiercely competitive marketplace. Written by experienced KM project leaders and teachers, this new textbook has been designed to introduce this growing, multi-disciplinary subject to students in an engaging and effective manner. Written by experienced KM project leaders and teachers, the book balances the theory and practice of KM and considers the issues organizations encounter in the global marketplace. This book is the first to integrate social media and networking into KM practice. The book's nine chapters are divided into three major parts: Part I covers foundational concepts and introduces the reader to the key elements of knowledge management. Part II explores critical activities of knowledge management. Part III offers a strategic view of knowledge management in organizations. Each chapter provides a broad overview, graphics that help readers visualize key points, and several vignettes documenting case scenarios that will help the reader digest concepts. Knowledge Management will prove ideal for teachers who have been forced to design courses around KM business texts, augmented with scholarly articles. It will also be useful to anyone who needs to better understand KM to apply it in his or her organization.