Defining knowledge management

If you thought you'd managed to get a grip on what 'knowledge management' might mean, think again - and while you are thinking, take a look at Ray Sims's Weblog. Ray analyses fifty-three definitions of knowledge management. He comments:

General observation: this again illustrates the definition diversity. It is not like these are 53 definitions with slightly different word choice. These are substantially different. There are only five attributes that are seen in 30% or more of the definitions: KM is a process, it is targeted at the organization (company), it deals with knowledge, sharing is part of the story, and the definition includes a “why.”

And in spite of all this he still calls 'knowledge management' a discipline!