KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT EPISTEMOLOGIES, METHODOLOGIES, AND TECHNIQUES

Knowledge Management (KM) is the process through which organizations generate value from their intellectual and knowledge-based assets. There may not be a universal definition of Knowledge Management (KM), but in a broader context this may be defined as the process through which organizations generate value from their intellectual and knowledge-based assets. Most often, generating value from such assets involves sharing among employees, departments and even with other companies in an effort to devise best practices. In other words, it is your firm's system for capturing, managing and re-using the knowledge that resides in electronic documents on your network or, more important, the tacit knowledge that is in your employees’ heads. The key point for modern businesses is to be able to analyze all of the accumulated data and convert it into knowledge that will be easily located and readily available and will have case relevance and usage effectiveness.

The use of KM in the business era is not entirely new. The initial tasks of knowledge management which include the collection and storage of knowledge in databases are dated back to the Industrial age when various organizations had the need to archive as much descriptive information as possible about their business processes. What is considered relatively new is the management of knowledge using the aid of information technology. In fact, in our modern knowledge economy, where knowledge is greatly valued, knowledge management is one of the most common catchphrases used by vendors to get the attention of corporate executives.

Knowledge management is characterized by the following four basic activities:
1) Knowledge acquisition,
2) Knowledge analysis,
3) Knowledge preservation,
4) Knowledge utilization.

At first, knowledge must be acquired either through the process of learning or through the process of identification. Then knowledge is analyzed, organized and stored. Finally, it is called upon and used at any time and on any subject of interest.

Knowledge Management research focuses on the development and efficient deployment of a system of technologies necessary for the delivery of strategically useful knowledge and expertise, the availability of which facilitates effective collaboration and timely decision-making.

As part of a doctorate study in the area of KM it was necessary to examine a number of epistemologies, research methods and techniques and identify from these the ones most appropriate to use in a Knowledge Management doctorate. Thus, a survey was conducted amongst a number of published papers in the area of KM to establish research practices. The results of this survey are presented and discussed herewith in lieu with research methods’ theoretical concepts.