Knowledge Management Research: Are We Seeing the Whole Picture?

Abstract

Although knowledge management (KM) is maturing as a research topic, there is no agreement on what constructs constitute its foundation. Because the topic has received increasing attention in academic journals, it is important for researchers to be aware of the research streams associated with KM. Accordingly, this chapter reviews the knowledge management literature published in top-tier journals from 2000 to 2005. These articles then are classified by knowledge management construct and by research methodology. The results indicate that the majority of knowledge management research has examined the construct of knowledge transfer. Formal theory/frameworks and field studies using primary data are the dominant methodologies. Trends of published KM research, gaps, and inconsistencies in the examined literature and triangulation of applied research methodologies are discussed.