Knowledge Management: Historical and Cross-Disciplinary Themes

by Danny P. Wallace

Knowledge management (KM) is frequently presented as a recent development born entirely of the business world. However, the intellectual origins of knowledge management are both deeper and broader than have been posited in the literature to date. Influences of philosophy, economics, education, psychology, information and communication theory, and library and information studies have been almost completely overlooked. This book links current and historical works to the development of knowledge management across domains and disciplines to give students and scholars a deeper appreciation of the origins of KM and a better understanding of its intellectual origins, its concepts, and principles. Through his thorough and critical examination of historical and more recent classic works, Wallace demystifies this important, emerging area of study. An essential and fascinating read for LIS faculty, students, and practitioners; required reading for courses in Knowledge Management.

244 pages, Hardcover

First published December 30, 2007

Reviews

[Roger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is assuredly a dry book, written not for the general public. Nevertheless, I checked it out. The KM field feels like an offshoot of library science, albeit with a business bent to it. Recent developments in expert systems, knowledge bases, and other ways for corporations to immortalize and codify their memories and expertise have made it a more important discipline.

For someone who's never taken a formal course on it, I feel this text serves as a suitable foundation. Although I won't be able to run with the wolves, I'll at least be able to track what they're saying.

[Amiry Fauzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice