Knowledge Management Strategy - What Have We Learnt?

Abstract

This paper picks up on the widely accepted personalisation and codification approaches to knowledge management strategy. It looks at the relationship between these knowledge management strategies and the competitive strategies that organisations have adopted, and by considering the strategy and manufacturing strategy literature, identifies a certain inconsistency between the discussions there and those in the knowledge management literature. It goes on to consider what examples in the literature have contributed to our knowledge of knowledge management strategies, and to highlighting the weaknesses in that knowledge, since these two "fundamental strategies" were first defined back in the 20th century. Aspects where the theory may benefit from being extended include: more precise consideration as to what a competitive position of "standardisation" really means, especially in the light of the expansion of so-called mass customisation; the three-way fit (or lack of it) between knowledge management strategy, competitive strategy and organisational culture, how these are developed, whether it is possible to change them if desirable, and if so, how; and the role of leadership in relation to different knowledge management strategies.