From Information Management to Knowledge Management

Abstract

The continuous evolution of theory and practice has modified the existing organizational paradigms and has introduced new models which attempt to explain how information is created, transmitted, used, and managed within various organizations. Many authors have outlined the fact that information no longer represents the most important asset of a firm. In the present competitive conditions, the managers must also consider knowledge and its relationship with enterprise information systems (Gray & Densten, 2005; Jorna, 2002; Nonaka & Takeuki, 1995). Using both a theoretical and empirical approach, this study attempts to investigate the implication of a new paradigm of knowledge management on an organization’s structure and functioning, considering knowledge management in direct relation with data management and information systems. This article shows, using two organizational examples, that the development of effective knowledge management systems requires a well-organized information system, as well as the clear identification of the main knowledge and decision-making centers within the business organization. After briefly defining the concepts of information management and knowledge management, the article presents a comprehensive literature review of the academic and professional publications that investigate the inter-relationship between these two organizational functions. Based on this secondary information, we propose a model that integrates both information and knowledge management systems, and provides an analysis of two UK business firms in order to illustrate the integration between these elements.