Evolution of knowledge management education. Sponsored by SIG MGT, SIG KM

Institutions of higher learning are designing and developing KM educational programs within an uncertain theoretical and practitioner climate. A clearly defined body of knowledge comprising KM has yet to be designated and endorsed. Course material is based upon an ambiguous framework of information that is ubiquitous, vague, and sometimes a repackaging of existing discipline material. Can such programs represent this emergent discipline and convey substantive and useful principles, theories, techniques, and methods? Public and private sector organizations are currently hiring professionals to staff KM initiatives. Yet, most of the individuals hired into these positions do not have KM backgrounds. Educational programs in knowledge management and knowledge science have important policy, practitioner, and theoretical implications. How do institutions make sense of the broad spectrum of material available that is often conflicting and contradictory, and develop programs that purgrams that purport to teach this emergent discipline and convey principles, theories, techniques, and methods? Why do these programs reside in the faculties or disciplines that have currently adopted them? Why has the subject of “managing knowledge” emerged as a significant area of study during the past two decades? How has a “tradition of meaning” emerged from the knowledge management phenomena and established a unifying reference language or the foundation of a body of knowledge? How are the concepts associated with KM and knowledge science being arranged into a stable base of knowledge, or are they continuing to be transformed? If unstable, what influences may be barring stability? Can the transformations be described in a meaningful manner?