Knowledge Management

COVID-19 has shown us all how important it is to have access to relevant and updated information and knowledge to make better decisions. This has also underlined again the importance of knowledge management for any type of organization. Yet an in-depth discussion of knowledge and its management is also needed in other areas such as the demographic developments which will soon lead to a shortage of expert knowledge, challenges related to sustainability and progressive digitalization to name a few. Knowledge can be a critical asset that helps organizations master present and future organizational and business challenges. Yet, knowledge may also be a negative risk in certain situations. Present and future leaders should be aware of the different qualities of knowledge as only then they will be able to develop and execute sophisticated knowledge strategies that enable the organization to apply present and future knowledge in the best possible way. The course knowledge management will address the above-mentioned challenges by looking at knowledge and its management from a broad perspective.

NB! This course will take place in spring semester 2024/2025 which starts on 3rd of February and ends on 16th of June (you can find that information under Start date section). The real course start and end dates will be announced at the beginning of February at the latest.

Upon completion of the subject, students will be able to:

• describe how knowledge management is practiced in different types of organizations;
• identify organizational prerequisites and barriers in organizations and their impact on knowledge management;
• identify different methods and tools to accomplish knowledge transfer and knowledge retention and recognize the challenges of implementing those approaches in organizations;
• be aware of a number of knowledge risks organizations are facing and identify ways to approach these risks;
• describe and understand the interconnection between knowledge management and innovation management at the corporate/business or functional level.

Final assessment can consist of one test/assignment or several smaller assignments completed during the whole course. After declaring a course the student can re-sit the exam/assessment once. Assessment can be graded or non-graded. For specific information about the assessment process please get in touch with the contact person of this course. For specific information about grade transfer please contact your home university

Management and Leadership or similar introductory course to management.

• Durst, S. & Edvardsson, I. R. (2012). Knowledge Management in SMEs: A Literature Review. Journal of Knowledge Management, 16(6), 879-903. - Durst, S., & Zieba, M. (2020) Knowledge risks inherent in business sustainability, Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119670. - Durst, S., & Zieba, M. (2018) Mapping knowledge risks: towards a better understanding of knowledge management, Knowledge Management Research & Practice, DOI: 10.1080/14778238.2018.1538603. - Grant, R. M. (1996): “Toward a knowledge-based theory of the firm”, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 17, Winter Special Issue, pp. 109-22. - Hislop, D., Bosua, R. and Helms, R. (2018), Knowledge Management in Organizations, 4th ed., Oxford University Press, Oxford.
• McAdam, R. & Reid, R. (2001). SME and large organisation perceptions of knowledge management: comparisons and contrasts. Journal of Knowledge Management, 5(3), 231-241.
• Kalantaridis, C.; Küttim, M.; Govind, M.; Sousa, C. (2017). How to commercialise university-generated knowledge internationally? A comparative analysis of contingent institutional conditions. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 123, 35−44.10.1016/j.techfore.2017.06.013.

lectures, exercises