A framework for collaborative knowledge creation

This article describes a framework for managing the life cycle of knowledge in organizations and how this framework can be used to support collaborative knowledge creation. The framework emerges from years of work with the laboratories and facilities that are under the direction of the United States Department of Energy. The article begins by describing the background of the work from which the framework emerged; this is followed by describing the problem of identifying the ‘right’ knowledge for the ‘right’ people at the ‘right’ time and how the use of performance objectives addresses this problem. Next, the life cycle of knowledge in organizations, the theoretical foundation of the framework, and the details of the implementation of the framework are described. Finally, a discussion section summarizes the framework and discusses future directions for enhancing and extending the framework for supporting collaborative knowledge creation in organizations.