What does it mean to manage ‘knowledge’: implications for the strategic management of knowledge in firms

Knowledge has emerged as a central theme in strategy and organisational research. However, there is still no consensus as to what constitutes knowledge and where it resides. Different perspectives on what constitute knowledge therefore offer a challenge to firms that are earnest in their efforts to effectively and efficiently manage knowledge. This paper is an effort to examine and situate the conceptual discourses on knowledge. Such a discussion offers a framework about the various conceptual categories of knowledge that firms could focus on. This has implications on the strategic directives for managing knowledge in firms.