Social Media for Knowledge Management: Exploring a Framework

Technologies for management of knowledge have been a recurring topic for many organizations when it comes to facilitating knowledge creation and sharing among employees. Existing research in the field reveal application of many different tools and practices serving knowledge management purposes and show multiple opportunities and challenges for adopting these initiatives into organizational practices. In recent years social media technologies have entered the organizational spheres with the objective of connecting people and enabling them to share and build knowledge. The application and use of social media as a tool for knowledge management presents an interesting addition to existing knowledge management initiatives. In this research in progress paper, social media for knowledge management is explored through investigating the research question, how can social media influence knowledge management practices in organizations? The investigation builds on a theoretical reflection of the concepts of knowledge management practices and social media. The method for the theoretical investigation is based in the outline of core literature perspectives dealing with knowledge management practices as well as social media. The exploration of the two concepts of knowledge management practices and social media leads to the identification of four dimensions of knowledge creation, knowledge sharing, social sharing and social networking. In light of the theoretical reflections the dimensions are outlined and described. A framework is then proposed encompassing the four dimensions and the intersections between them. Drawing on the theoretical considerations framing the dimensions of the framework main implications for utilization of social media for knowledge management is presented. Four categories describing the intersections between the dimensions are proposed; The Spark, The Buzz, The Anecdote and The Drop. The proposed framework is then discussed and reflected upon by applying examples of social media types revealing certain characteristics of the four categories. Through the outline of the characteristics some possibilities and challenges for utilizing social media in knowledge management practices is revealed. Lastly the findings are summed up in a conclusion and reflection of further research suggesting directions for additional empirical studies of the proposed framework.