Journal of Knowledge Management

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to help knowledge managers systematically grasp “knowledge about management knowledge” and get a “deep and full” understanding of the nature, scope and methodologies of knowledge management.

Design/methodology/approach – Through presenting a variety of perspectives on knowledge, management, and knowledge management, the article explores the essence of knowledge management in organizations from a perspective of critical systems thinking.

Findings – Knowledge management in business organizations has the task of managing the activities of knowledge workers or the transformation and interaction of organizational “static substance knowledge” and “dynamic process knowledge” for “products, services, and practical process innovation” and, at the same time, “creating new or justifying existing organizational systematic knowledge”. Knowledge management is not simply about recording and manipulating explicit knowledge, but needs to address that which is implicit, and from which benefit can therefore be derived only through process rather than content.

Originality/value – The comprehensive review and classification of various management theories will expand both knowledge managers' and knowledge workers' understanding of the subject and provide a foundation for building a knowledge management toolkit in practice.