Knowledge Management Paradigms, Philosophical Assumptions: An Outlook on Future Research

Abstract

This study informs knowledge management (KM) research assessing the philosophical assumptions and paradigms that have formed around the discipline. Reviewing positivism, critical realism, interpretivism or constructivism, and pragmatism the researcher suggests to draw on constructivism to inform KM theory. Moreover, it is suggested that a mixed methods approach is the most suitable to engage in research on KM so that a flexibility can be maintained that will allow to detect what KM is and how knowledge can be managed.