Compendious reflections on VINE's technology inquiries

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to integrate and reflect on different ideas about the role of knowledge management (KM) technology that have been published in VINE. In effect, the paper seeks to relate, interpret, and synthesize various technology milestones discussed by various authors. It also aims to discusss the literature that describes technology as an “enabler”, but “not enough”.Design/methodology/approachThis paper addresses the role and the importance of technology as appeared in articles in VINE about technology within the last three years. Different ideas from different authors are compared and contrasted with the general trend in technology advances in the field of KM.FindingsBecause of the immaturity of KM technology there is still disagreement about its real role in the KM lifecycle. There is an obvious lack of standardization and generalization about the role of inter‐ and/or intra‐organization technology transfer today. Although technology has made a quantum leap in the proportionality of the expressed tacit knowledge, many investigators still believe that technology is no more than an enabler.Practical implicationsThis paper provides useful information as a result of summary and augmentation of different opinions discussed in this journal about technologies in the last three years.Originality/valueThis paper provides information to researchers and practitioners who need to know about the practical recent KM technology implementations.