Decentralizing Knowledge Management: Affordances and Impacts - Revisited

This paper updates a 2019 EJKM article (Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management). Rather than divergently analysing and differentiating knowledge management (KM) perspectives of real-world observations, the two publications aim for a convergent synthesis of corroborated models and terminologies to provide a holistic systemic base for comprehension and system design. Based on conceptual analysis and design science research, the original paper amalgamated twelve renowned models of dynamic knowledge creation in a three‑dimensional ‘public‑transport‑like’ map. This update integrates four further models; it also demonstrates the map’s application for benchmarking the affordances of a more knowledge-worker-centric KM System approach (KMS) currently developed as a digital knowledge co-creation platform in a start-up environment. To attest to the platform’s mission for serving community members typified by diverse individual abilities, contexts, means, and ends (ACME), its envisaged functionalities were aligned to the map’s pathways to identify unserved areas as well as verify compliance with requirements of KM standards and practices. Accordingly, this paper contributes to the intersection of KM, KMS design, and digital transformation (including educational technologies). As part of a longitudinal stream of research and publications, it also provides feedback on lessons learnt experiences often lacking in the KM and KMS fields corpora and may inspire or warn other scholars and entrepreneurs attempting to switch from path dependencies to path creation.