This paper is proposing a list of knowledge management instruments based on a thorough literature review considering English and German sources, a strict definition for km instruments and a new categorization scheme that allows identifying potential duplicates or missing pieces.
Over the last two decades, knowledge has attracted increased interest in academia and practice. Numerous journals have dedicated special issues to knowledge in organisations and over twenty specialised peer-reviewed journals have emerged under the label Knowledge Management (KM). Every sector from manufacturing and services to public administration has engaged in KM initiatives. The Global Knowledge Research Network conducted a global study to identify future research needs in KM. 222 KM experts (38 countries, 42 nationalities, 16 industries, government, international organisations and NGOs, 16 academic disciplines) have contributed to the study. This paper reports the overall results. Future research in KM needs to demonstrate the value contribution of KM, should focus more on human and social factors and explore KM as an essential organisational capability. The core concepts of knowledge should be re-visited to improve the understanding. Given the dominant optimistic view on KM, more critical research approaches should be employed and KM research should experiment with design science, ecological and biological models. Word count: 10115
