What we know about knowledge identification
Concerning this topic only one paper was identified (Table IV). This is surprising, against the
background that in order to effectively manage company knowledge one needs to
understand what types of knowledge are provided and their respective relevance to the firm.
To turn the argument on its head, the paucity of sources would appear to indicate that the
focus of knowledge management should be limited to very specific knowledge.
The paper by Durst and Wilhelm (2011) was based on a research design involving only one
German firm. The findings are thus limited in terms of their transferability, yet the paper
addresses the relevant issue of making a distinction between specific knowledge which is
difficult to imitate or rare within the firm and knowledge that is easily accessible or
reproducible. In terms of the informants involved almost all were either members of the
management board or of the second level of management.