Coleman (1999), Bhatt (2001), and Reinhardt (2001) propose additional stages for KM, such as knowledge validation, knowledge diffusion or knowledge mapping, and indexing.
In the present study, Cardoso’s (2008) definition of KM phases is followed. After an extensive literature review, Cardoso identified six processes considered relevant for KM in organizations: creation and acquisition, attribution of meaning, sharing and diffusion, organizational memory, measurement, and recovering, which must be structured according to the organizational objectives in order to obtain the desired results. The six processes were grouped into four different dimensions: (1) KM formal practices: correspond to the processes formally instituted in the company for the creation, sharing and use of knowledge, being mostly related to explicit knowledge; (2) cultural orientation towards knowledge: the orientation of practices, rules, procedures towards knowledge, which is considered a central value for the organization; (3) KM informal practices: related to social interactions at an informal level which contribute to the formation of a common language through which people make sense of the information available, being mostly related to tacit knowledge, and finally; (4) strategic management of knowledge: reflects an orientation of the organization towards the environment. This dimension focuses on the organizational capacity for making use of knowledge focusing on competitiveness, where information about clients and competitors has a leading role.