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Reexamining Knowledge Management Education in Higher Institutions of Learning in Africa: A South African Perspective

Fombad, Madeleine C.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/125033

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Title
Reexamining Knowledge Management Education in Higher Institutions of Learning in Africa: A South African Perspective
Author(s)
Fombad, Madeleine C.
Issue Date
2023-11
Keyword(s)
Africa, Botswana, higher education institutions, higher institutions of learning, Kenya, knowledge, knowledge management, South Africa, universities
Geographic Coverage
Africa
Abstract
For twenty-first-century higher education institutions to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving techno-economic environment, knowledge management (KM) education is crucial in their curriculum. KM education expands the theoretical underpinnings of the discipline, producing skilled and competent professionals to implement KM in organizations and businesses. Researchers have reported the lack of an educational career path for KM professionals and have advocated for the need to build a professional qualification that can serve to establish KM, with agreed and accepted entry requirements. KM at educational institutions is still emerging as an interdisciplinary research and teaching discipline, notwithstanding the fact that the concept emerged as an academic discipline in the 1990s. Although KM has been established at private- and public-sector organizations in Africa, it is yet to be integrated as a discipline at most of these institutions. Drawing from five different perspectives of KM, a guideline for KM education is presented comprising an integrated KM curriculum that includes every KM discipline. The article advocates for KM education at higher education institutions from an African perspective. Since the discipline is still maturing, KM researchers have advocated for an annual survey of KM education to track progress toward a mature academic discipline.
Publisher
Johns Hopkins University Press
Series/Report Name or Number
Volume 72, Issue 2, November 2023
Type of Resource
text
Language
eng
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2024 University of Illinois Board of Trustees

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Library Trends 72 (2) November 2023: International Perspectives on Knowledge Management Education [Restricted Access] PRIMARY
This special issue includes eleven articles from around the world, representing nine regions or countries, across six continents in which authors have shared their experiences with knowledge management (KM) education in their geographic area. There are several common themes throughout the world regarding KM education. First, universities throughout the world have attempted or are attempting to develop KM as a unique discipline with explicit titles and content. KM education in some countries (e.g., the United States and Canada) appears to be in decline as represented by the decline in courses or programs. While this is anecdotal, it is likely to be more the result of name/title changes rather than substantial differences in content. As technology has changed over the past twenty-five years or so, the label of KM has been under some debate as to whether it should be replaced with something more reflective of this change. For example, data analytics is joined with KM in the introductory article by Hawamdeh and Madali. In other countries (e.g., Brazil), however, KM education is on the rise. Regardless of the name, the number of jobs in KM and the projected market for KM suggest that work in this field is growing and in increasing demand.