The Intellectual Core and Impact of the Knowledge Management Academic Discipline

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is two-fold: to explore the intellectual core of the knowledge management (KM) academic discipline in order to test whether it exhibits signs of a reference discipline; and to analyze the theoretical and practical impact of the discipline. Design/methodology/approach – The most influential articles published in the Journal of Knowledge Management were selected and their cited and citing works were scientometrically analysed. Findings – The KM discipline: builds its knowledge primarily upon research reports published in the English language; successfully disseminates its knowledge in both English and non-English publications; does not exhibit a problematic self-citation behavior; uses books and practitioner journals in the development of KM theory; converts experiential knowledge into academic knowledge; is not yet a reference discipline, but is progressing well towards becoming one; exerts a somewhat limited direct impact on practice; and is not a scientific fad. Practical implications – KM researchers need to become aware of and use knowledge published in non-English outlets. Given the status of KM as an applied discipline, it is critical that researchers continue utilizing non-peer reviewed sources in their scholarly work. KM researchers should promote the dissemination of KM knowledge beyond the disciplinary boundaries. The issue whether KM should strive towards becoming a reference discipline should be debated further. Originality/value – This study analyzes the KM field from the reference discipline perspective.