Surfacing the Philosophical Assumptions of KM Frameworks

The importance of knowledge management in relation to the knowledge economy is well-recognised. However, successful developments of KM rely on resolving the lack of cumulativeness and conceptual integration which characterises the discipline at present. This papers addresses this research problem by developing a simple three-dimensional framework based on three 'knowledge interests' found in Habermas' Knowledge and Human Interests and then applying the framework to surface the philosophical assumptions of a sample of knowledge management frameworks. Based on this analysis, implications for the use of these frameworks in both research and practice are then discussed