Knowledge Management in SMEs

Abstract

According to a dictionary definition, ‘paradigm’ means “the accepted way of viewing reality in a given field, doctrine, etc.”. The word comes from Greek παράδειγμα (par?deigma) and literally means “pattern, example”. The definition of ‘paradigm’ devised by the philosopher Thomas Kuhn in 1962 describes it as a collection of concepts and theories that form the basis of a given science. Knowledge management, on the other hand, is a complex process, which includes: (1) management of employees’ intellectual potential, (2) management of knowledge resources, and (3) IT support for knowledge management. In a knowledge-based economy, knowledge is a strategic resource – both for individuals and enterprises – as it determines development and economic growth owing to processes of acquiring, accumulating and processing of information. Can the problem of ‘knowledge management’ be, therefore, treated as paradigm, or is it an economic concept, or, rather, the resultant of experiences, which, by definition, are practical, and not theoretical, in nature? The article aims to analyse the perception of this issue – the relationship between theory and practice – among small and medium-sized enterprises operating in today’s volatile market environment.