A Synopsis of Trends in Knowledge Management

This 2005 practice note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) outlines seven emerging trends in knowledge management (KM), emphasizing a shift from the simple storage of information toward active engagement, social networking, and the mobilization of knowledge to achieve specific policy influence.

• Knowledge management is characterized by a convergence of diverse influences, including private sector experiments, social network analysis, technological evolution, and multi-stakeholder governance. This has led the private sector to recognize that KM requires "social management skills and an understanding of how to engage with citizens and communities" beyond just ICT tools, while the international development community is recognizing that sustainable development requires "mutual knowledge-sharing and mutual capacity development."
• There is a transition in KM from the "storage and retrieval of information" toward active engagement with users. This shift incorporates concepts of "dialogue, relationship-building and adaptive learning" through continuous interaction with users who contribute their own perspectives.
• KM is shifting its emphasis from the possession of knowledge to the ability to exert influence. While internal communities often only improve "specific business processes," knowledge mobilization focuses on combining internal and external knowledge to meet client needs. IISD suggests that achieving influence requires first determining the specific decisions or changes desired, identifying the people in a position to effect that change, and then determining the necessary knowledge to advise them.
• Social capital and social networks are now viewed as being as critical as intellectual capital. Organizations are utilizing social network analysis—the "mapping and measuring of how knowledge flows through these relationships"—to build channels for knowledge between research, policy, and action.
• The adoption of "Open Content" and "Open Source" ideologies is promoting the democratization of knowledge-sharing by reducing the barriers created by commercial control of intellectual property rights. This allows intellectual property rights to "remain the author’s to share rather than the publisher’s to sell."
• Organizations are adopting various collaboration modalities, ranging from informal networks to structured groups. A trend toward "post-modern knowledge management" involves "governing" rather than "managing" collaboration, where an organization provides the resources and leadership but allows the emerging community to run itself.
• There is an increasing focus on adaptive management and the creation of "learning organizations" that utilize shorter cycles of assessment and adjustment. This includes a trend toward informal "lessons learned" cycles to allow organizations to respond more quickly to changing circumstances.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). A Synopsis of Trends in Knowledge Management. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/networks_km_trends.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. A Synopsis of Trends in Knowledge Management. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/networks_km_trends.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=A Synopsis of Trends in Knowledge Management |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/networks_km_trends.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndsynopsis, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{A Synopsis of Trends in Knowledge Management}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/networks_km_trends.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }