616 Global Co-Operation in the New Millennium The 9th European Conference on Information Systems Bled, Slovenia, June 27-29, 2001 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN NETWORK CONTEXTS Sven A. Carlsson Informatics, Jönköping International Business School, Jönköping University, SE-551 11 Jönköping, Sweden Tel.: +46 36 15 75 04, Fax: +46 36 12 18 32, sven.carlsson@jibs.hj.se Sven A. Carlsson ABSTRACT The basic economic resource in the post-industrial information economy is knowledge, but there is a lack in our knowledge on how to manage knowledge and knowledge processes for competitive advantage. We present a new conceptualization of knowledge management: knowledge management in network contexts. We also present a strategic knowledge management (SKM) framework. SKM is a process involving: 1) strategic vision, 2) knowledge vision and key knowledge identification, 3) design, 4) knowledge protection, 5) implementation, and 6) usage. The conceptualization and the framework are based on extensions of the resource- and knowledge-based view of the firm. The framework can support organizations in strategically managing knowledge and knowledge processes to gain and sustain competitive advantage. The conceptualization and the framework open up new knowledge management research areas and issues. 1. INTRODUCTION It is widely stressed that a firm’s competitive advantage flows from its unique knowledge and how it manages knowledge (Nonaka & Takeuchi 1995; Boisot 1998; von Krogh et al. 2000a, b; Wikström & Normann 1994; Nonaka & Teece 2001). It is argued that knowledge is displacing natural resources, capital, and labor as the basic economic resource in the post-industrial information economy (Drucker 1995). Organizations have always, more or less intentionally and consciously, “managed” knowledge. Although the concept of coding, storing, and transmitting knowledge in organizations is not new organizational and managerial practice has recently become more knowledge-focused. We find reports of knowledge management (KM) initiatives and use of KM systems (KMS). Though we have many answers to the question: “Why do firms invest in KM and implement KMS?” we have fewer answers to the question: “How can firms strategically manage knowledge to improve firm performance?” While we have some theories, frameworks, and models related to KM, there are large gaps in the body of knowledge in the area of how to gain and sustain competitive advantage through strategic knowledge management. The purpose of the paper is twofold. First, to conceptualize KM in a new way. The conceptualization is based on extensions of the resource-based and the knowledge-based view of the firm. We also place KM in network contexts—we will argue that a main focus in strategic knowledge management should be different forms of networks. Second, based on the conceptualization we develop a framework for strategic knowledge management (SKM). SKM is a process involving: 1) strategic vision, 2) knowledge vision and key knowledge identification, 3) design, 4) knowledge protection, 5) implementation, and 6) usage. The