Explaining the Diffusion of Knowledge Management: The Role of Fashion

Abstract

This paper provides evidence on the emergence and diffusion of the discourse of knowledge management. A literature review of the knowledge management and learning organization literatures demonstrates the lack of learning from one discourse to another and major differences in the concerns and issues that they address. At the same time, evidence on the level of interest in each discourse shows a tendency towards a normal curve distribution. Analytically, these findings suggest that the widespread diffusion of knowledge management might be explained in terms of the management fashion model. However, further consideration of the professionally‐differentiated appropriation of knowledge management concepts by the information systems and human resource communities suggests that the fashion model provides only a partial explanation for the observed diffusion of knowledge management.