Risk, gap and strength: key concepts in knowledge management

This paper argues that there are certain concepts within the general domain of Knowledge Management that have not been fully explored. The discipline will benefit from a more detailed look at some of these concepts. The concepts of risk, gap and strength are the particular concepts that are explored in some more detail within this paper. A reason for describing these elements as concepts rather than terms is discussed. More precise definitions for the concepts described can provide management support about the knowledge resource in decision-making. Several function definitions for risk, gap and strength are offered. Finally, the paper considers how these concepts can influence organisational knowledge management schemes. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.