Towards the reconciliation of knowledge management and e-collaboration systems

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to propose an intelligent infrastructure for the reconciliation of knowledge management and e-collaboration systems. Design/methodology/approach - Literature on e-collaboration, information management, knowledge management, learning process, and intellectual capital is mobilised in order to build the conceptual framework. Findings - This paper presents a conceptual framework including a set of concepts and guidelines that can be used to specify an efficient knowledge infrastructure for networked enterprises. Research limitations/implications - Results from this study uphold the emerging research area of knowledge management in e-collaboration systems. The proposed framework derived purely from theory and conceptual analysis; more work needs to be done in order to validate and experiment with the framework. Future research remains be carried out to apply the framework on a broader scale, and in particular to determine its applicability relative to various collaboration patterns and current technology development. Practical implications - Results from this study are important for networked enterprises, especially knowledge-intensive enterprises, who intend to build e-collaboration systems to organize their knowledge base and to share it with their partners. Originality/value - This paper is one of the first to address collaborative knowledge management in e-collaboration systems with a focus on the promotion of learning process and the creation of intellectual capital.