Strategic planning approaches to knowledge management: a taxonomy

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss and propose a taxonomy of approaches to the strategic planning of knowledge management (KM). The concept of KM strategy is relatively recent and has been developed based on the assumption that any KM programme requires the definition of long-term goals, resources and plans, i.e. a KM strategic planning. Empirical evidence shows that the conditions for the successful implementation of KM can change from a company to another and in relation to the external context, and this may call for different appropriate approaches to KM planning. Design/methodology/approach – By drawing inspiration from the classic literature about strategic planning and combining it with the KM literature, a taxonomy of four possible approaches to KM strategic planning is developed. This taxonomy is based on the combination of two dimensions, namely: the nature (rational vs emergent) of the planning process, and the competitive factors (internal vs external) that drive the strategy formulation. Examples of companies, drawn from an analysis of recent case studies based on secondary data, are then provided, with the purpose to depict the features of each KM strategic planning approach, as well as asses the consistency and usefulness of the formulated taxonomy. Findings – The analysis of available empirical data shows that the proposed taxonomy fits cases that can be found in real life. The two dimensions of KM strategic planning previously presented allow to highlight the differences in the behaviour of companies. This can provide important food for thought for strategic thinking applied to KM, and can also reinforce the link between KM and other areas of management. Practical implications – The awareness that companies can follow different approaches to KM planning is important for executives that consider KM as a primary activity for their companies. In particular, in the case of an emergent KM strategy, managers should be able to recognize it, and, as far as possible, to align it with the company’s overall strategic goals. Originality/value – To date, the literature has primarily focused on the definition of different types of KM strategies, while the process that can lead to the formulation of these strategies has been less studied. The paper aims to fill this gap by identifying, discussing and classifying different possible approaches to KM strategic planning that a company can adopt. © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.