Personal knowledge networking


Personal knowledge networks have been primarily conceived by researchers with regard to the inter-firm knowledge sources between organisations, where networks are informal and personal. Instead of looking at the organisational context, some researchers investigate the intra-firm aspects at personal level of organisational knowledge networks, where knowledge management processes start and end. Various technologies and behaviours support personal knowledge networking for example wikis, Really Simple Syndication and relationship networks. Interest is also being driven by the realization that KM can happen without a lot of explicit governance. This trend is called "grass-roots KM" as opposed to traditional, top-down enterprise KM.
PKN expands through grass-roots adoption within virtual teams and communities. As a result, the tools in which an enterprise may invest for enterprise KM may not get as much usage as expected — particularly when operational support is weak for those technology solutions.

Origin of PKN

With the continuous operation of knowledge management in enterprises, new models are emerging all the time to meet the ongoing demands. In recent years, it is found that, apart from formal arrangements for official alliances, individuals often know each other and interact beyond official duties, which can lead to knowledge flows and learning.

Structural Aspect