Are Knowledge Management Courses in South Asia Designed Well? A Content Analysis of Syllabi and a Case Study.

Knowledge management (KM) is a set of processes to improve organizational functioning by harnessing organizational knowledge. KM has been taught in different global universities—either as standalone courses or as programs of study. While KM is also taught in a number of library and information science (LIS) programs in South Asian (SA) universities, it is not clear which schools offer KM courses, what topics are covered, which readings are assigned, and how student learning is assessed in these courses. How does KM education in a developing SA country compare with KM education in a developed country? What are the enablers and barriers to KM course design and delivery in South Asia? We explored the answers to these questions through a content analysis of syllabi of KM courses in SA LIS programs as well as a case study comparing the way KM is taught in an SA country and in the United States. Through applying theories of expectancy, information poverty, Bloom's taxonomy, and context, the study recommends a model KM syllabus template and a research framework for KM education in South Asia. The study concludes that for SA KM education to reach global standards, systemic barriers would need to be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]