¹Management Information Systems, Department of Management, College of Business, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, U.S.A.

Correspondence: Dianne J Hall, Management Information Systems, Department of Management, College of Business, 401 Lowder Business Building, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5241, U.S.A.. Tel: +1 334 844 6443; E-mail: dhall@auburn.edu

Received 27 October 2005; Accepted 28 June 2006.

Abstract

This paper examines the current knowledge management (KM) research through the lens of Churchman's inquiring systems. These inquiring systems are ideal foundations from which to view KM and its associated research because knowledge creation and organizational learning are critical elements of KM. Churchman proposed that organizations should support knowledge creation and learning through emphasis on problem structure and appropriate inquiring strategies. This paper discusses the characteristics of Churchman's inquirers, the problem structure for which they are most appropriate, and presents examples of each. Then, examples of previous research that share characteristics of the most complex inquirers are discussed. Organizational benefits from the inquiring system approach and guidelines for future research are suggested.