Knowledge vulnerabilities : definitions and interpretations

Abstract

Although many studies have been carried out in the knowledge domain, knowledge vulnerabilities is still a less explored field, difficult to analyze, full of challenges, with areas of high interest especially in the current times of unpredictable changes. The paper aims to study knowledge vulnerabilities, focusing on their definitions and interpretations. We propose an analysis on the existing publications dealing with knowledge vulnerabilities and knowledge risks. A critical analysis shows that the concept of knowledge vulnerabilities is used in some complex studies like those focusing on climate change, but not in the knowledge management systems. That is a significant knowledge gap for the knowledge management systems considering that already researchers focus on knowledge risks. The findings demonstrate the importance of introducing this concept in the analysis of knowledge risks and in elaborating strategies for reducing the probabilities of their emergence and of mitigating the associated possible consequences.