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412 Chapter 12

Nations, World Bank, foreign governments); governmental agencies involved in infor-
mation regulation (e.g., PUCs regarding telecommunications regulation); governmen-
tal agencies involved in information technology assessment, development and policy;
information resources management to help agencies accomplish their missions (e.g.,
a recent GAO report criticized the Department of Energy for inadequate information
resources management which impeded its operations), the intelligence community
(e.g., CIA), and agencies involved in policy formulation/decision making as consumers
of information, for example, the Food and Drug Administration.
There are a number of important KM functions to be found in other academic and
research institutions such as large scientifi c enterprises (e.g., Human Genome Project,
Mission to Planet Earth) and in the design and management of discipline-specifi c
information systems. PhDs in KM also follow an academic career path at universities
or fi nd employment in information industry fi rms for R & D and government
agencies.

The KM Profession

Al-Hawamdeh (2003) refers to KM as an emerging profession. The fi eld of KM has
slowly evolved from a consulting service to an internal business function. It has
become an academic discipline being taught in universities worldwide. At the same
time, many organizations are still in the process of defi ning their KM roles. There are
a wide range of differing job titles and an even wider diversity in the backgrounds of
KM practitioners. These factors all contribute to the emergence of the KM profession.
The KM fi eld is fairly young when compared to older, more established professions
such as law, medicine, or engineering. As the KM skill set continues to grow and show
valuable contributions to the overall organizational goals, the profession will continue
to mature and coalesce as a distinct fi eld of professional activity. There are a number
of certifi cation initiatives underway that will help solidify KM ’ s position as a bona fi de
fi eld of professional practice (e.g., the KMCI Certifi cate in Knowledge and Information
Management, www.kmci.org). At the same time, university programs in KM are pro-
liferating, and new classes of KM graduates are entering the KM job market. In parallel
with the emergence and coalescence of KM as both an academic discipline and a
professional fi eld of practice is a growing awareness of the need to incorporate ethics
into the job description of each KM team member.
The Knowledge Management Resource Center (http://www.kmresource.com/
exp_university.htm) lists a large number of universities that offer knowledge manage-
ment courses and programs. In general, KM is found in the management, education,