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As the web evolves its purpose and nature of its use are changing. The purpose of the paper is to investigate whether the web can provide for the competing stakeholders, who are similarly evolving and who increasingly see it as a significant part of their business.

The paper adopts an exploratory and reviewing approach to the emerging trends and patterns emanating from the web's changing use and explores the underpinning technologies and tools that facilitate this use and access. It examines the future and potential of web‐based knowledge management (KM) and reviews the emerging web trends, tools, and enabling technologies that will provide the infrastructure of the next generation web.

The research carried out provides an independent framework for the capturing, accessing and distributing of web knowledge. This framework retains the semantic mark‐up, a feature that we deem indispensable for the future of KM, employing web ontologies to structure organisational knowledge and semantic text processing for the extraction of knowledge from web sites.

As a result it was possible to identify the implications of integrating the two aspects of web‐based KM, namely the business‐organisational‐users' perspective and that of the enabling web technologies.

The proposed framework accommodates the collaborative tools and services offered by Web 2.0, acknowledging the fact that knowledge‐based systems are shared, dynamic, evolving resources, whose underlying knowledge model requires careful management due to its constant changing.

Implementing knowledge management (KM) initiatives in small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) is crucial, as knowledge is their single key resource. Despite evidence that it improves performance and competitive advantage, KM practices in SMEs have been problematic due to resource constraints, while existing solutions and practices fail to meet the changing requirements of growing companies. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the evolution of the KM system of an independent SME, whose growth changed their operations’ systems and KM requirements. The necessary changes were promptly acknowledged and managed as a priority by revisiting their system and adapting it to their new needs. This KM practice and the consequent feedback loop have been identified as an essential tool for growth and change.

In order to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the key issues involved in KM adoption in SMEs, the paper took an exploratory approach, applying a combination of action research methods with emphasis on participatory observation and process consultation that drew upon interviews, document analysis and observations.

The result of the study is a framework evaluation of KM for SMEs which addresses the process of organisational change, ensures the availability of knowledge assets and safeguards the company's key strategic objectives.

Previous studies in the area follow a linear process and do not re-visit the existing solution regularly to evaluate, learn and adapt. The proposed framework differs in that it employs a feedback loop and provides the means for analysis to evaluate success and activate the process of learning.

Research into professional services firms that have successfully implemented and adopted Web 2.0 tools are still rare, with no widely known accepted methodologies or frameworks. The purpose of this case study is to investigate a medium-sized law firm that embarked on a KM programme that makes explicit use of emergent enterprise-based Web 2.0 tools.

The overlying research methodology applied is action research, in particular participatory action research (PAR). The study draws on interviews with practitioners, consultants and knowledge workers and takes into consideration multiple stakeholder views and value conflicts. The project is part of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership between RPC LLP and Westminster Business School.

Implementation of Web 2.0 tools in professional services requires the blending of a number of approaches to address the intrinsic tension between the open, participative behaviour and iterative development methodologies encouraged by social tools, and more traditional management styles and methods of developing IT solutions.

This article presents a single case study based on a law firm that, at the start of the research, was operating from a single location in London and at the time of writing has expanded to multiple locations, including overseas. There may be a limitation to implementing lessons learned and methodologies to larger organisations and organisations outside the legal sector.

While many organisations are still attempting to understand how they can practically implement Web 2.0 tools, this case study presents findings from a law firm that has had an internal Web 2.0-based knowledge solution in place for over two years. The research also makes use of a KM maturity model in order to assess the impact of the Web 2.0 implementation.

If collaboration and knowledge sharing lie at the core of providing added‐value to either services or products can we improve this process? The purpose of this paper is to suggest that it can be improved and this lies in how we develop the systems that support collaboration and knowledge sharing. This can be achieved within the development process, focusing on the knowledge sharers and developing from within.

The underpinning has been the examination of traditional system development methodologies, the emergence of social computing and its underlying approaches and ethos. The approach draws upon knowledge management concepts, overlaid onto the purpose and motivation for knowledge sharing.

The paper continues the premise that better systems are derived from fully engaging with the systems users. Although existing methodologies have this at their heart, the systems produced still fall short. The argument presents how developing systems from within can improve the likelihood of success through the adoption of social computing practices. It shows that the involvement of those expected to collaborate or share through the proposed system in the development process, enhances the collaborative relationships and increases the probability of sharing through engagement and empowerment.

This paper frames how a known problem in systems development and the greater sensitivity of knowledge management systems may be overcome. It highlights how the collaborative and inclusive nature of social computing practice can serve to bridge the sociotechnical divide through the reduction of barriers and providing alternative bridges.

The purpose of this paper is to follow the planning and development of MapaWiki, a Knowledge Management System for Mapa, an independent research company that specialises in competitor benchmarking. Starting with the standard requirements to capture, store and share information and knowledge, a system was sought that would allow growth and expansion whilst supporting the quick and easy recording and maintenance of interactions between employees.

Trying to identify the optimum KM solution, the social and technical systems within the organisation cooperated in the investigation of different approaches and in the system's design and development. From the case study perspective the Yin (1994) approach was adopted as a framing and guiding schema. This was further shaped through the action research aspect, involving problem‐solving and generating new knowledge and awareness. The solution selection methodology followed was based on the framework proposed by Despres and Chauvel (1999).

The application of MapaWiki as a KM system has been very successful. It has already become the central tool for collaboration within the company as well as the central knowledge repository where users add comments and suggestions to articles related to product development, meetings minutes, conference notes etc.

This case study has highlighted the underlying power of the wiki concept and has shown how it can be extended substantially from its original use, typically a notice board or brainstorming tool. Our example demonstrates an interactive collaborative environment that allows for the capture, storage, and sharing of information, knowledge and knowledge sharing practice, that has improved efficiency and the adoption of good practices.

Follows the planning and development of MapaWiki, an knowledge‐management system for Mapa, a research company specializing in benchmarking.

Reveals that MapaWiki has allowed both the storage of key knowledge and the interactions between employees to be recorded and maintained quickly and easily.

Argues that the wiki has become a central tool for collaboration and the starting point for new activities. Users review existing content and, in addition to submitting new material, add comments and suggestions to the current subject matter.

Shows that users are beginning to add and link articles without having to be reminded, and that this knowledge can increasingly be tacit rather than explicit.

Highlights that the new system has not stopped the knowledge‐sharing that happened verbally between employees, nor hindered day‐to‐day business tasks.

This special issue aims to increase the awareness of the organisational factors that enterprises must reflect on and address when introducing Web 2.0 technologies into their organisations. In contrast to empirical studies that review the impact of Web 2.0 technologies in organisations in terms of how they might support knowledge sharing or communities of practice, this special issue intends to identify the salient criteria that management practitioners must address to assist in the implementation of Web 2.0 technologies in the work place.

This special issue aims to increase the awareness of the organisational factors that enterprises must reflect on and address when introducing Web 2.0 technologies into their organisations. In contrast to empirical studies that review the impact of Web 2.0 technologies in organisations in terms of how they might support knowledge sharing or communities of practice, this special issue intends to identify the salient criteria that management practitioners must address to assist in the implementation of Web 2.0 technologies in the work place.

One of the principal findings that have emerged from this special issue is that it indicates the importance of reviewing social and cultural factors in organisations when introducing Web 2.0 technologies in the work place. In addition to assessing technical issues that might impact on the implementation of Web 2.0 technologies in organisations this special issue also explores subject matters such as the dilemma of whether a top-down or a bottom-up approach is more effective towards engaging staff in the adoption of Web 2.0 tools at work.

The research presented in this special issue provides an important academic contribution towards an area that is, at present, under researched namely, whether there is a structured approach that can be universally applied by organisations when internally implementing Web 2.0 technologies into their work place.