Keynote – Moving toward responsible knowledge management
KM Triversary Forum keynote presentation article by Professor Susanne Durst
This article is part of a special series of summaries of keynotes and presentations from the KM Triversary Forum 2025.
The initial situation
Our world has become very fragile, and societies, organizations and individuals face a multitude of challenges with varying consequences. These include skills shortages and succession planning but also advancing digitalization, climate change, migration, and increasing political (geographic) risks.
What could we do to tackle the diverse and interconnected challenges?
→ My suggestion: Moving toward responsible knowledge management
By responsible knowledge management (rKM) I mean knowledge management that focuses on rKM practices such as the creation, transfer, preservation and application of knowledge for the benefit of all, i.e., it advocates for measures that benefit society as a whole or contribute to a better society. rKM is people-centered, inclusive, and collaborative, and invites everyone to actively participate and take responsibility. It is based on collaborative partnership and recognizes the value and importance of risk management and risk management competence.
rKM values and promotes the skills and competencies of all people, regardless of their role, function, education, age, ethnicity, etc. It strategically utilizes the increasingly available digital tools and technologies for the benefit of all. This means that it not only recognizes but also emphasizes the importance of developing AI literacy for everyone.
Crucially, from the perspective of rKM, knowledge is considered neutral and can be positive, negative, or both, depending on the situation. To use the language of the insurance industry, this means that knowledge can represent a positive and/or negative risk, depending on the circumstances.
In conclusion
Let’s create a collaborative, rKM-based society!
Biography:
Dr. Susanne Durst is a Professor at the Institute for Knowledge and Innovation, South-East Asia (IKI-SEA) at Bangkok University (Thailand) and an Adjunct Professor at Tallinn University of Technology (Estonia). Her research interests include responsible knowledge (risk) management, responsible digital transformation, and sustainable business development in the context of small entrepreneurial organizations. Her work has been published widely in international peer-reviewed journals and recognised through various awards. She is the Editor-in-Chief of The Bottom Line and an Editor of Knowledge Management Research and Practice.
References and further reading:
Durst, S., & Khadir, Y. (2025). Towards Responsible Knowledge Management. In: Knowledge Management at the Crossroads. Synthesis Lectures on Technology Management & Entrepreneurship (pp. 79-88). Springer.
Durst, S., & Foli, S. (2025). Responsible and Inclusive Knowledge Management Made Concrete. In Handbook of Inclusive Knowledge Management (pp. 1-12). Auerbach Publications.
Durst, S. (2024). A plea for responsible and inclusive knowledge management at the world level. VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems 54(1), pp. 211–219. https://www.emerald.com/vjikms/article-pdf/54/1/211/9592179/vjikms-09-2021-0204.pdf.
Presentation resources: PowerPoint slides.
See also: Developing the core principles of responsible knowledge management (rKM) article series.
Header image source: Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash.
Artificial intelligence (AI) statement: AI was not used in preparing this article.
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