Personal knowledge management through communicating

Purpose ‐ The purpose of the paper is to emphasise the importance of a complex view of communication for the development of personal knowledge management (PKM) and for the technology that supports PKM. Design/methodology/approach ‐ This conceptual paper uses complex responsive process theory (CRP) to understand the communication and knowing processes that underpin PKM. Findings ‐ PKM could potentially avoid some of the problems of knowledge management by being open to interdisciplinarity. This paper introduces a theory that sees communication as a complex, adaptive process of relating. Applying CRP to PKM, this paper suggests how web and internet technology might support individuals in managing their knowing and communicating processes, as well as their accumulation of knowledge and information. Practical implications ‐ Understanding knowing and communicating as a complex process of relating offers a fresh perspective on the way that organisations might support PKM. Originality/value ‐ This paper offers a new way of thinking about PKM by introducing CRP's view of communication and how it relates to knowledge. In doing so it provides information scholars with ideas outside of their typical paradigm that invite a reconsideration of the role of technology in PKM.