The 2000 Conference Board Conference

Volume 17, Number 6 • June 2000

The 2000 Conference Board Conference — The definition and uses of knowledge management are broadening
by Michael Koenig

Discusses the recent meeting of the Conference Board, held in San Francisco on March 6-7, 2000. Says that the meeting, titled "The 2000 Knowledge Management and Organizational Learning Conference," illustrated the trend toward more emphasis on the human-factors component of knowledge management (KM). Adds that another trend was that KM's industry base appears to be broadening, as there was less attendance by representatives from areas such as accounting and consulting firms and more from sectors that not long ago were referred to as "rust belt" industries. Adds that the focus of KM is no longer on how to protect an organization if the employees are lured away, it is now on using KM to retain and motivate the best employees. Notes that an obvious corollary is that KM can be used as a tool to recruit the best employees.