Effective societal knowledge management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to suggest principles and framework for comprehensive societal knowledge management (SKM) for countries to provide acceptable conditions for their citizens and businesses and to participate equitable in the globalized knowledge economy. Design/methodology/approach – Foundations for SKM principles and framework are based on requirements and practical experiences reported in literature and expanded by the author’s work and concepts. Findings – Comprehensive SKM is not commonly pursued in spite of its importance for national survival. Many countries need SKM guidelines and concepts and will benefit by development of an acceptable and well-substantiated framework. Research limitations/implications – Extensive research should be pursued in scientific, economic, social, and educational fields to identify good SKM options. Understanding must be developed of how best to undertake SKM. Practical implications – Implications are that comprehensive SKM by nations promises to improve quality-of-life worldwide. Originality/value – Notwithstanding the need for a comprehensive SKM framework, little work has been available until now.