Knowledge Audit in HEIs: A Framework for its Strategic Management

Abstract

In the Knowledge Era, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are recognized as knowledge-intensive organizations whose sustainability and capacity for transformation depend largely on how they manage not only academic and scientific knowledge but also the organizational knowledge that emerges from their internal practices. However, most HEIs focus their efforts on knowledge derived from teaching and research functions, leaving aside the strategic management of the knowledge produced, stored, and applied in administrative, operational, and relational domains. This disconnection limits the potential of organizational knowledge as a source of differentiation, innovation, and dynamic capabilities. This article proposes a systemic approach to knowledge audits in HEIs, aimed at closing the gap between academic and organizational knowledge. The study follows a qualitative and propositional methodology structured in three phases: a critical literature review, an empirical analysis of eight cases from knowledge-intensive organizations, and the design of a strategic management framework for systemic knowledge audits. The framework includes seven interconnected components: (1) characterization of knowledge in relation to institutional strategy; (2) multi-level inventory of core, tactical, operational, and relational knowledge; (3) diagnosis of risks such as leakage, obsolescence, and knowledge gaps; (4) development of knowledge and risk maps; (5) governance structures for knowledge management; (6) design of intervention routes; and (7) monitoring, evaluation, and continuous improvement. From a systemic and sociomaterial perspective, organizational knowledge is understood as an emergent, distributed, and dynamic configuration shaped by practices, technologies, and structures (Schatzki, 2016; Tsoukas, 2000). Accordingly, knowledge audits are conceived not only as diagnostic tools but also as organizational interventions (Czarniawska, 2003) that enable institutions to make sense of their own knowledge, identify critical areas, and design transformation strategies. The findings contribute to the construction of an integrated model that positions organizational knowledge as a key driver of sustainability, innovation, and strategic alignment in HEIs (Nonaka, Toyama and Hirata, 2018) (Probst, Raub and Romhardt, 2001) (Teece, 2007).