Over the last couple of years, knowledge management (KM) has become one of the most popular and important topics in academic research and management practice. However, there is a danger that the hype surrounding KM may kill off the field as a fad. This is because KM is relatively immature, prone to misconceptions and misappropriations, and there are many unresolved issues that need to be addressed before KM evolves into a mature discipline. This talk aims to address some of the above concerns by contributing to the following three key issues: (i) the integrated approach to KM; (ii) the rigour of research in KM; and (iii) the bridge between the theory and practice of KM. We tackle the challenging cross-disciplinary KM issues and assumptions by seeking the common ground between various individual approaches, by including both theoretical and practical aspects, by mixing of the hard (technological) with soft (social) issues, and by bringing together western and eastern views of the field. Then, by drawing on our own accumulated empirical research and experience in KM, we provide much needed “objective” evidence regarding the real potential of diverse social and technical systems in managing knowledge. Through a substantial collection of rigorous studies in the contexts of knowledge creation, transfer and application we are able to reliably establish what works, and what doesn’t, and under what circumstances. Furthermore, by covering a variety of research themes from both theoretical and practical aspects of KM, we close (to a certain extent) the existing theory-practice gap and thus contribute to achieving an enhanced understanding of the phenomenon. Finally, we discuss practical implications of the lessons learnt so far, and identify areas for further research.