Knowledge is widely recognized as a core strategic resource in today’s knowledge-driven economy. Consequently, Knowledge Management (KM) processes have become central to organizational strategies (Yee et al., 2019; Krause et al., 2019). The spread of new technologies is driving structural changes and innovative dynamics in the business landscape. Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) redefine traditional structures using blockchain technology (Wright, 2021). This decentralized structure provides an open, transparent and democratic platform, allowing organizations to harness collective intelligence (Kahan and Rock, 2008; Gola et al., 2023) and improve knowledge management, which all participants can access, contribute to and share information in real time. (Bhatt, 2001; Liu et al., 2022; Phillips, 2024).
While literature covers the importance of knowledge management in organizations (Jelenic, 2011; Hebibi et al., 2019; Koivisto and Taipalus, 2023) as well as DAOs and their decentralized governance structures (Piselli, 2019; Santana and Albareda, 2022; Guillaume et al., 2022), there is a gap in addressing how these two domains intersect. Currently, how a decentralized structure impacts knowledge management remains largely unexplored. This work will bridge the gap between KM practices and DAOs, highlighting this delicate balance between opportunities and challenges.
Through qualitative analysis supported by a comprehensive review of international literature and legal references, this article investigates the impact of decentralization via smart contracts and the transparency enabled by blockchain technology. On one hand, DAOs provide an environment conducive to the democratic sharing of knowledge, encourage direct participation, and reduce information asymmetries. On the other hand, the fragmentation of knowledge, loss of tacit knowledge, and absence of a clear regulatory framework present significant challenges to the sustainability of KM processes.