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Small companies face an increasingly turbulent business environment. They are traditionally ‘power’ cultures, with informal, chaotic, communication flows. This has enabled them to maintain flexibility. However, informal information is no longer enough in the face of complexity. These companies need to concentrate onformal information for traceability. Effective management of both formal and informal information enables these small companies to adapt to change. This paper explores information in a small company, using an in-depth case study. The work is of particular interest and value to the knowledge-intensive small company, one of the emerging types of company in Europe.

This paper describes some basic concepts of knowledge management, and explains, using these definitions, why universities are not always seats of learning or knowledge sharing. A knowledge management programme, initiated by a leading British university, is described. The authors conclude by suggesting that knowledge management tools may be beneficial to supporting academics in their multi‐faceted work. However, time will tell as to the extent to which they can actually share tacit knowledge and enable real organisational learning across cultures in universities.

This paper covers a recent pilot study undertaken in a small manufacturing company. The purpose was to identify the information resources which the company required to be Customer-Focused, and to test whether the methodology used is appropriate. The reasons why Customer-Focus in small companies is considered a relevant area and why the particular methodology was selected are explained, and the results and further discussion are presented.