Book excerpt: Knowledge is increasingly regarded as central, both to the successful functioning of organizations and to their strategic direction. Managing Information and Knowledge in Organizations explores the nature and place of knowledge in contemporary organizations, paying particular attention to the management of information and data and to the crucial enabling role played by information and communication technology. Alistair Mutch draws on a wide range of literature spanning the disciplines of business, management, information management, and information systems. This material is located in a framework based on critical realism but covering the full range of contemporary debates. Managing Information and Knowledge in Organizations distinguishes itself by: taking a process-based approach centered around the notion of information literacy giving more attention to issues of data and information than other texts emphasizing the importance of technology while continuing to stress the centrality of social and organizational factors placing issues of organizational and national culture in a broader politico-economic context. Featuring such useful features as chapter objectives, mini-cases, chapter summaries, and suggestions for further reading, this text is ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in knowledge management, information management, and management of information systems courses and modules.