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Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to present a study of knowledge management understanding and usage in small and medium knowledge-intensive enterprises. Design/methodology/approach -The study has taken an interpretitivist approach, using two knowledge-intensive South Yorkshire (England) companies as case studies, both of which are characterised by the need to process and use knowledge on a daily basis in order to remain competitive. The case studies were analysed using qualitative research methodology, composed of interviews and concept mapping, thus deriving a characterisation of understandings, perceptions and requirements of SMEs in relation to knowledge management. Findings -The study provides evidence that, while SMEs, including knowledge intensive ones, acknowledge that adequately capturing, storing, sharing and disseminating knowledge can lead to greater innovation and productivity, their managers are not prepared to invest the relatively high effort on long term knowledge management goals for which they have difficulty in establishing the added value. Thus, knowledge management activities within SMEs tend to happen in an informal way, rarely supported by purposely designed ICT systems. Research limitations/implications -This paper proposes that further studies in this field are required that focus on organisational and practical issues in order to close the gap between theoretical propositions and the reality of practice. Practical implications -The study suggests that in order to implement an appropriate knowledge management strategy in SMEs cultural, behavioural, and organisational issues need to be tackled before even considering technical issues. Originality/value -KM seems to have been successfully applied in large companies, but it is largely disregarded by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). This has been attributed primarily to a lack of a formal approach to the sharing, recording, transferring, auditing and exploiting of organisational knowledge, together with a lack of utilisation of available information technologies. This paper debates these concepts from a research findings point of view.

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Purpose This paper aims to investigate children interaction in cyberspace and their use of Web 2.0 technologies. It sought their perception of internet risks as well as their knowledge and experience with electronic safety (e-safety) measures. It also considered parents’, teachers’ and other stakeholders’ perception of internet risks, e-safety procedures and children’s practices while online. Design/methodology/approach The research adopted a mixed method approach which involved the use of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The results were presented and analysed using descriptive statistics, while the interviews utilised coding and data structuring. Findings This research highlighted that e-safety policies and procedures have not kept up to date with technological advances. Children were also developing an online presence, and because it was considered normative behaviour, they were not always cautious. Consequently, society was reactive when dealing with the internet risk issues. Hence, more resources were needed to educate parents and children on safe practices on the internet. Research limitations/implications This is an exploratory study and further research should be conducted for broader generalisations. Practical implications The paper makes a number of practical recommendations for education providers and parents to raise awareness of internet risks and e-safety initiatives. Originality/value This paper further extends the body of theory on e-safety and provides new insights into the risks exposure of children on the internet. It also highlights the limitations of e-safety initiatives.