Historical and contemporary conceptions of knowledge management as an element of the capital

The objective of the paper is to indicate the stages of the conceptions development of knowledge management. Initially, classifying knowledge as capital was not clear, due to a turbulent process of conceptualisation of the very notion of capital and its form. The discussions on the grounds of theory and practice have led to a broad theory of capital management, also concerning knowledge management. The paper is of theoretical and cognitive character. It bases on analysis, comparison, generalisation and assessment of the management conceptions related to a special type of capital, that is knowledge. The originality of the research described consists in a compact presentation of the conceptions’ evolution of knowledge management in the view of the development of capital theory. The conclusions resulting from the research process conducted are of universal character. They may contribute to further in-depth research on theory, forecasting further development of capital theory towards knowledge management.