An Approach to KM Implementation in Indian Manufacturing and Service Sector Organizations: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

There is a growing concern among researchers, decision makers and management practitioners about the right approach to implement Knowledge Management (KM). Although it is difficult to classify an approach as most appropriate, adopting one makes implementation easier. Therefore, to get an understanding of approaches being used by manufacturing and services organizations, a literature survey along with a focus group discussion (FGD) and 10 unstructured personal interviews was conducted. Convenience sampling was used to select the respondents. The present study’s contribution is two-fold. First, it attempts to get a comparative picture of the KM approaches adopted by manufacturing and services organizations, and second, it provides a framework for KM implementation. The results show that KM is more mature in service organizations and there are differences on various KM dimensions which need to be validated through a conclusive study. With knowledge emerging as a key differentiator, the findings hold great relevance for Indian manufacturing and service organizations to help them facilitate their KM journey.