Assessing the influence of knowledge management practices on organizational performance

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to identify the contribution of knowledge management (KM) enablers for the organizational performance. It is difficult to measure the KM enablers, but there is sufficient reason for the contribution to employee empowerment, and indirect effects to employee commitment and organizational performance can be accessed.Design/methodology/approachThis paper has addressed the following questions: What are the key attributes for the contribution of organizational performance? What is the role of KM enablers to the organizational performance? A systematic literature review was used to identify the KM enablers that drive organizational performance. The knowledge officers and software developers were invited to participate and respond to a survey based questionnaire to establish the important attributes of KM effectiveness. Interpretive-structural modelling was used to develop and determine the relationship between the identified enablers.FindingsOrganizational learning, clients’ review and organizational culture are the important variables for the implementation of KM practices. Moreover, both knowledge sharing and knowledge integration are responsible for employee empowerment and indirectly they accelerate the essence of employee commitment and organizational performance. Clients’ review plays a vital role in identifying the quality issues of the product and services.Research limitations/implicationsThe research findings and conclusions must be seen in the context of profiles of the respondents and the organization they belongs to. The respondents are limited to HR professionals of IT firms and software developers.Practical implicationsKM enablers can lead to minimization of clients complain and make them satisfied for using the product. KM effort can also redirect toward the innovation for the improvement of product design and quality.Originality/valueThe study used interpretive-structural modelling for identifying the enablers and making a proper plan for the systematic knowledge acquisition process. The study is useful for KM professionals in developing and implementing KM systems and processes in the field of their respective domains to improve organizational performance.