Knowledge management mechanisms and common knowledge impacts on the value of knowledge at individual and organizational levels

Abstract

Knowledge management (KM) impacts have typically been examined on the value of knowledge to organizations but not individuals. This paper uses survey data (186 employees) and qualitative data (300 + employees) at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to examine the effects of four KM mechanisms (social learning, learning from others through IT, learning from IT, and IT-based knowledge substitution) and common knowledge on the individual and organizational value of knowledge. The results indicate that common knowledge and the two interpersonal mechanisms (social learning, learning from others through IT) enhance the perceived value of knowledge at both levels, but both mechanisms that rely on IT for the knowledge (learning from IT, IT-based knowledge substitution) reduce the perceived knowledge value at one level and have no significant effect at the other level. Further, common knowledge strengthens the positive effects of both interpersonal mechanisms, and weakens the negative effects of IT-based knowledge substitution, on perceived value of knowledge at both levels.