Management Processes: A Case Study of NTPC and POWERGRID

Abstract

The case study discusses knowledge management processes in the context of the electricity industry in India. Knowledge management processes of two leading electricity firms in India—NTPC and POWERGRID have been studied in detail. The development of the case revolves around the following questions: What are the knowledge management processes in these two firms? How are these processes supported in the organizational context? What more needs be done to develop these processes further? Looking from the resource based view of the firm, knowledge is one of the important components and its effective management can provide the firm with sustainable competitive advantage. As an extension, a considerable number of papers mention the knowledge-based view of the firm. The case posits that though there are six perspectives for studying knowledge management in firms, the present research only looks at developing the cases from the viewpoint of knowledge management processes only. The case studies explore knowledge management processes in these two firms through eight different lenses, that is, knowledge creation, knowledge acquisition, knowledge collation, knowledge storage and use, knowledge dissemination, knowledge sharing, knowledge reuse and synthesis along with knowledge capitalization. The case provides a detailed description of these eight different components based on a study of literature. The literature survey also highlights widely held views about enablers and barriers to knowledge sharing. The literature review concludes with a section on the need for knowledge audit and aligning knowledge management strategy and business strategy of firms. Traditionally the process oriented perspective explores the continuum from knowledge creation to sharing as an interlinked process involving people and technology and includes explicit as well as tacit knowledge. Prahlad and Hamel and others also subscribe to this view (Prahalad and Hamel, 1990). Both the case studies begin with a brief organizational profile, operational performance and challenges which provides the reader an insight into the contextual setting of the case studies. Yin and others also concur on developing the contextual setting of the case as the boundaries between the phenomenon being studied and the context may not be clearly evident (Yin, 2013). The objectives of the case studies are to outline the process of knowledge management as well as to understand the enabling role played by knowledge management infrastructure and tools from an organizational context. The study relies on published knowledge management taxonomy and uses an established assessment instrument. The studies are based on primary data collected through observation methods and interviews and secondary data from published sources. The knowledge creation process takes place with the tacit knowledge of employees getting translated into explicit knowledge though postings in the knowledge management portals—LAKSHYA in NTPC and Knowledge Bank in POWERGRID. The case leaves broad indications for completing Nonaka’s