Organizational Culture Types and their Relationship with Knowledge Flow and Knowledge Management Success: An Empirical Study in the U.S. Government and Nonprofit Sectors

Abstract

The adoption of Knowledge Management programs and systems in the U.S. government and nonprofit sectors is rapidly growing. However, for them to truly be successful, involves more than just implementing a new technology that can be acquire in a box; it requires understanding and integrating the human aspect of it as well as the culture in which they operate. This paper characterizes and evaluates the enterprise culture composition using four organizational culture types (Clan, Adhocracy, Market, and Hierarchy), the existing strategic approach for knowledge flow, and the success of knowledge management systems. A total of 341 responses were collected using a questionnaire. Executives, knowledge managers, and many others can benefit by gaining better understanding and insight in these areas, integrating the human aspect of it to leverage the enterprise intellectual assets in the most efficient and effective way.