Transforming a semiconductor company into a learning organisation: a bottom-up approach of knowledge management implementation

Abstract

With the advocacy of scholars and practitioners, Knowledge Management (KM), an integration of information technology, learning theories and organisational change management, has become one of the most important organisational innovations for sustaining competitive advantage. Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE), one of the world's largest semiconductor packaging and testing companies, started to implement KM from the Yield Report Centre run by the firm's Engineering department in 2000. A bottom-up process of implementation has made KM gradually be recognised as beneficial, integrated into ongoing routines, and promoted to employees organisation-wide since then. By adopting Rogers' viewpoints, KM in ASE has reached the stage where the individual reinforces his or her decision to adopt the new forms of behaviour. This study aims to introduce a bottom-up approach to KM implementation and to examine the degree of learning at different levels of the organisation by means of the five-learning cycles proposed by Sanchez.