Why KM projects fail: a multi‐case analysis

Abstract

PurposeThis paper attempts to understand the reasons for knowledge management (KM) project failure.Design/methodology/approachFive well‐documented cases of KM project failure in the current literature are reviewed. For each case, the authors examine the circumstantial elements of the failure, including the rationale and intended objectives of the KM project, the outcomes of the project and the reasons that led to project failure.FindingsFrom the review, two observations are made. First, KM failure factors fall into four distinct categories, namely, technology, culture, content, and project management. Second, KM projects can be traced along a three‐stage lifecycle, comprising initiation, implementation, and integration.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings are discussed and finally synthesized into a model of KM project failure. The model serves as a starting‐point for future research in KM project implementation.Practical implicationsPractitioners may use the model as a risk identification tool for KM project implementation.Originality/valueThis paper highlights the fact that KM project failure is a reality with which both practitioners and researchers have to reckon. Additionally, it leverages on the experiences of five KM failure cases and develops a model that allows KM failure factors to be pre‐empted.