Success Of Knowledge Management Initiatives Research Articles

Why Should I Share: A Study of Knowledge Sharing in the Indian Context

The possession of valuable knowledge provides companies with sustained competitive advantage over competitors. The success of knowledge management initiatives by organizations hinges on the knowledge sharing behavior of its people. Using the framework of social exchange theory, we examined the effects of organizational rewards and perceived benefits to the team on employees’ knowledge sharing with their team members. The research model was validated through an online survey of 198 respondents working with high-technology firms in India. Consistent with expectations, both organizational rewards and perceived benefits to the team significantly impacted people’s knowledge sharing.

Knowledge management for logistics service providers: the role of learning culture

Purpose– Knowledge management capabilities have proven to be key success factors for organizations within our increasingly information-based economy. Although knowledge management literature has a rich history, less is known about how an organization’s learning culture affects outcomes realized via knowledge management initiatives. Moreover, there is a dearth of understanding regarding how to successfully operationalize knowledge management activities in order to achieve performance in the dynamic logistics and supply chain management environment. Rooted in competence-based theory, the purpose of this paper is to examine the role that learning culture plays with regard to knowledge management capabilities, human capital, and organizational performance at logistics service providers.Design/methodology/approach– This study uses survey data from 448 managers and covariance based structural equation modeling to assess how knowledge management, learning culture, and human capital influence organizational performance.Findings– The results of this study indicate that knowledge management has a significant positive relationship with learning culture and human capital. There was also an indirect effect of knowledge management through learning culture on human capital and organizational performance. Interestingly, human capital did not have a significant relationship with organizational performance as hypothesized.Practical implications– The results support the vital role that leaders and managers have in creating a culture that is conducive to the success of knowledge management initiatives.Originality/value– This study goes beyond the simple direct relationship between knowledge management and personal and organizational outcomes that is usually examined by testing learning culture as an important mediator.

FACTORS INFLUENCING KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS A SURVEY OF SACCOS IN MERU COUNTY, KENYA

In the fast changing business environment, knowledge has become the mainstay of every organization in creating and sustaining competitive differentiation. This study investigates factors influencing knowledge management practices in financial institutions in Meru County. Business enterprises operate in environments characterized by increased need for knowledge to create and sustain competitive advantages. Organizations therefore, need to be cognizant of the factors that influence the success of knowledge management initiatives. There is increasing need for knowledge management as a strategy for creating and sustaining competitiveness. In order for financial institutions such as Sacco’s to succeed in highly dynamic business environment, it is critical that they embrace knowledge management practices in their operations. This study used a descriptive survey design. The target population was 44 human resource managers of the 44 SACCOs in Meru County which have been in existence for over two years in the year 2014. The study used census study methodology. The study used both primary and secondary data. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data. Logistic regression was used to link the relationship between independent variables and dependent variable and to test the hypothesis.Descriptive data was presented in form of frequency tables, pie charts and percentages. The study concluded that knowledge management practices were significantly associated with successful performance. These findings provide some meaningful implications for practitioners and researchers that are interesting in knowledge management system design. The researcher recommends that: Management should understand the importance of knowledge management as a strategic asset which gives organizations sustainable competitive advantage.

Knowledge Management in a Global Context

This paper establishes a formal framework of managing knowledge assets in global enterprises. The suggested framework holistically integrates the following eight components: global information infrastructure, IT capabilities, global outsourcing, global information system design, development, and implementation, trans-border data flow, IT cultures, global virtual teams, and information resource management strategies, which serve as the crucial enablers of the success of knowledge management initiatives in a global context. Validated by a case study, the proposed framework provides meaningful insights for future research and valuable guidance for practicing managers of global knowledge management.

Measuring employee readiness for knowledge management using intention to be involved with KM SECI processes

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the concept of knowledge management (KM) readiness using intention to be involved in the KM processes concept. These processes comprised of socialisation, externalisation, combination, and internalisation (SECI processes). The research also attempts to measure and validate the concept using data collected from the Sri Lankan telecommunication industry.Design/methodology/approachBased on the established KM SECI process measures adopted and adapted, instruments were administered using a survey research methodology approach on 313 executives working in the selected organizations in the Sri Lankan telecommunication industry. A confirmatory factor analysis technique was performed to verify and validate the measurement model of the intention to be involved in KM processes model. Based on the revised measurement model, the level of intention to be involved in the KM SECI processes within the industry was then reported.FindingsThe research finding provides the revised measurement model for employees' intention to be involved in KM SECI processes. All four variables of the intention to be involved in KM SECI processes emerged as significant and reliable measures for KM readiness. The finding also indicates the positive level of intention among the employees in the Sri Lankan telecommunication industry to be involved in KM processes.Originality/valueThe research provides a unique perspective of KM readiness, which is not much covered in the KM literature. The measurement produced can be used as a research tool for more exploratory and explanatory research in KM and, as an evaluative tool for employee readiness in ensuring the success of KM initiatives in organizations. The confirmed and validated set of measurement items can be used to measure the extent to which employees are ready to be involved with KM processes. Through the validated tool, more research can be conducted to explore the antecedents of such readiness perception.

Knowledge Management Enabler Factors and Firm Performance: An Empirical Research of the Greek Medium and Large Firms

1. Introduction Rapid and constant advances in information technology have pushed the world in a new economical era. Knowledge management (KM) has been a natural evolution over the first years of the twenty-first century, and a hot topic in several business communities. The ability to manage knowledge is becoming increasingly more crucial in today's knowledge economy. The task of effective and competitive management of organizations becomes necessary, and knowledge management, if understood and applied properly, may be a useful tool for business transformation as well as the key of competitive advantage (Jennex, 2007). Knowledge management enables an organization to gain insight and understanding from its own experience and procedures. One of the key concerns that have emerged related to knowledge management is how to accomplish it successfully. Thus, it is considered crucial to identify the factors that influence the success of knowledge management initiatives. Knowledge management enablers are the mechanism for the organization to develop its knowledge and also stimulate the creation of knowledge within the organization as well as the sharing and protection of it. They are also the necessary building blocks in the improvement of the effectiveness of activities for knowledge management (Ichijo et al., 1998; Stonehouse and Pemberton, 1999). Enabler factors should be clear in an organization, because not only they create knowledge but they also prompt people to share their knowledge and experiences with others (Yeh, Lai, & Ho, 2006). The objective of this study is to empirically investigate and test the most critical factors that influence knowledge management' effectiveness within organizations, which in turn influence positively the total performance of the firm. This research presents the result of a survey which was conducted in 109 Greek companies. This research draws on existing studies, frameworks and models that have already identified the factors that potentially affect knowledge management's success. This paper is structured as follows: Section two refers to the literature and the empirical evidence concerning the various factors that affect the effectiveness of knowledge management process and lead to competitive advantage and thus to firm performance above the industry average. Section three presents the theoretical model and its hypotheses. Section four describes the research method adopted and the characteristics of the companies/respondents. Section five refers to the statistical analysis of the research results. Finally, section six includes the research conclusion and the implications that could be drawn from this research, as well as some proposed future research directions. 2. Literature review 2.1 What Knowledge Management is? Knowledge Management is an impressive, multidisciplinary, and controversial concept. Knowledge Management enables the existing individual knowledge to be captured and transformed into organizational knowledge, which in turn must be diffused and shared by many employees. These employees use this knowledge but they also create new individual, which becomes organizational, and so on. Knowledge Management is also the management of organization's knowledge that can improve many features of organizational performance so as to be more intelligent acting (Gupta, Iyer, & Aronson, 2000). Although knowledge management has been extensively studied by researchers and academics there is not exist a generally accepted definition of knowledge management concept. Defining knowledge management is not an easy issue because it is multi-faced and controversially concept and what's more is a mix of strategies, tools, and techniques. Different authors and researchers have presented different definitions of knowledge management. Wiig (1995) proposed that Knowledge Management is a group of clearly defined process or methods used to search important knowledge among different knowledge management operations. …

Knowledge management in secondary care: a case study

AbstractThe purpose of this research is to analyse the knowledge management activities of a university hospital and to examine what impact contextual factors have on these activities. For this research, a case study approach was chosen, encompassing 22 semi‐structured interviews with managers and front‐line staff from different organisational levels. The findings describe how at the top management level, knowledge management activities were neglected while at departmental level, such activities were purposefully undertaken. This suggests that knowledge management activities can be effectively implemented at departmental level without having the support and strategic objective of the top management of the hospital. The findings further show that factors, such as the effective utilisation of other intangible resources, such as social capital, highly contribute to the effectiveness of knowledge management activities. The paper shows some limitations due to the qualitative nature of the research with regard to sample size and the subjectivity of the interpretations. The paper proposes that knowledge management activities can be implemented in organisations, when having the right attitude of staff who support its implementation. The paper enhances the understanding of the meaning of knowledge management in the context of healthcare organisations. The paper further provides insights into contextual factors that influence the success of knowledge management initiatives. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The correlation between organizational culture and knowledge conversion on corporate performance

PurposeOrganizational culture can significantly promote or hinder the success of knowledge management initiatives. Therefore, this study seeks to develop and test empirically a conceptual framework to investigate the correlation between organizational culture and knowledge conversion on corporate performance.Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaire and statistical analytical techniques were applied to gain best exploration on organizational culture, knowledge conversion and corporate performance.FindingsThe results of the questionnaire analyses indicate that an adhocracy culture enables knowledge conversion and enhances corporate performance more than clan and hierarchy cultures.Research limitations/implicationsThe research investigates the correlation between organizational culture and knowledge conversion on corporate performance under a Chinese‐centric set of societal, cultural and linguistic attitudes and behaviors. However, different countries have different cultures. Future research could extend this study to other regions of the world with a different set of attitudes and behaviors.Practical implicationsIf the organization can nurture an adhocracy culture, it will be easy to create an environment where knowledge workers can learn, feel comfortable, and have the opportunity to be creative and innovative, improve corporate performance and increase the organization's value.Originality/valueA lot of evidence shows that successful knowledge management initiatives can increase business innovation capacity. However, there is still a lack of empirical evidence regarding organizational culture, knowledge conversion, and corporate performance. Thus, a statistical analytical model for assessing the correlation between organizational culture and knowledge conversion on corporate performance with three cultural aspects and four knowledge conversion activities was developed in the study.

The Role for Knowledge Management in Modern Healthcare Delivery

As medical science advances and the applications of information and communications technologies (ICTs) to healthcare operations diffuse more data, information begins to permeate healthcare databases and repositories. However, given the voluminous nature of these disparate data assets, it is no longer possible for healthcare providers to process these data without the aid of sophisticated tools and technologies. The goal of knowledge management is to provide the decision maker with appropriate tools, technologies, strategies and processes to turn data and information into valuable knowledge assets. This paper discusses the benefits of incorporating these tools and techniques to the healthcare arena in order to make healthcare delivery more effective and efficient. To ensure a successful knowledge management initiative in a healthcare setting, the paper proffers the knowledge management infrastructure (KMI) framework and intelligence continuum (IC) model. The benefits of these techniques lie not only in the ability of making explicit the elements of these knowledge assets, and in so doing enable their full potential to be realized, but also to provide a systematic and robust approach to structuring the conceptualization of knowledge assets.

Critical factors for knowledge management in project business

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify and examine various factors that influence the success or failure of knowledge management (KM) initiatives in project‐based companies.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a literature review, the study proposes a conceptual model of six factors of potential importance to the success of KM initiatives. The model is then examined through an online survey of project managers and assistant managers from project‐based businesses in Finland.FindingsThe study finds that a lack of incentives and the absence of an appropriate information system are the most significant barriers to successful KM initiatives in projects.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of the study may be restricted in terms of generalisability because of the limited empirical study.Practical implicationsProject managers should formulate an attractive incentive package to encourage project members to participate in KM initiatives and to suggest ideas for new KM opportunities. Managers should also ensure that an effective user‐friendly information system is in place before introducing KM initiatives.Originality/valueThe study proposes a new model of critical success factors for KM initiatives in the context of project‐based business.

Knowledge sharing: A review and directions for future research

The success of knowledge management initiatives depends on knowledge sharing. This paper reviews qualitative and quantitative studies of individual-level knowledge sharing. Based on the literature review we developed a framework for understanding knowledge sharing research. The framework identifies five areas of emphasis of knowledge sharing research: organizational context, interpersonal and team characteristics, cultural characteristics, individual characteristics, and motivational factors. For each emphasis area the paper discusses the theoretical frameworks used and summarizes the empirical research results. The paper concludes with a discussion of emerging issues, new research directions, and practical implications of knowledge sharing research.

The dark side of successful knowledge management initiatives

PurposeThis paper aims to cast the spotlight on a class of KM initiatives whose very success has ironically bred negative consequences not usually detected in the short‐term or on the surface.Design/methodology/approachGrounded theory approach was adopted in this paper since there is a lack of prior research in this area. Data was collected primarily through face‐to‐face interviews with personnel using purposive sampling. In addition to the interviews, archival data in the form of annual reports, web sites, in‐house publications and e‐mail correspondences were collected.FindingsA typological framework which identifies four archetypes of KM initiatives, their success and dark side is developed. In particular, the dark sides include competency trap hyperbolic discounting dogmatism and social alienation and opportunistic behaviors and ethically‐questionable practices.Research limitations/implicationsGiven the exploratory nature of this study and the limited cases involved, the findings may likely be influenced by the peculiarities of the case, including the nature of the organizations, the state of the KM initiatives and the sentiments of the stakeholders at the point of data collection.Practical implicationsThe message of this paper for practitioners is not to be easily contented with the early and outward form of success, but be cognizant and pre‐empt the dysfunctional outcomes as the KM initiative progresses.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the earliest efforts to examine the dark side of successful KM initiatives, a subtle KM implementation issue that receives little attention from practitioner and scholars alike.

The organizational knowledge iceberg: An empirical investigation

AbstractThis study explores the critical success factors of implementing and running a knowledge management program. In doing so, the paper proposes and tests a conceptual model of “knowledge iceberg” inside the organization using a case study methodology. In total 89 in‐depth semi‐structured interviews were conducted over a period of 1 year in the SoftNetCo company to study success factors in the implementation of knowledge initiatives. During the research period 11 knowledge management initiatives were launched in the company which provided an excellent platform to conduct this research. The findings of the study suggest the existence of a knowledge iceberg inside organizations. It is reported that six activities can cause the knowledge iceberg to rise which is critical for the success of knowledge management initiatives. It is further argued that a holistic approach is required to manage knowledge, people, and culture and that managers have to concentrate more on managing people than the knowledge itself. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Knowledge management as a mediator for the efficacy of transformational leadership and quality management initiatives in U.S. health care

The health care industry has become one of the largest sectors of the U.S. economy and provides the greatest job growth of any industry. With such growth, effective leadership, knowledge management, and quality programs can ameliorate patient safety outcomes and improve organizational performance. This exploratory study examines the efficacy of transformational leadership, knowledge management, and quality initiatives, each of which has been proven effective in health care organizations. The literature has neglected the relationships among these three types of programs, although they are increasingly implemented simultaneously now. This research tests the degree to which knowledge management could act as a mediator of the effects transformational leadership and quality management have on organizational performance for hospitals. Our survey of U.S. hospitals utilizes validated scales from the literature. By calling and e-mailing quality and other department directors, the data set includes responses from all 50 states in our sample of 370 U.S. hospitals. Statistical tests confirmed acceptable regional distribution, interrater reliability, and control variable characteristics for our sample. Structural equation modeling is used to test the research hypotheses. These preliminary results reveal that transformational leadership and quality management improve knowledge management. In addition, transformational leadership is fully mediated by knowledge responsiveness and quality management is partially mediated by knowledge responsiveness for their effects on organizational performance. The unique contribution of this study includes the suggestion that greater transformational leadership skills are important for health care executives to motivate successful knowledge management initiatives. Secondly, continuous improvements in quality management programs have significant positive impacts on knowledge management and organizational outcomes in hospitals. Finally, successful knowledge management initiatives are more closely tied to patient and organizational outcomes through the enhancement of knowledge responsiveness than by knowledge acquisition and dissemination alone.

Conceptions of wisdom

This article reports exploratory research on the meanings associated with the concept of wisdom by two groups of intending information professionals. Concern for the limited success of knowledge management initiatives and the complexity and hyperturbulence of organizational environments has provoked discussion of the role of wisdom in organizations, management, leadership, and decision making. A literature review provides a distillation of the literature on the notion of wisdom as a foundation for investigating the alignment between these perspectives and those of the respondents. Data was collected through a survey using one open question. The findings of the content analysis of the responses are reported and discussed. It is evident that wisdom is a polysemantic concept, but that there is some level of agreement that knowledge, experience and action are key aspects of wisdom; but there is very little allusion to possible ethical and spiritual dimensions of wisdom.

Application of consistent fuzzy preference relations in predicting the success of knowledge management implementation

The implementation of knowledge management (KM) involves innovation and reformation for organizations. KM implementation requires not only a substantial investment, but also changes the organization culture and structure. Before embarking on KM, thorough planning is crucial to ensure the implementation achieves the intended objectives of accruing profit and enhancing competitiveness for organisations. Therefore, this study proposes an analytic hierarchical prediction model based on the reciprocal additive consistent fuzzy preference relations to help the organizations become aware of the essential factors affecting the KM implementation, forecasting the chance of successful KM initiative, as well as identifying the actions necessary before implementing KM. Pairwise comparisons are used to determine the priority weights of influential factors and the ratings of two possible outcomes (success and failure) amongst decision makers. The subjectivity and vagueness in the prediction procedures are dealt with using linguistic terms quantified in an interval scale [0, 1]. By multiplying the weights of influential factors and the ratings of possible outcomes, predicted success/failure values are obtained to enable organizations to decide whether to initiate knowledge management, inhibit adoption or take remedial actions to increase the possibility of successful KM project. This proposed approach is demonstrated with a real case study assessed by eleven evaluators solicited from a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) manufacturing corporation located in Taiwan.

A strategy for knowledge management

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the influence of organizational environment on the selection of knowledge management strategies. The paper focuses particularly on the relationship between business and knowledge management strategy and the success of the knowledge management initiatives.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is a case study researching 11 German and Swiss companies. The knowledge management initiatives were categorized by six criteria (objectives, processes, problems, content, strategy, knowledge type) and their fit with the respective business strategy of the organizational unit was evaluated.FindingsThe findings in this paper suggest a relationship between the success of knowledge management and the alignment of knowledge management and business strategy. The paper also shows that an organization whose business strategy requires process efficiency should rely primarily on a codification strategy. An organization whose business strategy requires product/process innovation should rely primarily on a personalization strategy. The most successful knowledge management projects were driven by a strong business need and with the goal to add value to the organizational unit operations.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper shows there are limitations due to the qualitative nature of the research: logical rather than statistical conclusions, small sample size, and subjectivity of interpretations.Practical implicationsThe paper sees that a manager should be aware of the objectives and business processes of the organizational unit and chooses the knowledge management strategy and objective in accordance to the business strategy and objective.Originality/valueThe paper enhances understanding about the influence of organizational environment factors on the success of knowledge management initiatives.

An intellectual capital evaluation approach in a government organization

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an assessment framework for evaluating the success of knowledge management (KM) initiatives in a government setting.Design/methodology/approachThe approach used was to first conduct a brief review of the leading thinking on KM and intellectual capital (IC) measurement approaches. The selection process used to recommend the results‐based management assessment framework (RMAF) as the most appropriate measurement framework is then discussed together with the development of logic models for all KM objectives. Finally, the validation methodology used, a survey design and data collection methodology, is described.FindingsThe study finds that the RMAF framework proved to be a good fit for KM assessment in a government setting.Research limitations/implicationsThe evaluation of KM and IC are necessarily organization‐specific. Further research is needed to report on the generalizability of this evaluation approach.Practical implicationsThe KM evaluation approach proposed here helped the government organization translate its KM strategy into action and enhanced management of the KM program. The proposed evaluation approach will help ensure that each type of stakeholder receives assessment results in a form that is of greatest use to them.Originality/valueWhile there are many KM and IC metrics described in the literature, there have been limited attempts to address the evaluation question from a more holistic perspective. This paper shows how quantitative and qualitative measures can be combined to better assess the success of KM initiatives in a systematic and concrete manner.

Implementing process‐oriented knowledge management strategies

Despite growing interest about a strategic perspective on knowledge management (KM), there is still a lack of a procedure and methods to guide the implementation of KM strategies. In this paper, we review the current state of practice of KM initiatives and identify four scenarios for potentially successful KM initiatives. The majority of organizations can be described as being a knowledge management starter. In order to improve these KM initiatives and link them to business strategy, we suggest a process‐oriented knowledge management approach as a step to bridge the gap between human‐ and technology‐oriented KM. This approach is outlined with the help of the four levels of intervention: (1) strategy, (2) KM organization and processes, (3) topics/content, and (4) instruments/systems. The definition and implementation of a process‐oriented KM strategy in a large transaction bank will serve as an example to illustrate the application of our approach.

The role of IT in successful knowledge management initiatives

Executives must confront the challenging task of deciding the type of IT to deploy in support of their knowledge management initiatives.