Factors that Determine the Successful Implementation of Knowledge Management in Organizations - Article Example

 Critical Factors that Determine the successful Implementation of Knowledge management in Organizations Introduction: Knowledge is said to be the key to effectiveness and innovation at workplace, a misconception among people being that a knowledge rich organization is essentially a successful one. That however is far from the truth. Organizations today are working in an environment where the very air is laden with information. In this world of cut-throat completion, how do organizations remain one step ahead of their competitors in the knowledge game? The answer of this question first emerged in the mid-nineties, when the concept of “ Knowledge Management’ started to become common. Knowledge management has been described as the process through which firms create, store, use and re-use their knowledge bases in a systematic and strategic way which ensures easy accessibility of information whenever required. This has been a complimentary concept to Drucker’s “Learning Organization”, and it was only after his introduction of the term that the idea of Knowledge management took real urgency. While most organizations today are engaged in a KM strategy of one sort or the other, the success rate of these remain debatable. For this reason, the following 5 articles have been chosen to try and isolate the core critical factors that can help organizations achieve successful implementation of KM strategies. The bibliography begins with an article by du Plessis (2007), who has provided an in depth view of the most common factors attributed by KM success. For this purpose, the article discusses some of the leading organizations in South Africa and their successful implementation stories. The next article by Demarest (1997), takes a different track and focuses on the fact that it is an organization’s own inner workings which will be the basis of KM strategy, and points out that an organization which understands the roots of its own knowledge making processes has the edge to be able to manipulate any knowledge system to its own benefit. The third article by Soliman and Spooner (2000), discusses yet another issue that has great impact on a Knowledge management system, this being the role of Human Resource Management in the successful adoption, and usage of KM at the workplace. The 4th article is a discussion about a major American consultancy firm and how the firm’s management maintains a state of the art knowledge management system. This is the only paper that has dealt in depth with various technological aspects of a Knowledge management System and remains significant on that account. (Chait, 1999) The 5th and the last article is a concise overview of how the business world has accepted the importance of KM and how organizations are ever in a struggle to maintain healthy knowledge management practices. This article also mentions the pit-falls that organizations need to avoid in order to allow their adoptions to become operational successes. (Sharp, 2003). Title of the Article Du Plessis, M. (2007). “Knowledge Management: What makes complex implementations successful”. Journal of Knowledge Management. Vol. 11 No. 2, pp. 91-101. Type of Article Literature review Purpose of the Article The main aim of this article is to provide an overview of the critical factors that determine the successful use and implementation of knowledge management in South African organizations. The article emphasizes on providing a commentary on the factors that are most relevant to making a knowledge management system work for an organization and also discusses the factors that can be major stepping stones in the journey of successful implementation of Knowledge management systems in South African organizations. Findings The author points out that successful implementation of Knowledge management has determinants that are specific to different organizational contexts. However, some factors that have had a significant impact on making an organization’s Knowledge management system a success are: 1. A shared understanding of the concept of knowledge management 2. The identification of the value of the co-creation of the knowledge management strategies which make up the system 3. The positioning of knowledge management as a strategic focus area in the organization. 4. Appropriate management of information throughout all stages of the Knowledge life-cycle and the appropriate alignment of technology and information resources to ensure access to knowledge for all individuals involved. 5. Understanding the role of organizational culture in the working of the organization and its importance in making the knowledge management system a success. Significance & Strengths Knowledge management being a complex discipline, it is difficult to predict the choice of decisions which may make the implementation a success. However, this article is significant because it discusses a wide range of organization specific factors that contribute to successful implementation of knowledge management in some of the leading organizations in the world and specifically in south Africa. Since the author provides an in-depth review of a large multitude of factors that directly affect the implementation, acceptance and success of knowledge management systems in firms. In doing so she has provided a chance for organizations to identify with some of these factors and make decisions that can prove beneficial for them. Limitations & Weaknesses This article has been aimed to provide information about knowledge management implementation strategies employed by some of the leading firms of South Africa. Since the number of firm cited directly in the article are relatively few and are all large business set ups, the discussion seems to be aimed at the small number of elite organizations. There is little mention of implementation strategies as adopted by firms which operate on a smaller scale. Although the author repeatedly mentions that factors governing the success of knowledge management systems in firms vary from organizations to organization due to their differences, there is little or no mention of any of these firms in detail. This provides a lack of insight into the reason why some firms react positively to some influential implementation strategy, while others do not. Name of the Article Demarest, M., 1997. Understanding Knowledge management. Long Range Planning. Vol. 30 No. 3, pp. 374-384. Type of Article Research Paper Methodology Literature Review Purpose of the article The aim of the paper is to provide understanding about the core concepts regarding knowledge and its management. As the name of the article suggests, this paper is constructed around the premises that all organizations need to understand the process of knowledge creation at their workplace and in doing so, realize its implications and principles behind the sharing of that knowledge and its management. This article is based on the idea that the organizations who understand the dynamics of “knowledge economies” at the workplace take the first step towards using knowledge management systems for their benefit. Findings of the Article 1. The author provides a systematic overview of the way in which organizations create, store, circulate and disseminate information at workplace and how this knowledge can be ultimately used by firms as a tool to gain a profitable edge over other competitors. The author calls this process the “knowledge economy” of the firm. This process consists of: The construction of knowledge Embodiment of the knowledge Dissemination of the knowledge The usage of the knowledge 2. The author points out that the firms which understand the fundamentals of the knowledge economies of their firm are the ones who can really implement successful knowledge management systems. He suggests that they do this by: Underpinning of the KE (knowledge economy) Observation of the KE Instrumentation of the KE And finally by optimizing their firms KE. Significance & Strengths This article is unique in the sense that it does not highlight the importance of external circumstances that firms need to regulate in order to make their knowledge management a success. Unlike Du Plessis (2007), the author of this paper focuses on asking firms to understand their own knowledge economies and turn inwards and observe and fine tune their understanding of their knowledge sharing practices. Limitations & Weaknesses The article is limited in the sense that while there is enough discussion about how firms can install an able infrastructure for successful knowledge management by understanding their own inner dynamics, there is little evidence provided that after this infrastructure has been erected, it will also prove to be economically profitable. While the author says that a knowledge rich firm will be able to innovate at a healthy rate, there is no concrete evidence provided in the paper that supports the statement that a knowledge rich firm and its innovation can achieve long term economic value. Name of the Article Soliman, F., and Spooner, K. 2000. Strategies for implementing knowledge management: role of Human resources management .Journal of Knowledge Management. Vol. 4. No. 4. pp. 337±345 Type of Article Literature Review Purpose of the Article The authors have disputed the statement that the most important aspect of a successful knowledge management system is the appropriate usage of Information technology. This main purpose of the article is to reinforce the importance of Human Resource Management in the area of knowledge management. Findings of the Article 1. The Human Resource department of any organization is the most skilled at identifying actual knowledge gaps. The authors point out that this is done by the process of backward human resource knowledge mapping, a process that is mainly determined through these two questions: What organizations currently know And what needs to be learned 2. Not only is the Human resource department responsible for the identification of strategic knowledge gaps, it is also responsible for filling up this knowledge gap by performing Forward knowledge mapping, which identifies the strategic deficiencies or the “strategic gaps” that are afflicting the organization. By doing so, the HR departments ensure that future recruitment is aligned with the strategic requirements of the organization. 3. The biggest part that HRM plays in making a success of the knowledge management systems of any organization is the fact that Human Resource department is responsible for capturing, using and re-using the employees knowledge through HRD practices, a practice which is crucial to the knowledge management processes of a firm. Significance & Strengths As compared the previous two papers, this article deals with much more specific practices that can help make a knowledge management system work for an organization. The authors of this article do not focus on a variety of factors influencing KM, but instead, focus solely on the important role that HRM plays in the successful implementation of a firm’s Knowledge management system. Limitations & Weaknesses A major limitation of this article is the fact that although there is enough evidence to merit the acknowledgement that indeed HRM is a key factor for Knowledge management success, there is no discussion of the importance of the technologies which are, albeit with the help of people infrastructure, actually enabling the knowledge transfers and sharings crucial for successful KM. In one instance, the authors state that technology may yet prove to be “anti knowledge management”, a claim that has not been rightly backed by any proper argument in the entire article. Name of the Article Chait, L. P. 1999.Creating a Successful Knowledge Management System. Journal of Business Strategy. May/April. pp. 23-26. Type of Article Literature Review Purpose of the Paper This paper is a discourse on the Knowledge Management Practices at Arthur D. Little, a global strategic consulting firm established in USA. The author discusses the way this firm has managed to provided its 3,000 odd employees spread across 50 cities in the world access to crucial corporate knowledge that comprises of the knowledge, skills and experiences that the firm’s employees have gathered over the last decades. The paper has been aimed at providing an inside look into knowledge management processes at one of America’s leading consultancy firms. Findings of the Paper. The author has made a point that it is not only the setting up of a technological infrastructure for information sharing that can make a firm’s knowledge management strategy a success. The article presents Knowledge management as a multi-dimensional process which involves the effective congruent management of the following four domains: Culture: The author points out that “cultural realities” of an organization can be barriers or enablers of knowledge management. Hence information about them is required for all organizations seeking for a successful implementation of knowledge management. Content: The content of a knowledge management system is its most important asset, and it’s management is just as crucial. The author points out that the knowledge about which information is used by whom and for what advantage can help the taskforce team in making strategic decisions such as what sort of added information is needed for the system. Processes: The processes that are involved in the gathering of knowledge for a management system are also of crucial importance. These processes involve the capturing of knowledge, its evaluation, cleansing, its provision to the associated concerned and its usage. Infrastructure: The fourth domain that has been pointed out to be quite significant is the management of the infrastructure that could provide support services to the knowledge management system developed for the organization. This management of the infrastructure includes the management and maintenance of the computer system itself, along with elements such as the provision of teaching and training along with coaching. All part of providing general support to the system. Significance & Strength This article is significantly different from the other articles that have been cited in this exercise so far. The author has put his focus on proving in-depth knowledge about the “technical” side of Knowledge management, as opposed to its “people side” as cited in the previous article. A strength of the article has been the provision of a real life example which acts as a standout point about this paper. Limitations & Weaknesses One of the limitations of this paper is that it has been centered around the knowledge management system of a single organization. Although there is sufficient depth in the discussion provided, the fact remains that the information may have little relevance for a business of another nature and on a different operational scale. Name of the Article Sharp., D. 2003. Knowledge Management today: Challenges and Opportunities. Knowledge Management Today. Spring Issue Type of Article Literature Review Purpose of the Article The main purpose of this article is to discuss the implementation of Knowledge management in the modern business organization and how it has provided the organizations an added edge over competitors. The article mainly is aimed at giving a concise overview of the factors which can allow a knowledge management system to become a success and also discusses the pitfalls that organizations can face and the mistakes that can lead to disastrous consequences for organizations. The discussion has been supported with real life examples fr5om organizations such Chrysler corp. and Shell Inc. Findings of the Article 1. The author notes that while Knowledge management implementation has not been easy for some organizations, those who have excelled at it have given attention to the following details : Appropriate communication within the organization Commitment to KM on the part of senior management Collaboration and teamwork among all concerned groups Commitment by employees to the concept and the practice of KM Innovative cultural practices at the workplace The application of appropriate technology for the knowledge management system. 2. The author points out that while factors such as appropriate communication plans within the workplace etc can be manufactured and worked upon when required, the backbone of the entire KM system are the following two things, without which it is utterly impossible to achieve a successful implementation of KM. These are: Corporate memory: which is the collection of historical records of the organization’s past decisions, policies and ventures , which act as an accumulated knowledge base for the KM. Communities of interest: these are the various groups of people in the organization, who are held together by a common goal that is supported by a desire to gain knowledge. 3. The article also points the key pit-falls that organizations can face during KM implementation. These are: Lack of support from senior management. Lack of internal communication Lack of motivation and understanding of KM principles within the employees. Lack of careful planning Significance & Strengths This article provides an overview of the critical success and failure factors that can arise during the implementation of KM in an organization. Although there has been previous discussion of the causes for KM success at workplace before, there has been no discussion about how organizations can ensure their success by keeping clear of the pit-falls that come as a part of the deal. The article also mentions specific organizations and provides concise overview of the way they have managed KM integration. Since the organizations mentioned all belong to entirely different business sectors, a vast number of different business set ups can connect with the information on a higher plane. Limitations & Weaknesses A major limitation of the article is the fact that since this is an overview of the major success factors and the most note worthy factors that could result in a failure for KM implementation. Due to this reason, there is a concise discussion about the specifics of each factor, as opposed to an in-depth one. Conclusion: This bibliography has compiled 5 articles on the subject of the identification of critical factors that encourage the successful implementation of KM at organizational levels. All of the articles discuss separate concern but an important fact that can be drawn from each discussion is that the critical factors for success may vary from organization to organizations. These articles point out the importance of creating a balance between external and internal elements that have direct or an indirect impact on the working and usefulness of an organization’s knowledge management. Factors such as excellent communication practices, support and commitment of all employees to the system and the collaboration between all concerned parties have been mainly cited as the primary factors determining success. Apart from this, there is also discussion about the role that HRM practices coupled with a strong and technically sound Knowledge management system can play in creating economic worth for organizations. Hence, it can safely be said that organizations which are putting their focus on working the aforementioned factors can help their organization utilize knowledge management to its fullest. References Chait, L. P. 1999.”Creating a Successful Knowledge Management System”. Journal of Business Strategy. May/April. pp. 23-26. Demarest, M., 1997. “Understanding Knowledge management”. Long Range Planning. Vol. 30 No. 3, pp. 374-384. Du Plessis, M. 2007. “Knowledge Management: What makes complex implementations successful”. Journal of Knowledge Management. Vol. 11 No. 2, pp. 91-101. Sharp., D. 2003. “Knowledge Management today: Challenges and Opportunities”. Knowledge Management Today. Spring Issue Soliman, F., and Spooner, K. 2000. “Strategies for implementing knowledge management: role of Human resources management”. Journal of Knowledge Management. Vol. 4. No.4. pp. 337-345. Read More