A holistic model of the role, development, and future of knowledge management: Proposal for exploratory research

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maayan Nakash ◽  
Shifra Baruchson‐Arbib ◽  
Dan Bouhnik
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Role Development ◽  
Holistic Model

Can return on investment in knowledge management initiatives in organizations be measured?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maayan Nakash ◽  
Dan Bouhnik
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Return On Investment ◽  
Objective Assessment ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Performance Measure ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
High Status ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThis paper focuses on the meanings attributed to the measurement of return on investment (ROI) in knowledge management (KM) initiatives in knowledge-intensive organizations. At the heart of this exploratory research is the introduction of a unique coherent perspective of discipline experts regarding the ROI metric, as part of their perception of assessing effectiveness in this field.Design/methodology/approachThe research begins with in-depth semi-structured personal interviews and continues with focus groups, as part of a qualitative research paradigm. The data were analyzed using a thematic analysis method, based on the grounded theory approach.FindingsThe findings provide empirical evidence regarding the significant challenges associated with the objective assessment of KM performance, which is deeply rooted in numerical-financial values. Despite the high status of ROI in the business environment, the authors find that decision-makers surprisingly avoid evaluating ROI for the most important resource of the organization, notwithstanding the immeasurable hopes that depend on this performance measure and the expectation of establishing the profitability of investment in organizational KM.Originality/valueThe uniqueness of this research is the adoption of the skeptical-critical research approach. For the first time, the authors interrogate the suitability and relevance of the general model of the ROI metric as a means of proving the value and contribution of well-managed knowledge to organizations. The authors call for adoption of a new integrative perspective for evaluating effectiveness, which will reflect the holistic set of KM in organizations.

Barriers, practices, methods and knowledge management tools in startups

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (9) ◽  
pp. 1838-1856 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fábio Lotti Oliva ◽  
Masaaki Kotabe
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Level ◽  
Agile Organization ◽  
Knowledge Management Tools

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the main barriers, practices, methods and knowledge management tools in startups that are characterized as agile organizations with dynamic capabilities to meet the demands of a business environment of high volatility, uncertainties, complexity and ambiguity. Design/methodology/approach The conceptual basis of the research focused on the triad: agile organization, dynamic capabilities and knowledge management. Field research began by interviewing experts to identify the barriers, practices, methods and knowledge management tools in startups. Based on the theoretical review, on the desk research and on the result of interviews with experts, a quantitative research was carried out with the leading startups coworking of São Paulo city. The obtained data made it possible to develop descriptive analyses and run linear regressions and cluster analysis for exploratory research. Findings Startups with higher maturity in innovation level, solution development level, and scalability development level, present a higher degree of utilization of the practices, methods and tools dedicated to knowledge management. Practical implications It is expected that results of the research presented in detail will be able to illustrate concrete examples of practices, methods, and knowledge management tools for large established companies seeking the organizational agility of startups. Originality/value This study contributes to the identification of barriers, practices, methods and tools of management of knowledge in startups, through the conceptual triad: agile organization, dynamic capabilities and knowledge management.

scholarly journals Knowledge, Renewal and Flexibility: Exploratory Research in Family Firms

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pérez-Pérez ◽  
López-Férnandez ◽  
Obeso
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Strategic Flexibility ◽  
Cluster Solution ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Managerial Decision ◽  
Strategic Renewal ◽  
Family Enterprises

This study aims to explore how family firms pursue strategies that promote strategic flexibility and knowledge-management (KM) practices to respond to strategic-renewal goals. Specifically, based on a knowledge-based view of the firm, the following research question is proposed: Are there heterogeneous groups of family firms in terms of knowledge management, strategic flexibility and strategic renewal goals? To answer this question, an exploratory study using a two-step cluster analysis is developed. It reveals natural groupings from a sample of 288 small and medium-sized Spanish family enterprises (SMEs). The results obtained identified three distinctive clusters of family firms, namely proactive family firms, transitional or adaptive family firms, and rigid family firms. After two-step cluster analysis, we also conducted analysis of variance (ANOVA) to confirm that significant differences amongst the three clusters exist. After heterogeneity been confirmed, a further profile of the cluster solution was provided by using CEO and board characteristics, as well as the generational stage of the company. The findings offer some counterbalance for those studies that tend to study family businesses as a homogeneous entity, thus permitting researchers to access more information, providing rich explanations for renewal managerial decision-making purposes in family firm contexts.

scholarly journals Knowledge management to support innovation in higher education institutions

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 254-271
Author(s):  
Adriana Karam-Koleski ◽  
Gregorio Varvakis
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Technological Infrastructure ◽  
Use Of Knowledge ◽  
Innovation In Higher Education

This paper presents and discusses the use of knowledge management to support innovation in higher education institutions (HEI). The study was conducted at Brasil-STHEM Consortium - a network of Brazilian higher education institutions that work together in the implementation of innovation in their teaching and learning practises. 29 HEI participated in the study that was designed as an exploratory research and used the Asian Productivity Association (APO) knowledge management maturity level assessment tool as a framework for data collection and analysis.  Results demonstrate that there was openness for knowledge management and that there is technological infrastructure available for this to happen, but found  little evidence of the systematic use of knowledge management  practices. The study contributes to research and practise in education management  by proposing the use of KM theory and tools to understand how knowledge being generated by higher education institutions can be identified, stored, shared, created and applied in order to amplify its impact to educational change and innovation.   

scholarly journals Mapping the future of KM through Earl's KM taxonomy lens

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 180-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Girard ◽  
Vincent Ribière
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Management Research ◽  
Analysis Techniques ◽  
The Future ◽  
International Knowledge

This paper chronicles exploratory research about the use of content analysis to guide the future knowledge management research agenda. The responses of 35 international knowledge management experts answering a question about the future of knowledge management were considered. The interviews, which were created as part of a different project, are freely available online. This secondary data was analyzed using a series of content analysis techniques to determine which elements of Michael Earl’s knowledge management taxonomy were most prevalent. A dictionary of terms reflecting Earl’s taxonomy was created. The top three schools that emerged were the engineering, cartographic and systems schools, all of which belong to the high-order category technocratic. A series of qualitative comments are included to expand on the quantitation results and with a view to stimulating future research.

Knowledge Management: Organisational Culture and Effective Knowledge Sharing

Mousaion ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jade Adegboye
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Organisational Culture ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Sharing Strategy ◽  
Novices And Experts

In the knowledge economy, organisations rely on knowledge to improve and stay competitive in the industry. Knowledge exists both explicitly and tacitly and the challenge lies in transferring the tacit knowledge from experts to less experienced employees before they leave the organisation. This study, conducted at a financial services organisation in South Africa, is based on qualitative research, which seeks to determine how knowledge is shared between novices and experts in a financial services organisation. This study aims to identify how employees currently share knowledge and to discover more effective knowledge sharing tools and methods that can foster effective knowledge sharing in the organisation. The main research question is: What is the effectiveness of existing knowledge sharing methods between experienced employees and new hires at a financial services organisation? The research question is answered through the questionnaires that were distributed and interviews that were conducted with the participants. The data collection was carried out based on an exploratory research design and a descriptive research method. The data analysis followed an inductive approach. Quantitative analysis using tables and graphs and qualitative analysis by means of themes were used to analyse the data collected. The findings reveal that most employees are not aware of the knowledge management or sharing strategy in their organisation owing to silos of organisational culture in the organisation. Knowledge sharing is not driven organisation-wide, and knowledge sharing tools are not managed effectively. Based on the study’s findings, an organisation-wide knowledge management and sharing strategy is essential. In addition, organisations should enable employees to share by providing more capacity dedicated to knowledge sharing.

scholarly journals Absorption of management knowledge in Romanian small and medium-sized enterprises

2018 ◽  
Vol 184 ◽  
pp. 04014
Author(s):  
Gina-Maria Moraru ◽  
Daniela Popa
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Small Extent ◽  
Academic Environment ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Management Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge Absorption ◽  
Skilled Staff ◽  
Poor Management

One aim of this paper is to prove that the absorption of management knowledge in Romanian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has many gaps. Another aim is to find the main causes of this. Paper begins with a short bibliographical study about the most important weakness of the Romanian SMEs: the low availability of skilled staff or experienced managers. In order to discover which phase of knowledge management in these firms is the most problematic, we have made an exploratory research based on the use of Fishbein-Rosenberg model for measuring managers' opinions on this subject. The results have proved that the management knowledge absorption is done to a small extent in Romanian SMEs. In order to find the main causes of the poor management knowledge absorption, we have next developed a research based on questionnaires. We have discovered that the studied problem has its roots both in the business environment and in the academic environment.

scholarly journals The Impact of Knowledge Capture and Knowledge Sharing on Learning, Adaptability, Job Satisfaction and Staying Intention: A Study of the Banking Industry in Bangladesh

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-64
Author(s):  
Zahid Zamir
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Actual Behavior ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Knowledge Capture ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Employee Learning ◽  
Purposive Sample

Abstract The Knowledge Management (KM) has been defined as performing activites in discovering, capturing, sharing and applying knowledge in a more effective and effieicnt way. This study looks at only two such processes namely: capruring and sharing knowledge and their sub-processes. The purpose of this study is to conduct exploratory research to investigate the extent to which the sub-processes of knowledge capture and knowledge sharing of knowledge management impact the employee learning, adaptability, Job satisfaction and intention to stay on the job. This research was conducted using a purposive sample from financial services firms in Bangladesh. The sample consisted of 254 respondents from 23 different branches of eight commercial banks drawing from all levels of employees in the organizational hierarchy. The partial least squares (PLS) approach using Smart PLS has been used to test both the measurement and structural models. The findings of this study confirm that it is not the KM processes rather the sub-processes of KM process that can positively impact on employees' outcomes. This study involved self-administrated questionnaires and was open to all levels of staff and measured perceptions of the employees as opposed to actual behavior. This study suggests that employees' learning and adaptability depend on the usability and comfortability of the knowledge management initiatives undertaken by the management. Practitioners may employ the same experimental method using the instruments developed for this study to analyze the impact of the subprocesses of knowledge capture and knowledge sharing on employee outcomes. This study contributes to the existing literature of knowledge management that how the sub-processes of knowledge capture and knowledge sharing motivate employees to learn and adapt and how learning and adaptability contribute to job satisfaction and staying intention.

scholarly journals THE IMPACT OF KNOWLEDGE CAPTURE AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING ON LEARNING, ADAPTABILITY, JOB SATISFACTION AND STAYING INTENTION: A STUDY OF THE BANKING INDUSTRY IN BANGLADESH

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahid Zamir
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Actual Behavior ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Knowledge Capture ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Employee Learning ◽  
Purposive Sample

The Knowledge Management (KM) has been defined as performing activites in discovering, capturing, sharing and applying knowledge in a more effective and effieicnt way. This study looks at only two such processes namely: capruring and sharing knowledge and their sub-processes. The purpose of this study is to conduct exploratory research to investigate the extent to which the sub-processes of knowledge capture and knowledge sharing of knowledge management impact the employee learning, adaptability, Job satisfaction and intention to stay on the job. This research was conducted using a purposive sample from financial services firms in Bangladesh. The sample consisted of 254 respondents from 23 different branches of eight commercial banks drawing from all levels of employees in the organizational hierarchy. The partial least squares (PLS) approach using Smart PLS has been used to test both the measurement and structural models. The findings of this study confirm that it is not the KM processes rather the sub-processes of KM process that can positively impact on employees' outcomes. This study involved self-administrated questionnaires and was open to all levels of staff and measured perceptions of the employees as opposed to actual behavior.  This study suggests that employees' learning and adaptability depend on the usability and comfortability of the knowledge management initiatives undertaken by the management. Practitioners may employ the same experimental method using the instruments developed for this study to analyze the impact of the sub-processes of knowledge capture and knowledge sharing on employee outcomes.  This study contributes to the existing literature of knowledge management that how the sub-processes of knowledge capture and knowledge sharing motivate employees to learn and adapt and how learning and adaptability contribute to job satisfaction and staying intention.

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