KM Enablers

Introduction

Effective KM requires individuals, group, organization and community to capture the benefits of knowledge that provides a strategic advantage.

Critical Success Factors for KM

Due to the many definitions and processes of KM, there are many factors that influence the success of KM. Briefly described below are factors that influence KM from various studies:

Yu et al (2007) found the following factors positively impacting KM performance:

1. KM team activity,

2. Learning orientation,

3. KM system quality, and

4. KM reward

Bishop et al (2008) identifies eight critical factors, which need to be considered before, during and after the implementation of a KM initiative, to ensure its effectiveness, as follows:

1. clear definition of KM;

2. business objectives;

3. integration with organization;

4. champions and a supporting team;

5. top-level support;

6. demonstrate the benefits;

7. financial and non-financial rewards; and

8. balance between people and IT.

Chong (2006) found 11 key KM components

1. employee training;

2. employee involvement;

3. team working;

4. employee empowerment;

5. top management leadership and commitment;

6. information systems infrastructure;

7. performance measurement;

8. knowledge-friendly culture;

9. benchmarking;

10. knowledge structure; and

11. elimination of organizational constraints.

Yeh et al (2006) study found the following enablers

1. strategy and leadership; obtaining top managements’ support is most important; among organization culture enablers is the forming of an atmosphere and culture of sharing is most important, but needs to be supplemented by informational technology;

2. among people enablers, other than training courses and channels that provide learning, employee incentive program is one of the executing key factors; and

3. among informational technology enablers, other than the digitization of documents, the function of speedy search of information for its re-use is becoming more and more important.

The success of KM is dependent on more aspects and can be grouped into some generic factors. Below are the four key factors which we will be focusing on

1. strategy and leadership,

2. corporate culture,

3. people and

4. information technology.

KM Enablers

KM enabler refers to the key factors that determine the effectiveness of executing knowledge management within the organization, which are the driving force that solidifies knowledge management (Yeh et al, 2006). In other words, in order to ensure the success of bringing in knowledge management, it is crucial to be able to acquire the key enablers so as to make it possible to effectively utilize an organization’s limited resources, reduce the use of manpower, material, and time, and still be able to achieve the expected results (Yeh et al, 2006).

A diagrammatical representation of the KM enablers are as follows from Yeh et al. (2006):

Strategy and Leadership

• Strategy

  • KM Strategy is unique to the company

  • capitalize strengths and mitigate weakness

  • KM Strategies that can be utilized:

    1. practice knowledge management as a business strategy

       • focus is on knowledge creation, capture, organization, renewal, sharing and use in all organizational activities.

    2. intellectual asset management strategy

       • enterprise-level management of specific intellectual assets such as patents, customer relationships, and other organizational structural capital

    3. personal knowledge strategy

       • highlight each employee’s personal responsibility for KM

    4. knowledge creation strategy

       • organizational learning, research (both basic and applied) and development, and motivation of employees to innovate, learn from past experiences, and obtain new and better knowledge to enhance competitiveness.

    5. knowledge transfer strategy

       • emphasizes the systematic transfer of knowledge across the organization and the adoption of best practices.

• Leadership

  • Leaders are important in acting as role models to exemplify the desired behavior for KM

  • leadership competencies:

    1. steering the change effort,

    2. conveying the importance of KM to employees,

    3. maintaining team's morale, and

    4. creating a culture that promotes knowledge sharing and creation.

Corporates Culture

• Culture is the shared values, beliefs and practices of the people in the organization.

• Can be reflected in the organizations mission and espoused values, embedded in the way people act, what they expect of each other and how they make sense of each other's actions.

• These assumptions, or beliefs, represent interpretive schemes that people use to perceive reality and to make sense of it and they are formed over time as members of an organization make decisions, cope with problems and take advantage of opportunities (King, 2008). Then, the assumptions are passed on to other members of the organization. A specific culture emerges when all those in the organization accept these assumptions or beliefs as interpretive schemes. Finally, these underlying assumptions present a set of social norms that define the rules through which people interact in the organization.

• The KM approach must be designed around the culture of the organization

People

• Needless to say, people play a vital role in the success of adopting systems.

• KM Initiatives will need to be integrated into people's daily lives for the KM lifecycle to continue

• The value of KM must be clearly articulated to people so that they are part of the KM journey undertaken by the organization

• People want to see their knowledge contributions have been acknowledged and rewarded, through financial or non-financial means. Non-financial means are in the form of peer recognition, learning opportunities and greater autonomy.

Information Technology

• Fundamental building block that supports and coordinates knowledge management which among others include database, knowledge platform, performance evaluation management system, and integrated performance support system, etc. (Yeh et al, 2006).

• One of the main role of information technology in KM is to accelerate the speed of KM transfer and creation (Carvalho & Ferreira, 2001).

• KM can be enhanced and supported through applications of advance IT tools to create an infrastructure and a “field” for support of the timing, scope, and efficiency of the underlying KM processes such as creation; storage and retrieval, transfer and application (Easterby-Smith & Lyles, 2003).

• The technology acceptance of the KM System will influence the success of knowledge creation, sharing, and utilization. Help us understand your views on this by completing a survey.

• Be sure to read our deeper dive into KM and IT.

Conclusion

• KMS will fail if people are of the view that they are already sharing well enough or where senior stakeholders are not supportive of the initiative

• There is no one right way to get people to share, rather, there are many ways depending on the organizational culture.

• KM tool needs to be integrated to the existing IT infrastructure, the organizational culture, procedures and Human Resources policy.

• KM Tools cannot be implemented like other Information Systems where there is a top down approach as buy in from people and alignment with the corporate culture is crucial in order to ensure the successful implementation of the KM tools