Barriers to Knowledge Management: A Theoretical Framework and a Review of Industrial Cases

Authors: Chihab BenMoussa

Abstract:

Firms have invested heavily in knowledge management (KM) with the aim to build a knowledge capability and use it to achieve a competitive advantage. Research has shown, however, that not all knowledge management projects succeed. Some studies report that about 84% of knowledge management projects fail. This paper has integrated studies on the impediments to knowledge management into a theoretical framework. Based on this framework, five cases documenting failed KM initiatives were analysed. The analysis gave us a clear picture about why certain KM projects fail. The high failure rate of KM can be explained by the gaps that exist between users and management in terms of KM perceptions and objectives

Keywords: Knowledge management, barriers to knowledge management, Knowledge-gaps, supply-driven approach to knowledge management.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1055309

References:

[1] Alavi, M., Leidner, D.E. (2001), "Knowledge management and knowledge management systems: conceptual foundations and research issues", MIS Quarterly, Vol. 25 No.1, pp.107-36.
[2] Alavi M.and Leidner, DE (1999) "Knowledge Management systems issues, challenges and benefits" Communication of the Association of Information Systems, Februry, pp:1-36.
[3] Alvesson, M. (1993), "Organization as rhetoric: knowledge-intensive firms and the struggle with ambiguity", Journal of Management Studies, Vol. 30 No.6, pp.997-1020.
[4] AMR Research (2007) "The Knowledge Management Spending Report, 2007-2008".
[5] Binney, D., (2001) "The Knowledge Spectrum -Understanding The KM Landscape", Journal Of Knowledge Managemen, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 33- 42.
[6] Braganza, A and Möllenkrame, G.J (2002) "Anatomy of a Failed Knowledge Management Initiative: Lessons from PharmaCorp-s Experiences", Knowledge and Process Management Volume 9 Number 1 pp 23-33.
[7] Hult, G.T.M (2003) "An integration of thoughts on knowledge management", Decision Sciences, Vol.34, p.189.
[8] Huysman, M., Wulf, V. (2006), "IT to support knowledge sharing in communities, towards a social capital analysis", Journal of Information Technology, Vol. 21 pp.40-51.
[9] Davenport, T., Probst, G.J (2002) "Knowledge management case book: Best practices, second edition, Publicis Corporate Publishing and John Wiley & Son.
[10] Davenport, T, Prusak, L (1998), Working Knowledge: How Organizations Manage What They Know, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA.
[11] Davenport, T.H., Delong, D.W., Beers, M.C. (1998), "Successful knowledge management projects", Sloan Management Review, Vol. 39 No.2, pp.43-57.
[12] Desousza, K.C (2003) "Knowledge management barriers: Why the technology imperative seldom works", Business Horizons, vol. 46, issue 1, pages 25-29.
[13] Du Plessis, M (2005) "Drivers of knowledge management in the corporate environment", International Journal of Information Management, Vol. 25, pp:193-202.
[14] Drucker, P., Interview in Wired Magazine, July/August, p.5, 2003.
[15] Du Plessis, M (200)8 "What bars organisations from managing knowledge successfully?" International Journal of Information Management, Vol. 28, Issue 4, pp:285-292.
[16] Ekbia, H and Hara, N (2008)" The quality of evidence in knowledge management research: practitioner versus scholarly literature", Journal of Information Science, Vol. 34, No. 1, pp 110-126.
[17] Edvinsson, L., Sullivan, P. (1996), "Developing a model for managing intellectual capital", European Management Journal, Vol. 14 No.4, pp.356-65.
[18] Frappaolo, C. (2006) "Knowledge management" Capstone publishing
[19] Hansen, M.T, Nohria, N. (1999), "What-s your strategy for managing knowledge?", Harvard Business Review, pp.106-16.
[20] Hibbard, J., Carillo, K.M (1998), "Knowledge revolution", Information week, Vol. 5 No.663, pp.49-54.
[21] Kalling, T. (2003), "Knowledge management and the occasional links with performance", Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 7 No.3, pp.67-81
[22] Keen, P.G.W (2006) "Knowledge mobilization: The challenge for information professionals." In C. Khoo, D. Singh & A.S. Chaudhry (Eds.), Proceedings of the Asia Pacific Conference on Library & Information Education & Practice (A-LIEP 2006), Singapore, 3-6 April 2006 (pp. 1-9).
[23] Keen, P., and Mackintosh, R. (2001) "The freedom economy: gaining the m-commerce edge in the era of the wireless internet", Berkeley, CA: Osborne/Mcgraw-HILL.
[24] Kotnour, T., Orr, C., Spauding, J. and Guidi, J. (1997) Determining the Benefits of Knowledge Management Activities. In IEEE International Conference on Systems Man & Cybernetics, Vol. 1 Orlando, Florida.
[25] KPMG, M.C. (2001), Knowledge Management Research Report, KPMG Website, London.
[26] Lang, J.C (2001) "Managerial concerns in knowledge management", Journal of Knowledge Management, Volume: 5, Issue: 1, pp: 43-59.
[27] Levy, Y., and Ellis. T.J (2006) " A system approach to conduct an effective literature review in support of information systems research", Information Science Journal, Vol. 9
[28] Lin, C., Shu-Mei, S (2005) "The implementation gaps for the knowledge management system", VOl.105, N 2, pp. 208-222
[29] Lin, C., Yeh, J.Y., Tseng.S.M (2005), "Case study on knowledgemanagement gaps", Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol.9, No.3, pp:36-50.
[30] Lorrich, N.P. Jr, Pierce, J.C., John, P.C. (1984), "ÔÇÿKnowledge gap- phenomena: effect of situation-specific and trans-situational factors", Communication Research, Vol. 11 pp.415-35.
[31] Lynne, M., Marcus, R. (1997), "The magic bullet theory in IT-enabled transformation", Sloan Management Review, Vol. 38 No.2, pp.55-68.
[32] Lucier, C, Torsiliera, J (1997 a), "Why knowledge programs fail", Strategy and Business, pp.14-28.
[33] Lucier, C., & Torsilieri, J. D. (1997b). Why knowledge programs fail: A CEO-s guide to managing learning. Strategy & Business, 4, 14-28.
[34] Lukas & Ogilvie (2006) L.M. Lukas and D.T. Ogilvie, "Things are not always what they seem: How reputations, culture and incentives influence knowledge transfer", The Learning Organisation 13 (1) (2006), pp. 7-24.
[35] McCann, J.E & Syke, J.H. (2004) "Strategically integrating knowledge management initiatives", Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol.8, No.1, pp 47-63.
[36] McKinlay, A. (2002), "The limits of knowledge management", New Technology, Work and Employment, Vol. 17 No.2, pp.76-88.
[37] Ndedla, N.D and Du Toit A.S.A , (2001) "Establishing a knowledge management programme for competitive advantage in an enterprise", International Journal of Information Management Vol. 21 pp. 151-165.
[38] Nevo, D and Chan, Y.E (2007) "A Delphi study of knowledge management systems: Scope and requirements" Information and Management, Vol.44, pp: 583-597,
[39] Newell, S. (2001), "From global knowledge management to internal electronic fences: contradictory outcomes of intranet development", British Journal of Management, Vol. 12 No.2, pp.92-106.
[40] Patton, K. and Carlsen, A., (1998), Strategies, techniques and tools for knowledge reuse, Internal Report, Sintef, Trondheim, Norway, pp 1-24.
[41] Rezgui, Y (2007) "Knowledge systems and value creation: An action research investigation", Industrial Management & Data System, Vol. 107 No. 2, pp: 166-182.
[42] Riege, A (2005) "Three-dozen knowledge-sharing barriers managers must conside" Journal of Knowledge Management, Volume:9, issue 3, pp 18-35.
[43] Ruggles, R (1998), "The state of the notion: knowledge management in practice", California Management Review, Vol. 40 No.3, pp.80-9.
[44] Sabherwal, R and Becerra, F (2003) "An empirical study of the effect of knowledge management processes at individual, group and organizational levels" Decision Sciences, 34, p:225.
[45] Scarbrough, H, Swan, J. (1999), Case Studies in Knowledge Management, IPD, New York, NY.
[46] Sor, R. (2004), "Information technology and organisational structure - vindicating theories from the past", Management Decision, Vol. 42 No.2, pp.316-29.
[47] Stewart, T.A. (1997), Intellectual Capital: The New Wealth of Organizations, Currency Doubleday, New York, NY.
[48] Storey, J. and Barnett, E (2000) "Knowledge Management Initiatives: Learning From Failure". Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol.4, No.2, pp 145-156.
[49] Swan, J (1999), in Scarbrough, H, Swan, J (Eds), Case Studies in Knowledge Management, IPD, London.
[50] Ulrich, D. (1998) Intellectual Capital = Competence Commitment, Sloan Management Review, winter, pp 15-26.
[51] Useem, M. (1996), Investor Capitalism: How Money Managers are Changing the Face of Corporate America, Basic Books, New York, N.
[52] Tiwana, A. (2001), "The Knowledge Management Toolkit: Practical Techniques for Building Knowledge Management Systems", Prentice- Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.
[53] Yeh, Y.J., Lai, S.Q., Ho, C.T. (2006), "Knowledge management enablers: a case study", Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol. 106 No.6, pp.798-810.
[54] Wild, R.H., Griggs, K.A., Downing, T. (2002), "A framework for elearning as a tool for knowledge management", Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol. 102 No.7, pp.371-80.
[55] Wilson, T. (2002, October) "The nonsense of knowledge management, Information Research", available at http://informationr.net/ir/8- 1/paper144.html┬© Last accessed September 10, 2008
[56] Ying, J.Y., Sun-Quae, L., and Chin-Tsang, H (2006) "Knowledge management enablers: a case study", Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol.106 No. 6, pp: 793-810.