Linking organizational knowledge management driver to knowledge management performance

Abstract

Despite the active interest in managing organizational knowledge as a strategic resource, most organizations do not yet understand the challenges involved in implementing knowledge management initiatives. Up to now, unfortunately, many attempts to implement knowledge management were almost same as attempts to information management. These phenomena resulted from the fact that preexisting information systems planning methods were adopted in knowledge management projects without due consideration. To make matters worse, the lack of proper framework for evalu-ating knowledge management initiatives made knowledge management cast in doubt. To address these issues, this research aims at suggesting an integrative methodology for planning knowledge management initiatives and a general framework for evaluating related components and their outcomes. At first, four major underpinning assumptions which should be addressed in knowledge man-agement are identified through literature review on SISP and knowledge management. Based on them, this study proposes a knowledge strategy planning methodology for bringing them to the fore-front, the $P^2-KSP$ methodology consisting of the five phases: Business environment analysis, Knowledge requirement analysis, Knowledge management strategy establishment, Knowledge management architecture design, and Knowledge management implementation planning. The $P^2-KSP$ methodology places its emphasis on improving organizational performance by identifying and leveraging knowledge directly related to organizational performance and business process. After details of its procedures and features are explained, results of applying it into a large semiconductor manufacturer’s knowledge management project are discussed. The second objective of this research is to investigate the relationships between various knowledge management drivers and performance. In this study, nine key drivers were classified into cultural, structural, technical, and managerial...