Mechanisms for Knowledge Management Systems Effectiveness: An Exploratory Analysis

Knowledge management systems (KMS) have been implemented in many organizations, yet little research exists to guide their successful development and implementation in practice. In fact, while some firms achieve successful outcomes with regard to their IT endeavours, others continue to fall victim to the technology productivity paradox. Further, little is known about the diversity of both systems and organizations that have successfully implemented them. This article, through an analysis of successful case studies of knowledge management systems, explores the underlying mechanisms under which knowledge management systems effectiveness is most likely to occur. The findings imply that three categories of mechanisms constitute important preconditions for knowledge management systems effectiveness;......
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Mechanisms for Knowledge Management Systems Effectiveness: An Exploratory Analysis Knowledge and Process Management Volume 12 Number 3 pp 203–216 (2005) Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/kpm.231 & Research Article Mechanisms for Knowledge Management Systems Effectiveness: An Exploratory Analysis Hind Benbya* and Nassim Aissa Belbaly e-Business Management School, University of Lecce–ISUFI, Lecce, Italy Knowledge management systems (KMS) have been implemented in many organizations, yet little research exists to guide their successful development and implementation in practice. In fact, while some firms achieve successful outcomes with regard to their IT endeavours, others continue to fall victim to the technology productivity paradox. Further, little is known about the diversity of both systems and organizations that have successfully implemented them. This article, through an analysis of successful case studies of knowledge management systems, explores the underlying mechanisms under which knowledge management systems effective- ness is most likely to occur. The findings imply that three categories of mechanisms constitute important preconditions for knowledge management systems effectiveness; they range from cultural to structural and managerial mechanisms. Copyright # 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. INTRODUCTION manage the knowledge it possesses. This aware- ness is one of the main reasons for the exponential It has become largely agreed today that organiza- growth of knowledge management systems (KMS). tional knowledge such as operational routines, KMS are enabling technologies that support knowl- skills or know-how are the most valuable organiza- edge management in organizations (Ruggles, 1997). tional resources of a firm. This perspective builds There are a number of perspectives on KMS, upon and extends the resource-based view (RBV) and different typologies concerning such systems of the firm initially promoted by Penrose (1959) have been developed in the literature. In fact, while and expanded by others (Barney, 1991; Prahalad Hansen et al. (1999) distinguish them under the and Hamel, 1990; Teece et al., 1997). The premise personalization/codification perspective, Ruggles of the RBV is that organizations employ a mix of (1997) classifies them according to the knowledge acquisition and configuration of resources to management process they support. While this change how their business is accomplished. Knowl- growing literature is a good indication of the edge is often the basis for the effective utilization of importance of such systems for both theory and many important resources. In this context, informa- practice, little research exists to guide their success- tion and communication technologies may play an ful development and implementation in practice important role in effectuating the knowledge-based (Alavi and Leidner, 1999). In fact, while some firms view of the firm by enhancing a firm’s capability to achieve successful outcomes with regard to their IT endeavours, others continue to fall victim to the technology productivity paradox. Further, little is *Correspondence to: Hind Benbya, e-Business Management known about the diversity of both systems and School, University of Lecce–ISUFI, Via per Monteroni sn 73100 Lecce, Italy. organizations that have successfully implemented E-mail: Hind.Benbya@ebms.unile.it KMS. To address these issues, the current study Copyright # 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. RESEARCH ARTICLE Knowledge and Process Management reports the result from a multiple case study of resources and outputs associated with business KMS. In particular, this article has two main objec- processes. Taking into account that the goal of pro- tives. The first is to show through examples the role cess modelling is to reach a common understand- and practical applications of KMS. The second is to ing about how activities should be carried out analyse how some companies succeeded in deploy- (e.g. in which order) and what it produces, it has ing KMS, in particular with regard to the mechan- become largely agreed that knowledge manage- isms they deployed to achieve success. The paper is ment activities should be integrated within day- organized as follows. The first section presents a to-day business processes to ensure continual short overview of previous literature concerning process improvement and facilitate learning and KMS. In the second section the research methodol- the gradual development of organizational ogy will be explained, while the third section dis- memory. The main approaches that have tried to cusses our main findings concerning KMS types develop a systematic method to integrate knowl- in practice and mechanisms for success. Finally edge management into business processes are the we present the conclusions and indicate future common KADS methodology (see Schreiber et al., research issues. 1999), the knowledge value chain approach (Weggeman, 1998), model-based knowledge management ...