» The Effect of Knowledge Management Context on Knowledge Management Practices: An Empirical Investigation

Brian Detlor1, Umar Ruhi1, Ofir Turel1, Pierrette Bergeron2, Chun Wei Choo3, Lorna Heaton2, Scott Paquette3

1 DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University, Canada
2 Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
3 Faculty of Information Studies, University of Toronto, Canada

Published in: Volume 4 Issue 2 April 2006.

This paper explores the influence of an organization’s context or environment on knowledge creation, sharing and use practices at both organizational and personal levels. Drawing upon key works from the information science and knowledge management literatures, namely Marchand et al.’s (2001) theory of Information Orientation, and Detlor’s (2004) review of theory on organizational information environments, a research model is produced. This model recognizes the existence of a Knowledge Management Environment (KME) which symbolizes the culture and commitment within an organization to implement and institutionalize effective information and knowledge sharing processes, practices and technologies. The research model also recognizes two types of information behaviors: Organizational Information Behaviors (OIB) which represent information and knowledge sharing practices at the corporate level; and Personal Information Behaviors (PIB) which concern an individual’s own actions in carrying out information and knowledge sharing practices. Moreover, the model suggests that a firm’s KME impacts OIB and PIB and that OIB impact PIB as well. Further, the model suggests that certain demographic variables about organizational participants (e.g. age, biological sex, job category, and years spent in the company) may mediate the influencing effect of the KME on OIB and PIB, and OIB on PIB.

To test the predictive power of the model, a Web-based survey was administered to over 400 professional and support staff workers in a national law firm and the results were analyzed using structural equation modeling techniques. An examination of the measurement model revealed the psychometric robustness and appropriateness of the survey measurement items and their corresponding latent variables. An examination of the structural model supported all three hypotheses, as depicted in the study’s research model, with high degrees of confidence. Namely: 1) a firm’s knowledge management environment impacts organizational information behaviors; 2) a firm’s knowledge management environment impacts personal information behaviors; and 3) organizational information behaviors impact personal information behaviors. The results showed that 17% of the variance in organizational in organizational information behaviors could be attributed to the knowledge management environment, and that it was the combination of the knowledge management environment and organizational information behaviors that explained over 19% of the variance in personal information behaviors. In terms of the effect of moderator variables, results indicated: 1) professional males perceive the knowledge management environment to be stronger than others perceive it to be; 2) professionals tend to share more information with colleagues and customers than support and administrative staff do; 3) older personnel are more apt to share information with others than younger personnel; and 4) the more time employees spend in an organization, the lower are their perceptions of other employees’ information sharing behaviors.

Based on these findings, the authors recommend that organizations promote a strong KME, namely through the establishment of formal knowledge management policies and procedures and the implementation of requisite technology infrastructures, as well as strong OIB by creating incentives for employees to work collaboratively and share their knowledge with one another. From a theoretical standpoint, the study provides empirical evidence which supports theory from the information science and knowledge management literatures that explains the relationship between knowledge management context and knowledge management practices at both organizational and personal levels. Importantly, the study’s results promote the need for more research in this area.

Keywords: Knowledge management behaviour, knowledge management practices, knowledge management context, knowledge management environment, knowledge sharing, corporate strategy.

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