Effective Knowledge Management in Knowledge-intensive Organizations

This paper outlines an approach to determine the effectiveness of knowledge management (KM) in knowledge intensive organizations. ‘Effectiveness’ implies embedding KM processes in an organizational context. We introduce the Knowledge Governance Framework that includes knowledge resources, knowledge development, three types of KM, and organizational objectives. We applied the framework in two case studies to identify the three types of KM (operational KM, maintenance KM, and long-term KM), to determine what knowledge-intensive organizations regard to be effective KM and how they measure the effectiveness. Both cases indicate relations between ‘use and development of knowledge resources’ and ‘business objectives’, but the relations are managed only on a limited scale and on an ad-hoc basis. We found that KM objectives can be qualitative, implicit, and emergent (case one) as well as explicit (the use of business cases for portal investments; case two). We conclude with two hypothesis to be tested in further research.