Measuring the Impact of Knowledge Sharing on the Planning Permission Process in Malaysian Local Authorities

Knowledge sharing is a fundamental knowledge management process. For large organizations like local authorities, the ability to effectively share knowledge across organizations can lead to improved service delivery and the achievement of best practices. Hence, the degree to which an organization effectively applies knowledge sharing initiatives is an indicator of the organization’s knowledge management development; yet organizations still struggle to measure the gains it promises to offer. This paper aims to explore and measure the impact of knowledge sharing and also explores the challenges which organizations face in delivering effective policies, particularly in their role in the planning permission process. The paper draws from an ongoing PhD programme; it also draws on a thorough review of the literature and on data obtained from local authorities in Malaysia. The paper highlights the potential benefits of knowledge sharing in organizations. The paper concludes that measuring the impact of knowledge sharing in local authorities is challenging. The findings also indicate that organizational performance is dependent on the effective use and management of knowledge sharing initiatives.