The Second International Conference on Innovations in Information Technology (IIT’05) MAXIMIZING RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI) IN A GLOBAL MARKET: CHIEF KNOWLEDGE OFFICER (CKO) ADDING VALUE BY CONNECTING PEOPLE, TECHNOLOGY AND PROCESSES

The objective of this study is to provide organizations with a pragmatic understanding of how the role and position of Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO) is connecting people, technology & processes in a competitive environment to achieve maximum return on investment (ROI) ahead of the competition in a global market. The main research question addressed by this study is whether the role and position of a CKO has an effect on the outcome of the return on investments, and specifically whether the CKO affects the process of organizational structure. Various issues are considered including, what the concept of knowledge management (KM) entails in a growing knowledge economy, and what the KM trends are in the global market? An in-depth review of theory, research, and practice is undertaken to understand the current organizational structure with the CKO’s developing role and position. The study also explains how the strategic gaps between technology, and knowledge processes, could be connected in strengthening the organizational business model. Five years of KM research, case studies and surveys, and interviews of KM leadership from corporations are used to provide real world understanding of the value add of the CKO’s to the organization’s bottom-line. The study also considers the effect the changing competitive environment has which includes an investigation of the reasons why the global market can and should support a CKO in the organizational structure. Specifically, this study considers the skills and competencies of CKO as a leader and manager in the 21 century. This study investigates whether the current global market offers sufficient accommodation to the CKO role and position. Lastly, this study investigates how information technology applications and KM systems and strategies can support the CKO strategic role and position in strengthening both the tangible and intangible benefits of KM to the organization.