identifying and ranking factors affecting successful implementation of knowledge management

in the developed countries, many organizations are regarded as knowledge-based businesses in which knowledge management is necessary. today, this science is changing into integral activity of business in organizations. one of the concerns of knowledge management is its implementation.many companies and organizations which try to start knowledge management don’t ensure that the best approach is determined to accept it. many studies have been conducted to identify factors effective on successful implementation of knowledge management but few studies have been conducted on prioritization of these factors. in this research, a method was presented to prioritize factors effective on successful implementation of knowledge management using analytic network process in which factors effective on successful implementation of knowledge management were identified considering main criteria of human resources, leadership and structure, knowledge creation and acquisition, knowledge maintenance, sharing and transfer of knowledge along with their sub criteria and they were expanded and ranked in an anp network (analytical network process) with super decision software. it was found that the main criterion of human resources among criteria of human resources, leadership and structure, knowledge creation and acquisition, knowledge maintenance, sharing and transfer of knowledge was ranked 1 with significant difference from other criteria and criterion of leadership and structure was ranked 2 in terms of importance and the experts also found that sub index of human resources creativity empowerment was more important than other sub index of human resources as the most important factor in criterion of human resources. this process can be used to help the managers and planners reduce expenses of the organization through effective and successful execution of knowledge management and optimal use of knowledge management in the organizations