Critical Review of a Journal Article – Ensuring the Effectiveness of a Knowledge Management Initiative
Critical Review of a Journal Article – Ensuring the effectiveness of a Knowledge Management Initiative
(James Bishop, Dino Bouchlaghem, Jacqueline Glass & Isao Matsumoto, 2008)
Introduction
Knowledge Management (KM) initiatives are the different approaches adopted by companies which incorporate the shared characteristic of a company’s commitment to developing the flow of knowledge and the maintaining the use and dissemination of knowledge to create economic value (Clarke & Rollo, 2001). Bishop et al. (2008) in the article share the same underlying belief. They stress that the term KM initiative, represents an organization’s approach towards knowledge management and encompasses both human and system components. KM initiatives therefore involve a more holistic approach to managing knowledge, rather than just a systems or information technology (IT) oriented approach. The article particularly lays emphasis on the people factor and people related practices aimed at providing effective KM solutions, within construction firms. Although the context here is of UK based construction firms, the article analyzes the impact on employees and seeks to provide recommendations that are generally applicable across organizations. Further on, it continues to identify several critical factors that ensure the effectiveness of a knowledge management initiative through the stages of pre, post and during implementation. This review attempts to critically analyze whether the article has been successful in doing so and in the process to also bring out some of the key strengths and limitations of the article.
The review commences with addressing two main arguments of whether the critical factors stated by the article are in fact a comprehensive set of the most crucial success factors and secondly whether the article indeed lays adequate emphasis on the people (soft) component and covers all aspects of this component, as it claims to. The third argument of the review questions
(James Bishop, Dino Bouchlaghem, Jacqueline Glass & Isao Matsumoto, 2008)
Introduction
Knowledge Management (KM) initiatives are the different approaches adopted by companies which incorporate the shared characteristic of a company’s commitment to developing the flow of knowledge and the maintaining the use and dissemination of knowledge to create economic value (Clarke & Rollo, 2001). Bishop et al. (2008) in the article share the same underlying belief. They stress that the term KM initiative, represents an organization’s approach towards knowledge management and encompasses both human and system components. KM initiatives therefore involve a more holistic approach to managing knowledge, rather than just a systems or information technology (IT) oriented approach. The article particularly lays emphasis on the people factor and people related practices aimed at providing effective KM solutions, within construction firms. Although the context here is of UK based construction firms, the article analyzes the impact on employees and seeks to provide recommendations that are generally applicable across organizations. Further on, it continues to identify several critical factors that ensure the effectiveness of a knowledge management initiative through the stages of pre, post and during implementation. This review attempts to critically analyze whether the article has been successful in doing so and in the process to also bring out some of the key strengths and limitations of the article.
The review commences with addressing two main arguments of whether the critical factors stated by the article are in fact a comprehensive set of the most crucial success factors and secondly whether the article indeed lays adequate emphasis on the people (soft) component and covers all aspects of this component, as it claims to. The third argument of the review questions
References: Al-Alawi, A., Al-Marzooqi, N., & Mohammed, Y. (2007). Organizational culture and knowledge sharing: critical success factors. Journal of Knowledge Management, 11(2), 22-42. Al-Ghasani, A Clark, T., & Rollo, C. (2001). Corporate initiatives in knowledge management. Education and Training, 4(5), 206-241. Haider, S Holsapple, C. W., & Joshi, K. D. (2000). An investigation of factors that influence the management of knowledge in organizations. Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 9, 235-261. Kaschig, A., Maier, R., Sandow, A., & Thalmann, S McKenzie, J., Truc, A., & Winkelen, C. (2001). Winning commitment for knowledge management initiatives. Journal of change management, 2(2), 115-127. Morgan, D., & Zeffane, R Preuss, L., & Cordoba-Pachon, J. (2009). A knowledge management perspective of corporate social responsibility. Corporate Governance, 9(4), 517-527. Pukkila, J Sajeva, S., & Jecivicius, R. (2010). Determination of essential knowledge management system components and their parameters. Social Sciences, 67(1), 80-90. Wong, K