Maturity Levels in Knowledge Management - a Case Study Approach

The purpose of this paper is to analyse if knowledge management maturity models can be applied in corporate practice. So far, empirical studies have mainly examined the influence of knowledge management ( KM) on innovation and have identified KM success factors. The underlying assumption is that more KM leads to more innovation and an improved corporate success. Therefore, a thorough KM application is recommended. Little attention has been paid to the question which level of KM application is effective and efficient for a company. This paper tries to close this gap using the concept of KM maturity. It investigates if different KM maturity levels can be identified in corporate practice and in how far they are influenced by specific factors, e.g. company size. To answer the research questions, exploratory case studies were conducted through semi-structured qualitative interviews with representatives from ten northern German companies. The results show that the practical applicability of KM maturity models is still limited. None of the companies can be categorized to have a high KM maturity level despite their multiple use of KM tools. As influence factors the size of a company and an externally certified quality management were identified. Other factors like the industry, R&D spending, and the kind of products or services offered do not reveal a clear impact. The paper contributes to the understanding of KM maturity and its influence factors and thus provides the foundation for further empirical research. Moreover, the findings help organisations to position their KM efforts.