Knowledge management process effectiveness: measurement of preliminary knowledge management implementation

While knowledge management (KM) has been widely discussed by many academics and practitioners, measurement is undoubtedly the least developed aspect of KM due to the intangibility of knowledge assets. It is of paramount importance to establish performance measures at different stages of KM implementation even from the beginning so that its effectiveness can be identified. This paper thus serves to explore KM performance measurement from the angle of KM process effectiveness. Through the data collected from 289 managers in the Malaysian telecommunication industry, where KM implementation is just beginning to take place, significant interactions were found between four of the five proposed KM preliminary success factors (i.e. business strategy, K audit, K map, KM team) and all four KM elements of strategies (i.e. technology, culture, leadership, measurement) with KM process effectiveness. The findings of this study serve as a guide for organizations in driving their KM journey and reaching their destinations even at the beginning stage of their KM implementation. Knowledge Management Research & Practice (2009) 7, 142-151. doi: 10.1057/kmrp.2009.5