The usage of knowledge management tools in China: A task-technology fit perspective

Abstract

Although knowledge management has been studied in a variety of aspects, the nature of the factors influencing utilization of knowledge management technologies has not been well understood so far. In this study, a model was developed to investigate the utilization of KM technologies, specifically, Knowledge Portals, from the Task-Technology Fit perspective. An empirical study was conducted in the Chinese consulting industry to test the validity of the model. The results show that knowledge tacitness, output quality, and compatibility serve as predictors of utilization. Utilization and compatibility are indicators of impact. Task-Technology Fit is moderately related to utilization and impact. The findings drawn from this study are important contributions to the existing literature. The moderated regression analysis used in this study overcomes the shortcomings of previous methods and extends the application scope of the Task-Technology Fit model to a knowledge management context.