Knowledge management in practice: An exploratory case study

Abstract

Knowledge has been identified as one of the most important resources that contributes to the competitive advantage of an organization. The organizational and social issues associated with the development, implementation and use of information technology have increasingly attracted the attention of knowledge management researchers. The paper is based on an empirical investigation of knowledge sharing processes from an international organization, Buckman Laboratories. Through the socio-technical perspective, the paper traces the interactions between knowledge management practices and the organizational context. On the basis of the research, we propose a perspective of socio-technical theory relevant to knowledge management within organizations. We conclude that management and leadership play a critical role in establishing the multi-level context for the effective assimilation of knowledge management practice.