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Knowledge access, creation and transfer in e‐government portals

Dion Hoe‐Lian Goh (Division of Information Studies, Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)
Alton Yeow‐Kuan Chua (Division of Information Studies, Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)
Brendan Luyt (Division of Information Studies, Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)
Chei Sian Lee (Division of Information Studies, Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore)

Online Information Review

ISSN: 1468-4527

Article publication date: 20 June 2008

4771

Abstract

Purpose

Knowledge management (KM) is an important consideration in e‐government portals to ensure that knowledge flows efficiently between governments, individuals and organisations. A crucial aspect of e‐government portals that has not been addressed adequately is the extent to which KM mechanisms have been implemented. Specifically, the authors argue that appropriate KM mechanisms are necessary to support the access, creation and transfer of knowledge between these portals and their users. The paper aims to propose an evaluation model for this purpose by first defining the main KM mechanisms and then burrowing deeper into their constituent dimensions.

Design/methodology/approach

An evaluation model known as knowledge access, creation and transfer (K‐ACT) is presented which identifies three KM mechanisms for portals: knowledge access, creation and transfer. Each mechanism is characterised by a set of dimensions and sub‐dimensions representing the tools and features for supporting that mechanism. The model was derived from an analysis of the literature and validated by two independent reviewers who were trained in information science, were familiar with the objectives of the project and understood the concepts underlying KM implementation in portals. Using this model, a checklist was developed and applied to 60 e‐government portals in the Asian and North American regions to investigate the extent to which these KM mechanisms have been implemented.

Findings

The findings indicate that, on average, e‐government portals featured only about 36 per cent of the KM mechanisms described in the model. Furthermore, no significant differences in the implementation of the KM mechanisms were found between the two regions' portals. The evaluation also offered potential areas for improvement based on the K‐ACT model.

Originality/value

The present work has developed an evaluation model known as K‐ACT which can be used to assess KM implementation gaps in e‐government portals. This model can also be generalised to other types of portals. The evaluation also provides insights into the state of KM processes in the portals of the Asian and North American regions.

Keywords

Citation

Hoe‐Lian Goh, D., Yeow‐Kuan Chua, A., Luyt, B. and Sian Lee, C. (2008), "Knowledge access, creation and transfer in e‐government portals", Online Information Review, Vol. 32 No. 3, pp. 348-369. https://doi.org/10.1108/14684520810889664

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2008, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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