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The role of organizational culture in the knowledge management process

Christina Ling-hsing Chang (Department of Information Management, National Pingtung University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan)
Tung-Ching Lin (Department of Information Management, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan)

Journal of Knowledge Management

ISSN: 1367-3270

Article publication date: 11 May 2015

35535

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to focus on the enhancement of knowledge management (KM) performance and the relationship between organizational culture and KM process intention of individuals because of the diversity of organizational cultures (which include results-oriented, tightly controlled, job-oriented, closed system and professional-oriented cultures). Knowledge is a primary resource in organizations. If firms are able to effectively manage their knowledge resources, then a wide range of benefits can be reaped such as improved corporate efficiency, effectiveness, innovation and customer service.

Design/methodology/approach

The survey methodology, which has the ability to enhance generalization of results (Dooley, 2001), was used to collect the data utilized in the testing of the research hypotheses.

Findings

Results- and job-oriented cultures have positive effects on employee intention in the KM process (creation, storage, transfer and application), whereas a tightly controlled culture has negative effects.

Research limitations/implications

However, it would have been better to use a longitudinal study to collect useful long-term data to understand how the KM process would be influenced when organizational culture dimensions are changed through/by management. This is the first limitation of this study. According to Mason and Pauleen (2003), KM culture is a powerful predictor of individual knowledge-sharing behavior, which is not included in this study. Thus, this is the second limitation of this paper. Moreover, national culture could be an important issue in the KM process (Jacks et al., 2012), which is the third limitation of this paper for not comprising it.

Practical implications

In researchers’ point of view, results- and job-oriented cultures have positive effects, whereas a tightly controlled culture has a negative effect on the KM process intention of the individual. These findings provide evidences that challenge the perspective of Kayworth and Leidner (2003) on this issue. As for practitioners, management has a direction to modify their organizational culture to improve the performance of KM process.

Social implications

Both behavioral and value perspectives of the organizational cultural dimensions (results-oriented, tightly control, job-oriented, sociability, solidarity, need for achievement and democracy) should be examined to ascertain their effects firstly on KM culture and then on the KM process intention of the individual. It is hoped that the current study will spawn future investigations that lead to the development of an integrated model which includes organizational culture, KM culture and the KM process intention of the individual.

Originality/value

The results-oriented, loosely controlled and job-oriented cultures will improve the effectiveness of the KM process and will also increase employees’ satisfaction and willingness to stay with the organization.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The author would like to acknowledge the constructive comments and encouragement of Professor Rory Chase, the Editor in Chief of JKM and anonymous reviewers.

Citation

Chang, C.L.-h. and Lin, T.-C. (2015), "The role of organizational culture in the knowledge management process", Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 19 No. 3, pp. 433-455. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-08-2014-0353

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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