A KM model for public administration: the case of Labour Ministry

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of organizational elements and the performance of knowledge management (KM).

Design/methodology/approach

The results of a research project dealing with the effect of organizational elements and the performance of KM are presented. Seven main independent variables were identified – organizational culture, organizational structure, technology, human resources, transparency of documents, flow of information and communication, and training – and these were tested against creation, dissemination and store of knowledge, together with implementation of KM (cycle of KM) using the multi‐variable regression test. As an empirical study, the Ministry of Labour of Iran was chosen for a case study. The empirical data used in this paper were collected through a questionnaire survey.

Findings

The results reveal that four of the independent variables have impact on the cycle of KM. Although only some of the independent variables have impact on the effective management of knowledge, other variables should not be ignored totally, as they are still very important for some organizations.

Originality/value

The paper presents a KM model for public administration, illustrating the case of the Ministry of Labour in Iran.

Citation

Monavvarian, A. and Kasaei, M. (2007), "A KM model for public administration: the case of Labour Ministry", VINE, Vol. 37 No. 3, pp. 348-367. https://doi.org/10.1108/03055720710825654