How are Knowledge Management Systems Different from Information Systems,and Who Cares?

Knowledge has long been identified as a key resource for organizations. Due to recent technological convergence and cost reductions, information and communication technologies (ICT) have renewed focus on organizational knowledge assets and how to manage them. Knowledge management systems (ICT systems that capture, store and distribute the knowledge of the firm) have been popularized in the national press, and consulting firms are racing to market technical knowledge solutions to their clients. However, what is the difference between a knowledge management system and a traditional information system, and does this distinction matter? The purpose of this paper is to clearly delineate the similarities and differences between these systems, and I argue that in fact, the distinctions are critical to both the performance of the knowledge management system as well as the success of the organization

A Framework for Successful Knowledge Management Implementation

This paper examines how an organization can use information technologies, in the form of a knowledge management system (KMS), to leverage the knowledge base of the firm. This paper proposes that one aspect of knowledge management is the capture and integration of intellectual capital, residing in a firm’s employees, through the expansion of social capital, residing at the level of the firm. Based on this proposition, the success of a knowledge management system can be measured. A model of KMS Success is developed drawing from literature in the fields of information systems and strategic management. This model proposes that there are three main components to determine KMS success: system quality, knowledge quality, and organizational environment. A theory is presented that predicts if the technology and the knowledge fit the needs of the users, and if there is proper alignment of the organizational environment, the result will be high system usage. KMS success, a measure of the increase in the firm’s social capital, can be determined by examining system usage

Creative Ties and Ties That Bind: Examining the Impact of Weak Ties on Individual Performance

This paper examines whether the information sources used by knowledge workers have an impact on individual performance and creativity. Although it is widely recognized that new knowledge is created through the combination and exchange of existing knowledge, there is a large variety of knowledge sources available to individuals. In this study, we examine whether individual performance varies as a result of (1) individual factors, (2) usage of a variety of information sources, (3) reliance on colocated colleagues, or (4) participation in an organizational electronic community. Results indicate that experience and education predict general performance, regardless of the type of information sources used. However, the type of information sources used by individuals relates significantly to creativity. Reliance on colocated colleagues results in less creativity while participation in an electronic community leads to higher creativity. Additional analysis reveals that participation in the electronic community does not have a direct effect on creativity, rather participation has a direct impact on the acquisition of new knowledge, which in turn influences creativity. Group tenure and type of participation (posting questions vs. responses) are also important predictors whose effects are fully mediated through knowledge acquisition. Finally, professional commitment did not contribute toknowledge exchange in the electronic community, rather professional commitment had a direct effect on creativity

Online discussion group sustainability: Investigating the interplay between structural dynamics and social dynamics over time

Online discussion groups have become an increasingly popular way to create social networks where individuals congregate electronically to share advice and ideas. In order to better understand sustainability, we propose that research needs to go beyond examining quantitative changes in the structural dynamics of online discussion groups (such as membership size and message volume) and include investigation of the social dynamics characterizing the underlying qualities of the interactions among members. We take a mixed-methods approach to provide qualitative and empirical support for our theory by investigating the dynamics of one successful online discussion group over a five-year period. Our data set includes all 150,267 messages posted to 27,743 threads by 9,042 unique individuals over a five year period in a group that is focused on sharing advice about a medical topic (back pain). We find support for our hypotheses that 1) shifts in the structural and social dynamics underlying resource availability lead to changes in communication activities, but in unexpected ways: Fewer members contributed significantly more message volume. In turn, 2) shifts in the structural and social dynamics underlying communication activities lead to changes in coping strategies: As message volume increased and became more social, members increased their efforts and were less likely to defect. Finally, 3) shifts in the structural and social dynamics underlying coping strategies lead to changes in attraction and retention: as individual efforts increased, more individuals were retained; however, fewer new members were attracted to join the group. Our main thesis is that each online discussion group is a product of its structural and social dynamics in combination, and the influence of these factors on sustainability is best understood when they are examined in relation to each other over time

Public Goods or Virtual Commons? Applying Theories of Public Goods, Social Dilemmas, and Collective Action to Electronic Networks of Practice

Electronic networks of practice are self-organizing, open activity systems focused on a shared practice that exist primarily through computer-mediated communication. These networks create a public good of knowledge that is available to anyone in the network, making it easy for individuals to free-ride on the efforts of others. Theories of collective action are reviewed to explain why individuals choose to actively participate in collective activities when the rational individual decision would be to free-ride on the efforts of others. These theories are applied to examine participation in electronic networks of practice, suggesting that participation in these networks is dependent upon 1) the attributes of the individuals in the collective, 2) the relational structure of social ties between individuals in the collective, 3) the norms of behavior of the collective, 4) the affective factors of the collective, and 5) the development of sanctions for noncompliance with network norms. This paper discusses how the ability of a network to leverage these factors to promote collective action is dependent upon the openness of the network, the extent to which the relationships in the collective are based on computer-mediated communication, and the extent to which the critical resources in the network are characterized by public or private goods

The Provision of Online Public Goods: Examining Social Structure in a Network of Practice

Networks of practice (NOPs) are social spaces where individuals working on similar problems self-organize to help each other and share perspectives about their occupational practice or common interests, and exist primarily through computer-mediated exchange. This exchange of knowledge through message postings produces an online public good, where all participants in the network can access the knowledge, regardless of their contribution. Thus, this research builds upon theories of collective action and public goods to better understand the provision and maintenance of knowledge in a network of practice. We use social network analysis to examine the following research questions: (1) What is the pattern of contribution that produces and sustains the public good? (2) Are NOPs maintained by a critical mass? (3) How does the heterogeneity of resources and interests of participants impact the collective action of the NOP? We find that the network of practice is sustained through generalized exchange, is supported by a critical mass of active members, and is shaped as a star. The critical mass is significantly related to tenure in the occupation, expertise, availability of local resources, and desire to enhance oneís reputation

Collective Action and Knowledge Contribution in Electronic Networks of Practice

Although there has been a significant increase in networked communication and a growing interest in virtual organizing, to date researchers have yet to establish consistent terminology and have paid little attention to how specific characteristics of the electronic network influence social dynamics such as knowledge contribution. To address this gap, we develop a theoretical model and a set of propositions that explain knowledge contribution in voluntary, computer-mediated, very large and open networks focused on knowledge exchange around a specific practice. We base our model on theories of social networks and collective action to explain how a social network of volunteers sustains productive exchanges between individuals, such as the exchange of knowledge. We utilize the concept of a network of practice to illustrate how the macrostructural properties of the communication media, network size, access to the network, and mode of participation affect network dynamics and knowledge contribution. We then develop a model and a set of propositions to suggest that knowledge contribution within an electronic network of practice is dependent upon 1) the macrostructural properties of the network, 2) the structure of ties that create the network, 3) the relational quality of ties that develop between individuals and the network as a whole, 4) the use of social controls, and 5) the distribution of individual motivations and resources in the network. We further predict that knowledge contribution influences the distribution of individual motivations and resources, as well as serves to create and recreate network structure over time. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of our theory for current and future research

Electronic Networks of

Abstract Although there has been a significant increase in networked communication and a growing interest in virtual organizin