Dimensions of organisational knowledge management (OKM). A study on malaysian managers using the multidimensional USQ KM scale

Abstract

[Abstract]The case for knowledge management (KM) is firmly established in the wealth of extant literature available and is well corroborated in business best practices. However, the broad scope of KM and its multiple approaches in varied contexts,while credited for their diversity and flexibility, also call for greater universality and coherence in several areas, one of which is in the assessment of organisational knowledge management (OKM) practice. While literature attests to the dynamics of the different dimensions of KM, very limited research has been conducted using a standardised multidimensional scale. This dissertation pertains to the application of an in-house developed instrument, called the USQ KM scale, to empirically study the three key dimensions of OKM identified through literature review, namely OKM strategy, OKM culture and OKM process/technology. The instrument was employed to assess the extent of OKM practice in organisations in Malaysia. Results of the survey on 153 managers provided insights into the state of OKM practice in Malaysia while confirming the mutually dependent relationship between the three dimensions of OKM and giving rise to the researcher’s proposed conceptual tripartite OKM model. In addition, demographic factors such as the number of years of service in the organisation and years of service in a specific organisational role were found to have an impact on OKM, supporting previous empirically tested truths about OKM besides revealing a few unique traits in the Malaysian sample. The implications of the study for organisations in Malaysia as well as in other developing countries within similar contexts are especially meaningful for smaller local businesses without the benefit of multinational affiliations usually associated with superior KM capability afforded by greater economies of scale and more sizeable budgets for infrastructure support.