Success Factors For Effective Use Of Km Systems In Smes

Knowledge Management (KM) is the process of creating, sharing, using and managing organizational knowledge and information. Some Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (hereafter SMEs) may set up wikis or other knowledge management systems (hereafter KMS) which can be free of charge and easy to do. However, many do not take full advantage of KM as they have tight resource constraints and do not have a formal system implementation process in place. Furthermore, they overlook the importance of organisational culture and treat it as a software installation, leading to KMS implementation failure. Here we explore topics related to KM and KMS in SME settings. We discuss characteristics of SMEs, exploring resource and staffing challenges faced. The concept of tacit and explicit knowledge country (e.g. Japan and US) preferences is noted. We explain different frameworks in KM, including the SECI model for the conversion between tacit and explicit knowledge, and introduce a result driven model aligning business needs with knowledge creation. Thematic analysis explains the main issues affecting SMEs when using KM. With NVivo qualitative analysis software, topics emerging from data collection grouped into themes, resulted in a network of relationships. We show organisational culture plays a crucial role with KM based on a culture of sharing knowledge and information. Trust is required, as people will not share knowledge if there is a threat of losing influence. Technology can make KM more efficient however it should not be the centrepiece of KM.