Showing papers on "Knowledge sharing published in 2002"

Social Structure of Coopetition Within a Multiunit Organization: Coordination, Competition, and Intraorganizational Knowledge Sharing

Abstract: Drawing on a social network perspective of organizational coordination, this paper investigates the effectiveness of coordination mechanisms on knowledge sharing in intraorganizational networks that consist of both collaborative and competitive ties among organizational units. Internal knowledge sharing within a multiunit organization requires formal hierarchical structure and informal lateral relations as coordination mechanisms. Using sociometric techniques, this paper analyzes how formal hierarchical structure and informal lateral relations influence knowledge sharing and how interunit competition moderates the association between such coordination mechanisms and knowledge sharing in a large, multiunit company. Results show that formal hierarchical structure, in the form of centralization, has a significant negative effect on knowledge sharing, and informal lateral relations, in the form of social interaction, have a significant positive effect on knowledge sharing among units that compete with each other for market share, but not among units that compete with each other for internal resources.

Mining knowledge-sharing sites for viral marketing

Abstract: Viral marketing takes advantage of networks of influence among customers to inexpensively achieve large changes in behavior. Our research seeks to put it on a firmer footing by mining these networks from data, building probabilistic models of them, and using these models to choose the best viral marketing plan. Knowledge-sharing sites, where customers review products and advise each other, are a fertile source for this type of data mining. In this paper we extend our previous techniques, achieving a large reduction in computational cost, and apply them to data from a knowledge-sharing site. We optimize the amount of marketing funds spent on each customer, rather than just making a binary decision on whether to market to him. We take into account the fact that knowledge of the network is partial, and that gathering that knowledge can itself have a cost. Our results show the robustness and utility of our approach.

Knowledge Networks: Explaining Effective Knowledge Sharing in Multiunit Companies

Abstract: This paper introduces the concept of knowledge networks to explain why some business units are able to benefit from knowledge residing in other parts of the company while others are not. The core premise of this concept is that a proper understanding of effective interunit knowledge sharing in a multiunit firm requires a joint consideration of relatedness in knowledge content among business units and the network of lateral interunit relations that enables task units to access related knowledge. Results from a study of 120 new product development projects in 41 business units of a large multiunit electronics company showed that project teams obtained more existing knowledge from other units and completed their projects faster to the extent that they had short interunit network paths to units that possessed related knowledge. In contrast, neither network connections nor extent of related knowledge alone explained the amount of knowledge obtained and project completion time. The results also showed a contingent effect of having direct interunit relations in knowledge networks: While established direct relations mitigated problems of transferring noncodified knowledge, they were harmful when the knowledge to be transferred was codified, because they were less needed but still involved maintenance costs. These findings suggest that research on knowledge transfers and synergies in multiunit firms should pursue new perspectives that combine the concepts of network connections and relatedness in knowledge content.

Encouraging Knowledge Sharing: The Role of Organizational Reward Systems

Abstract: This article examines the role of monetary rewards in encouraging knowledge sharing in organizations through four mechanisms of knowledge sharing. We argue that the system of contributing knowledge to databases is the most amenable to rewards contingent on knowledge sharing behaviors because of opportunities for the reward allocator to measure the knowledge sharing behaviors. In the case of formal interactions within or across teams and work units, while rewards could be made partly contingent on knowledge sharing behaviors as in merit pay, rewards based on collective performance are also likely to be effective in creating a feeling of cooperation, ownership, and commitment among employees. In addition, we propose that team-based rewards and company wide incentives (profit sharing, gainsharing, and employee stock options) would be particularly instrumental in enhancing knowledge sharing within teams and across work units, respectively. In the case of knowledge sharing through informal interactions, the ke...

Knowledge-Sharing Dilemmas:

Abstract: The exchange of information among organizational employees is a vital component of the knowledge-management process. Modem information and telecommunication technology is available to support such exchanges across time and distance barriers. However, organizations investing in this type of technology often face difficulties in encouraging their employees to use the system to share their ideas. This paper elaborates on previous research, suggesting that sharing personal insights with one's co-workers may carry a cost for some individuals which may yield, at the aggregate level, a co-operation dilemma, similar to a public-good dilemma. A review of the research on different types of public-good dilemmas provides some indications of the specific interventions that may help organizations encourage the kind of social dynamics that will increase overall knowledge sharing. These interventions can be classified into three categories: interventions aimed at restructuring the pay-offs for contributing, those that tr...

Breaking the Myths of Rewards: An Exploratory Study of Attitudes about Knowledge Sharing

Abstract: Many CEOs and managers understand the importance of knowledge sharing among their employees and are eager to introduce the knowledge management paradigm in their organizations. However little is known about the determinants of the individual's knowledge sharing behavior. The purpose of this study is to develop an understanding of the factors affecting the individual's knowledge sharing behavior in the organizational context. The research model includes various constructs based on social exchange theory, self-efficacy, and theory of reasoned action. Research results from the field survey of 467 employees of four large, public organizations show that expected associations and contribution are the major determinants of the individual's attitude toward knowledge sharing. Expected rewards, believed by many as the most important motivating factor for knowledge sharing, are not significantly related to the attitude toward knowledge sharing. As expected, positive attitude toward knowledge sharing is found to lead to positive intention to share knowledge and, finally, to actual knowledge sharing behaviors.

Constructing knowledge societies : new challenges for tertiary education

Abstract: This report describes how tertiary education contributes to building up a country's capacity for participation in an increasingly knowledge-based world economy and investigates policy options for tertiary education that have the potential to enhance economic growth and reduce poverty. It examines the following questions: What is the importance of tertiary education for economic and social development? How should developing and transition countries position themselves to take full advantage of the potential contribution of tertiary education? How can the World Bank and other development agencies assist in this process? The report draws on ongoing Bank research and analysis on the dynamics of knowledge economies and on science and technology development. Using this background, it explores how countries can adapt and shape their tertiary education systems to confront successfully the combination of new and old challenges in the context of the rising significance for tertiary education of internal and international market forces. It examines the justification for continuing public support of tertiary education and the appropriate role of the state in support of knowledge-driven economic growth. Finally, it reviews the lessons from recent World Bank experience with support of tertiary education, including ways of minimizing the negative political impact of reforms, and makes recommendations for future Bank involvement.

Putting Patents in Context: Exploring Knowledge Transfer from MIT

Abstract: In this paper we explore the degree to which patents are representative of the magnitude, direction, and impact of the knowledge spilling out of the university by focusing on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and in particular, on the Departments of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. Drawing on both qualitative and quantitative data, we show that patenting is a minority activity: a majority of the faculty in our sample never patent, and publication rates far outstrip patenting rates. Most faculty members estimate that patents account for less than 10% of the knowledge that transfers from their labs. Our results also suggest that in two important ways patenting is not representative of the patterns of knowledge generation and transfer from MIT: patent volume does not predict publication volume, and those firms that cite MIT papers are in general not the same firms as those that cite MIT patents. However, patent volume is positively correlated with paper citations, suggesting that patent counts may be reasonable measures of research impact. We close by speculating on the implications of our results for the difficult but important question of whether, in this setting, patenting acts as a substitute or a complement to the process of fundamental research.

Knowledge Sharing Behavior of Physicians in Hospitals

Abstract: Recently, there has been much interest for knowledge sharing within professional group, especially physicians in hospital. This study investigates the factors affecting physician's knowledge sharing behavior within a hospital department by employing existing theories. The research models under investigation are the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). These models are empirically examined and compared based on the survey results on physicians' knowledge sharing behavior collected from 286 physicians practicing in 28 types of subunits in 13 tertiary hospitals in Korea. The TPB model exhibited good fit with the data and appeared to be superior to the TRA in explaining physicians' intention to share knowledge. In the modified TPB model, subjective norms were found to have the strongest total effects on behavioral intentions to share knowledge of physicians through direct and indirect path by attitude. Attitude was found to be the second important factor influencing physicians' intentions. Perceived behavioral control was also found to affect the intention to share knowledge, though in a lesser degree than subjective norms or attitudes. Implications are also discussed for physician's knowledge sharing activities.

Managing human resources toward achieving knowledge management

Abstract: This research examines the linkages between human resource management and knowledge management. Specifically, the association between four areas of human resource management (training, decision‐making, performance appraisal, and compensation and reward) with the five areas of knowledge management (knowledge acquisition, knowledge documentation, knowledge transfer, knowledge creation, knowledge application) is explored. The statistical results suggest that a knowledge organisation requires a different management approach than the non‐knowledge organisation. Hence, the role of human resource management is also unique. In terms of employee development, the focus should be placed on achieving quality, creativity, leadership, and problem solving skill. The design of a compensation and reward system should be on promoting group performance, knowledge sharing, and innovative thinking. The performance appraisal must be the base of evaluation of employee’s knowledge management practices, and an input for directing...

Knowledge management and the dynamic nature of knowledge

Abstract: Knowledge management (KM) or knowledge sharing in organizations is based on an understanding of knowledge creation and knowledge transfer In implementation, KM is an effort to benefit from the knowledge that resides in an organization by using it to achieve the organization's mission The transfer of tacit or implicit knowledge to explicit and accessible formats, the goal of many KM projects, is challenging, controversial, and endowed with ongoing management issues This article argues that effective knowledge management in many disciplinary contexts must be based on understanding the dynamic nature of knowledge itself The article critiques some current thinking in the KM literature and concludes with a view towards knowledge management programs built around knowledge as a dynamic process

MAFRA - A MApping FRAmework for Distributed Ontologies

Abstract: Ontologies as means for conceptualizing and structuring domain knowledge within a community of interest are seen as a key to realize the Semantic Web vision. However, the decentralized nature of the Web makes achieving this consensus across communities difficult, thus, hampering efficient knowledge sharing between them. In order to balance the autonomy of each community with the need for interoperability, mapping mechanisms between distributed ontologies in the Semantic Web are required. In this paper we present MAFRA, an interactive, incremental and dynamic framework for mapping distributed ontologies.

The New Knowledge Management: Complexity,Learning,and Sustainable Innovation

Abstract: From the Publisher: 'The New Knowledge Management' is the story of the birth of “second-generation knowledge management,” told from the perspective of one its chief architects, Mark W. McElroy. Unlike its first-generation cousin, second-generation Knowledge Management seeks to enhance knowledge production, not just knowledge sharing. As a result, 'The New Knowledge Management' expands the overall reach of knowledge management to include “innovation management” for the very first time. ‘The New Knowledge Management' introduces the concept of “second-generation knowledge management” to the business community. Mark W. McElroy has assembled a collection of his own essays, written over the past four years, chronicling the development of related thinking in the field. Unlike first-generation KM, mainly focusing on value derived from knowledge sharing, second-generation thinking formally adds knowledge making to the scope of KM. In this way second-generation KM expands the overall reach of KM to include “innovation management” for the very first time. ‘The New Knowledge Management' finally begins to bridge the gap between KM and the field of organizational learning, which up until now have been viewed as miles apart. Author Biography: Mark W. McElroy is President, the Knowledge Management Consortium International (KMCI), and CEO of Macroinnovation Associates, LLC, developer and licensor of the patent-pending Policy Synchronization Method, a powerful new methodology for improving business innovation.

Sharing Expertise: Beyond Knowledge Management

Abstract: From the Publisher: The field of knowledge management focuses on how organizations can most effectively store, manage, retrieve, and enlarge their intellectual properties. The repository view of knowledge management emphasizes the gathering, providing, and filtering of explicit knowledge. The information in a repository has the advantage of being easily transferable and reusable. But it is not easy to use decontextualized information, and users often need access to human experts. This book describes a more recent approach to knowledge management, which the authors call "expertise sharing." Expertise sharing emphasizes the human aspects--cognitive, social, cultural, and organizational--of knowledge management, in addition to information storage and retrieval. Rather than focusing on the management level of an organization, expertise sharing focuses on the self-organized activities of the organization's members. The book addresses the concerns of both researchers and practitioners, describing current literature and research as well as offering information on implementing systems. It consists of three parts: an introduction to knowledge sharing in large organizations; empirical studies of expertise sharing in different types of settings; and detailed descriptions of computer systems that can route queries, assemble people and work, and augment naturally occurring social networks within organizations.

The New Knowledge Management

Abstract: 'The New Knowledge Management' is the story of the birth of "second-generation knowledge management," told from the perspective of one its chief architects, Mark W. McElroy. Unlike its first-generation cousin, second-generation Knowledge Management seeks to enhance knowledge production, not just knowledge sharing. As a result, 'The New Knowledge Management' expands the overall reach of knowledge management to include "innovation management" for the very first time. 'The New Knowledge Management' introduces the concept of "second-generation knowledge management" to the business community. Mark W. McElroy has assembled a collection of his own essays, written over the past four years, chronicling the development of related thinking in the field. Unlike first-generation KM, mainly focusing on value derived from knowledge sharing, second-generation thinking formally adds knowledge making to the scope of KM. In this way second-generation KM expands the overall reach of KM to include "innovation management" for the very first time. 'The New Knowledge Management' finally begins to bridge the gap between KM and the field of organizational learning, which up until now have been viewed as miles apart.

Mission impossible? Communicating and sharing knowledge via information technology

Abstract: This paper critiques the perspective that information technology can play a central role in knowledge-sharing processes. Fundamentally, it suggests that the nature of knowledge itself makes it extr...

An enterprise‐wide knowledge management system infrastructure

Abstract: The borderless global economy has accentuated the importance of knowledge as the most critical source of competitive advantage. Thus, knowledge management (KM) has become a strategic mandate for most world‐class organizations. A key enabler for implementing an effective KM system is advanced information technology (IT). Strategies for developing an enterprise‐wide KM system infrastructure with embedded IT are discussed. In particular, this paper discusses the concept of a KM life cycle – knowledge capture, knowledge development, knowledge sharing, and knowledge utilization, and how applications of new IT support each step of the KM practices within and between organizations is suggested.

A knowledge flow model for peer-to-peer team knowledge sharing and management

Abstract: To realize effective knowledge sharing in teamwork, this paper proposes a knowledge flow model for peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and management in cooperative teams. The model consists of the concepts, rules and methods about the knowledge flow, the knowledge flow process model, and the knowledge flow engine. A reference model for coordinating the knowledge flow process with the workflow process is suggested to provide an integrated approach to model teamwork process. We also discuss the peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing paradigm in large-scale teams and propose the approach for constructing a knowledge flow network from the corresponding workflow. The proposed model provides a new way to model and manage teamwork processes.

The communal resource and information systems

Abstract: This paper discusses the problem of knowledge sharing in organizations and proposes a concept ‘communal resource’ to overcome this problem. Communal resources rely on opportunities for knowledge sharing and social norms. Implications for information systems are discussed.

Epistemological foundations for CSCL: a comparison of three models of innovative knowledge communities

Abstract: CSCL is based on the idea that computer applications can scaffold and implement advanced socio-cognitive processes for knowledge sharing and knowledge building. But do we really understand these processes that are supposed to be implemented? This paper will focus on the "epistemological infrastructure" of CSCL. We will analyze three models of innovative knowledge communities in order to better understand basic epistemological processes of knowledge advancement: i.e., Nonaka and Takeuchi's model of knowledge-creation, Yrjo Engestrom's expansive learning model, and Carl Bereiter's theory of knowledge building. It is argued that these models provide a way of overcoming the dichotomy of the acquisition and participation metaphors of learning by providing a third metaphor of learning as a process of knowledge creation. In order to facilitate educational change through CSCL also certain kind of larger social infrastructure is needed that supports these epistemological processes.

Towards the Semantic Web

Abstract: With the current changes driven by the expansion of the World Wide Web, this book uses a different approach from other books on the market: it applies ontologies to electronically available information to improve the quality of knowledge management in large and distributed organizations. Ontologies are formal theories supporting knowledge sharing and reuse. They can be used to explicitly represent semantics of semi-structured information. These enable sophisticated automatic support for acquiring, maintaining and accessing information. Methodology and tools are developed for intelligent access to large volumes of semi-structured and textual information sources in intra- and extra-, and internet-based environments to employ the full power of ontologies in supporting knowledge management from the information client perspective and the information provider. The aim of the book is to support efficient and effective knowledge management and focuses on weakly-structured online information sources. It is aimed primarily at researchers in the area of knowledge management and information retrieval and will also be a useful reference for students in computer science at the postgraduate level and for business managers who are aiming to increase the corporations information infrastructure. The Semantic Web is a very important initiative affecting the future of the WWW that is currently generating huge interest. The book covers several highly significant contributions to the semantic web research effort, including a new language for defining ontologies, several novel software tools and a coherent methodology for the application of the tools for business advantage. It also provides 3 case studies which give examples of the real benefits to be derived from the adoption of semantic-web based ontologies in "real world" situations. As such, the book is an excellent mixture of theory, tools and applications in an important area of WWW research. Provides guidelines for introducing knowledge management concepts and tools into enterprises, to help knowledge providers present their knowledge efficiently and effectively. Introduces an intelligent search tool that supports users in accessing information and a tool environment for maintenance, conversion and acquisition of information sources. Discusses three large case studies which will help to develop the technology according to the actual needs of large and or virtual organisations and will provide a testbed for evaluating tools and methods. The book is aimed at people with at least a good understanding of existing WWW technology and some level of technical understanding of the underpinning technologies (XML/RDF). It will be of interest to graduate students, academic and industrial researchers in the field, and the many industrial personnel who are tracking WWW technology developments in order to understand the business implications. It could also be used to support undergraduate courses in the area but is not itself an introductory text. "Generating huge interest and backed by the global WorldWideWeb consortium the semantic web is the key initiative driving the future of the World Wide Web. Towards the Semantic Web focuses on the application of Semantic Web technology and ontologies in particular to electronically available information to improve the quality of knowledge management in large and distributed organizations. Ontologies are formal structures supporting knowledge sharing and reuse. They can be used to represent explicitly the semantics of structured and semi-structured information which enable sophisticated automatic support for acquiring, maintaining and accessing information. Covering the key technologies for the next generation of the WWW, this book is an excellent mixture of theory, tools and applications in an important area of WWW research. Aims to support more efficient and effective knowledge management and focuses on weakly-structured online information sources. Covers highly significant contributions to the semantic web research effort, including a new language for defining ontologies, several novel software tools and a coherent methodology for the application of the tools for business advantage. Provides guidelines for introducing knowledge management concepts and tools into businesses. Introduces an intelligent search tool that supports users in accessing information and a tool environment for maintenance, conversion and acquisition of information sources. Also describes information visualisation and knowledge sharing tools. Describes a state-of-the-art system for storage and retrieval of metadata expressed in RDF and RDF Schema. Also discusses a system for automatic metadata extraction. Examines three significant case studies providing examples of the real benefits to be derived from the adoption of semantic-web based ontologies in ""real world"" situations.

Factors Impacting Knowledge Sharing

Abstract: Knowledge sharing is the deliberate act in which knowledge is made reusable through its transfer from one party to another. It is considered one of the main pillars of knowledge management. For a knowledge management initiative to succeed, a knowledge-sharing culture needs to be created and nurtured within the organisation. Since knowledge is power and no one is willing to give it away freely, there is a need to create a knowledge-sharing environment which takes into account the social and economic factors that influence knowledge sharing. In this paper, we look at the existing knowledge-sharing frameworks and propose a new one that takes into consideration the social and economic issues that might affect knowledge sharing within the organisation. The framework attributes the impact to five factors: the actors participating in the knowledge-sharing activity, the knowledge being shared, the channel used, the organisation concerned and the broader environmental factors. Specific barriers for each of the five sources are suggested.

Trust and knowledge sharing: A critical combination

Abstract: Recently, the IBM Institute for Knowledge-Based Organisations (IKO) studied the role of trust in knowledge sharing. Factors such as the strength of the relationship between the knowledge seeker and the knowledge source, the difference between competence-based and benevolence-based trust and the type of knowledge being exchanged were explored. Data from a two-part survey of 138 people in three companies were analysed to discern how trust affects knowledge sharing and how individuals evaluate the trustworthiness of others when seeking knowledge. By applying this new insight, managers can take explicit actions to help build trust – and, in turn, encourage knowledge sharing.

A knowledge management framework for the support of decision making in humanitarian assistance/disaster relief

Abstract: The major challenge in current humanitarian assistance/disaster relief (HA/DR) efforts is that diverse information and knowledge are widely distributed and owned by different organizations. These resources are not efficiently organized and utilized during HA/DR operations. We present a knowledge management framework that integrates multiple information technologies to collect, analyze, and manage information and knowledge for supporting decision making in HA/DR. The framework will help identify the information needs, be aware of a disaster situation, and provide decision-makers with useful relief recommendations based on past experience. A comprehensive, consistent and authoritative knowledge base within the framework will facilitate knowledge sharing and reuse. This framework can also be applied to other similar real-time decision-making environments, such as crisis management and emergency medical assistance.

The Role of Leadership in the Promotion of Knowledge Management in Schools

Abstract: Knowledge building is a critical capacity for all organizations, and especially for schools and school systems. Schools, however, are historically weak at knowledge sharing within and across schools. The present paper draws on school systems and successful business to identify what knowledge sharing looks like in successful organizations. It also focuses on what kind of school and district leadership is needed in leading change-oriented organizations. Six core capacities are identified in moral purpose, understanding the process of change, relationship building, knowledge management, and coherence making. Finally, the question of sustainability is taken up by identifying four conditions under which sustainable leadership could be developed.

A knowledge grid model and platform for global knowledge sharing

Abstract: This paper proposes a knowledge grid model for sharing and managing globally distributed knowledge resources. The model organizes knowledge in a three-dimensional knowledge space, and provides a knowledge grid operation language, KGOL. Internet users can use the KGOL to create their knowledge grids, to put knowledge to them, to edit knowledge, to partially or wholly open their grids to all or some particular grids, and to get the required knowledge from the open knowledge of all the knowledge grids. The model enables people to conveniently share knowledge with each other when they work on the Internet. A software platform based on the proposed model has been implemented and used for knowledge sharing in research teams.

Community Knowledge Sharing in Practice: The Eureka Story

Abstract: An organization’s most valuable knowledge—its essential intellectual capital—is not limited to the information in ofŽcial document repositories and databases, such as scientiŽc formulae, ‘‘hard’’ research data, computer codes, codiŽed procedures, Žnancial Žgures, customer records, and the like. It also includes the largely undocumented ideas, insights, and know-how of its members (see, for example, Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995; Stewart, 1997; Davenport and Prusak, 1997; Senge et al., 1999). This informal (often tacit) knowledge is deeply rooted in individuals’ experiences and the culture of their work communities. It commonly originates as practical solutions— through everyday inventions and discoveries—to the problems they must solve and thus serves as the critical resource for ordinary work practice (see, especially, Brown and Duguid, 1991, 2000). Much of this knowledge often remains embedded in practice. Small circles of colleagues and work groups commonly share crucial steps in a new practice and fresh solutions to recalcitrant problems through conversations and stories, with members Ž lling in the background and gaps from their own experience. These groups and communities use the local vernacular to express these instructions and stories. Organizations face the challenge of somehow converting this valuable but mainly local knowledge into forms that other members of the organization can understand and, perhaps most important, act on. Here we present a detailed account of one organization’s effort to encourage inventiveness, capture new ideas, and use technology to then share the best of this knowledge beyond a local work group. Our account is based on our experiences during seven years with the design, development, deployment, and evaluation of the Eureka system at Xerox Corporation. Xerox uses Eureka to support the customer service engineers (CSEs) who repair the copiers and printers installed at customer sites. In four iterations, the system went from an experiment that researchers at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) designed to measure the value of codiŽed Želd experience to a system deployed to 20,000 CSEs worldwide. By focusing on communities and how they share knowledge in ordinary practice, we developed a set of questions and a methodology that we hope will enable others to build similar community knowledge-sharing systems. However, deploying any knowledge system involves pushing changes within a corporate culture; understanding the Eureka experience and the problems facing all knowledge systems to be deployed in the real world requires equal focus on these challenges. Our narrative covers the history of this project, carefully detailing the fundamental interrelationships between the social and the technical.We include a framework for building these kinds of community systems (see the sidebar) and our reections on the barriers to organizational change that their proponents confront.

Information technologies for knowledge management: their usage and effectiveness

Abstract: SUMMARY: Knowledge is increasingly being recognised as a vital organisational resource that provides competitive advantage. Managing knowledge assets can be a challenge, especially in the construction industry, where short-term working contracts and temporary coalitions of individuals can inhibit knowledge sharing. The role of information technology (IT) in knowledge management (KM), is an essential consideration for any company wishing to exploit emerging technologies to manage their knowledge assets. This paper presents research, which has been conducted to identify the technologies that are currently used to manage knowledge in the construction industry. The effectiveness of these technologies has also been explored, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of particular IT for KM. In addition, it attempts to highlight some of the challenges and complexities associated with managing knowledge in a project-based environment. A postal questionnaire was distributed among construction organisations in order to obtain generalisable data about the role of IT for KM, in the construction industry. This approach was supplemented by ethnographic interviews to reveal richer data about the nature of IT for KM, in five small, medium and large construction organisations. The research revealed that conventional technologies, such as the telephone, are used more frequently to manage knowledge, than more radical IT, such as Groupware or video-conferencing. In construction organisations, the potential benefits of IT for KM, are not fully exploited and many have expressed a need for greater implementation of IT, appropriated by sufficient training and education of staff.