Knowledge Management Governance: The Road to Continuous Benefits Realization

Abstract

Investment in knowledge management (KM) programmes is often contentious due to the challenge of meeting the need for continuous and sustainable benefits realization. In KM, the word ‘sustainable’ describes how programmes of strategies to leverage organizational knowledge remain productive over time: that they deliver strategic value to the organization. The focus of this paper falls on the constructs of the governance of KM and on its leadership, in KM strategy devopment and implementation, including risk management, financial controls and transparent evaluation mechanisms for continuous benefits realization. This paper presents a KM governance model and explores its recent validation through six case studies of large, distributed, multinational organizations, and through these introduces the granular constructs of KM governance. Exploration of the impact of KM governance on developing and implementing KM programmes in each case study organization demonstrates that there is a clear nexus between strategic KM governance and benefits realized from those programmes.

Re-Examining the Jennex Olfman Knowledge Management Success Model

“…KM governance is about ensuring that KM benefits are realized through the implementation of the expected benefits of the KM strategy [37] [38]. Schroeder, et al [32] discuss various forms and models for implementing KM governance while Onions and De Langen [29] discuss the implementation of KM governance through implementation of standards and processes.…”

Investigating the Relationship between Coordination Mechanisms and Knowledge in a Wine Firm

“…These studies reflected on the role of governance as a mechanism to manage knowledge‐related activities inside the organization. They explored the concept of KMG in relation to authority, policy development, risk management, measurement and evaluation, and financial accountability (Zyngier and Burstein, : 143). They argued that KMG should become a part of the firm's strategic approach and focus on understanding the activities and roles that underpin knowledge management.…”

Five Ws and one H in knowledge management education

“…Although many KM successes have been reported (e.g. Liebowitz, 2016), KM needs to deliver continuous benefits, not just isolated projects (Zyngier and Burstein, 2012). Organizations where there is a culture of employees respecting and sharing knowledge perform better (Argote, 2005).…”