Implementation Process of a Knowledge Management Initiative: Yellow Pages

Abstract

Knowledge management (KM) has often been identified as one of the most important challenges for sustained organizational success and as a prerequisite for productivity and flexibility of corporate and noncorporate organizations. As a consequence, a number of theoretical models and practical projects to improve KM have been developed in recent years. However, many of these efforts were unsatisfactory, in that they took a uniform approach while neglecting organizations' specific needs for KM. Also, many KM initiatives lack a systematic implementation procedure of which is based on the actual needs in an organization. This paper presents a systematic theoretically and empirically founded implementation process of KM initiatives, which was conducted in an international biotechnological company. The still ongoing implementation process is driven by three empirical studies: a needs analysis (study I, finished), a study on development and implementation (study II, ongoing), and an outcome analysis (study III, planned. Study I was aimed to analyze differentiated needs for improving KM in the organization. In addition to reporting procedures and results of the needs analysis study, the paper will present the development and implementation of one of these initiatives derived from the needs analysis, a "yellow pages" expert finding system (study II). Finally an outlook is given concerning the planned outcome analysis of yellow pages (study III).