Knowledge management strategy: an organisational development approach
Business Process Management Journal
ISSN: 1463-7154
Article publication date: 29 August 2019
Issue publication date: 2 October 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to formulate a knowledge management strategy model that aligns with the organisational growth stage and the characteristics of the business processes at every growth stage. The difference in characteristics at each growth stage has an impact on the characteristics of business processes, such as decision making and the period of process execution.
Design/methodology/approach
This research focussed on three fashion companies in Indonesia, and data were collected using a historical case-study method. Data collection was performed through in-depth interviews with the business owners, directors and managers, by direct observation, and through the collection of secondary data from the companies’ documents.
Findings
Through this research, a knowledge management strategy based on organisational growth stages was produced. It was found that when an organisation is at the entrepreneurial stage, the knowledge management strategy focussed on humans with tacit knowledge as well as explicit knowledge. At the growth stage, a transformation of tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge, especially at the individual level, is required, whereas at the expansion stage, the focus of the knowledge management strategy is on a system usage at the organisation level.
Research limitations/implications
Research using the case studies method has a limitation in the generalisation of the model. The knowledge management strategy generated in this study is unique to the fashion industry, where if the research were performed in other industries, there is a possibility for different results. Moreover, the characteristics of the business processes that are examined in this study are limited to the period of implementation and level of interaction. Other more detailed dimensions such as task variety and task analysability can be used to obtain more detailed characteristics of business processes.
Practical implications
Using the knowledge management strategies model formulated at every growth stage, the company owner can specify a knowledge management strategy that suits the organisation’s goal. Also, the results of this research can provide information on the priority for developing a knowledge management system aligned with the company’s growth.
Originality/value
The knowledge management strategy formulation from the organisational development point of view has not been investigated previously. In fact, the needs of the organisation, along with its growth, will change. Therefore, this research provides a new perspective which is more dynamic and can be integrated into formulating the knowledge management strategy.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research was partially supported by P3MI 2017 grant from Industrial Research Group, Institut Teknologi Bandung. The authors would like to thank the authors’ colleagues from three cases who provided insight and expertise that greatly assisted the research, although they may not agree with all of the conclusions of this paper.
Citation
Andriani, M., Samadhi, T.M.A.A., Siswanto, J. and Suryadi, K. (2019), "Knowledge management strategy: an organisational development approach", Business Process Management Journal, Vol. 25 No. 7, pp. 1474-1490. https://doi.org/10.1108/BPMJ-07-2018-0191
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited