Critical success factors for effective knowledge sharing: Integrating intra-organizational communication and KM tools

Knowledge Management (KM) initiatives are being implemented in different organizations, both public and private enterprises, with varying degrees of success and failure. A number of approaches have been developed, tested and implemented. Several studies have been carried out to identify Critical Success Factors (CSF) to KM implementation and these include managerial and organizational factors. These factors need to be addressed effectively in order to increase the probabilities of successful KM implementation. Despite the fact that current KM implementations are based on highly advanced information and communication technologies, managing knowledge by a purely technological approach would not suffice, as the barriers are more likely to be socio-organizational, than technological. The objective of this paper is to introduce a framework that integrates the technical and human aspects of intra-organizational communication to knowledge sharing. It argues that since knowledge creation and sharing, are dependent upon the knowledge and individuals, intra-organizational communication is one of the major factors that underlie the effectiveness and success of knowledge sharing initiatives. The framework places knowledge sharing within a system thinking perspective, whereby each and every part of the organization and the employees that constitute it, have attributes which directly or indirectly relate to each other. Establishing a robust internal communication framework is a prerequisite factor to successful knowledge sharing across organizational nodes. Eliminating barriers to internal communication enhances the organizations abilities to communicate complex knowledge to internal stakeholders and constituencies and thereby enhancing their capabilities.