Author: Paul H. J. Hendriks (2001)
The article, “Many rivers to cross: from ICT to knowledge management systems”, is an empirical research paper, intended for IT/IS executives and knowledge managers. The focus of the study is to provide an assessment framework for evaluating the role of information and communication technology (ICT) in organisational knowledge management (KM).
The paper begins with the review of a number of literatures on ICT and KM, and summarising two distinctions for classifying the various KM approaches. First, it distinguishes between engineering approaches and management approaches. Second, it distinguishes between four groups of approaches based on their emphasis in terms of content, which are knowledge storage approaches, knowledge flow approaches, organizational learning approaches and knowledge measurement approaches.
Based on these two distinctions, the author identifies five dimensions of KM and integrates them into a framework. There are three sides to the KM framework: (1) the reflection side includes the relevance of knowledge to the organisation; (2) the content side involves the nature of knowledge, the organisational perspective, and the dynamic nature of knowledge; (3) the action side includes interventions and measures targeted at affecting the organisations as a knowledge system.
The author further claims the five dimensions determine the potential value of ICT applications for KM, and summarise them into five key areas of discussion: (1) relationships between ICT and organizational relevance of knowledge; (2) relationships between ICT and knowledge categories (3) relationships between ICT and the organizational perspective on knowledge; (4) relationships between ICT and the dynamic character of knowledge; (5) relationships between ICT and other knowledge management measures. All five dimensions should be addressed together.
The title of the paper straightforwardly defines the main theme, and the content is succinct, accurate and well-structured. The paper establishes a precise research scope based on a host of literatures. It adopts scientific research methods and techniques to present a holistic view of ICT and organisational KM. The strengths of the paper are using diagrams accompanied with textual analysis, making it easy and logical for readers to follow the discussion.
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