Guidelines to improve the use of knowledge management systems as intended : the perspective of end-users

Abstract

Knowledge is one of the most valuable assets for organisations because with the right knowledge, leaders are able to make informed decisions. Knowledge ought to be managed effectively for organisations to realise the benefits thereof. The management of knowledge is a complex subject as knowledge does not exist in one form. Knowledge can be tacit or explicit and both are equally important. Organisations invest in systems and technologies to support the management of knowledge. Knowledge management systems (KMSs) are an integral part of organisations; however, the use of these systems is still a concern as benefits, as envisaged by those who invest in the systems, are still not realised. This study followed the interpretive paradigm as it aimed to understand the social context of KMSs, the processes followed to implement the systems and what influence the users to use or not to use the systems as intended. Benefits can only be derived if KMSs are used as intended. Intended use of information systems is presented to explain the meaning thereof. Various methods of measuring use as a subject of intended use is also presented to give context to the difference between the traditional ways of measuring information system use and the evaluation of intended use. The research questions were guided by literature review on how intended use of an information system can be evaluated. The questions focused on the chosen KMS, namely SharePoint. The evaluation of the intended use was approached from the perspective of those who use the KMSs. Grounded theory was applied to the collection and analysis of data from the participants who are the users of the selected KMS for the organisation under study. The collection and analysis of data followed a constant comparative method where gathered data was constantly compared to generate a theory that is grounded in the data collected from the participants. The theory generated in this study is presented in the form of guidelines. The four proposed guidelines are rooted in the data collected from participants as they represent the perspective of those who use the system. The guidelines provide context in understanding what can be improved or introduced to enhance the use of KMSs as intended for the benefit of the organisations.