Title: An exploratory study on knowledge management adoption in the Malaysian industry

Authors: Kuan Yew Wong

Addresses: Department of Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Skudai, Malaysia

Abstract: Studies on Knowledge Management (KM) have largely centred on the perceptions and practices of organisations in advanced countries. However, little attempts have been made to empirically investigate its current adoption status in developing countries such as Malaysia. This paper presents the results of an exploratory KM survey conducted in the Malaysian industry. The respondent companies| background and level of involvement in the field were first examined. This was followed by investigating their perceptions of the importance and extent of their practice of a set of factors that forms the foundation of KM adoption. In order to provide a more holistic view of the survey results, the companies were grouped into SMEs and large companies, and their perceptions and practices were compared. Important findings gained from the survey were then highlighted. It is hoped that the survey results will provide important insights to help Malaysian companies strategise their efforts towards accomplishing KM.

Keywords: knowledge management; KM implementation; KM adoption; Malaysia; developing countries; SMEs; small and medium-sized enterprises; large companies.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIS.2008.017285

International Journal of Business Information Systems, 2008 Vol.3 No.3, pp.272 - 283

Published online: 22 Feb 2008 *

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