Adoption and diffusion of knowledge management systems: field
studies of factors and variables
Mohammed Quaddus
a
, Jun Xu
b,
*
a
Graduate School of Business, Curtin University of Technology, 78 Murray Street, Perth, WA 6000, Australia
b
Graduate College of Management, Southern Cross University, Tweed Gold Coast campus, Brett Street, Tweed Heads,
P.O. Box 42, Tweed Heads, NSW 2485, Australia
Received 29 May 2003; accepted 2 November 2004
Available online 8 December 2004
Abstract
The concept of knowledge and knowledge management is not new. Researchers identified the practice of knowledge management as early
as 4000 years ago. However, knowledge management systems (KMS), which involve the application of IT systems and other organizational
resources to manage knowledge strategically, are a relatively recent phenomenon. While the literature on knowledge management covers
various issues, it lacks comprehensive studies of factors and variables of adoption and diffusion of KMS. This paper studies these factors and
variables in the context of some Australian organizations. A qualitative field study is undertaken in this research, where six organizations of
various sizes, all in various stages of KMS adoption and diffusion, are studied via interviews with key personnel. Content analysis is then
performed to extract the factors and variables and a comprehensive model of KMS adoption and diffusion is developed. The results of the
interviews identify four major variables affecting KMS diffusion as: organizational culture, top management support, benefits to individuals,
and dream of KMS. The paper also highlights the research and managerial implications of the KMS diffusion model.
q 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Knowledge management systems; Adoption and diffusion; Qualitative method; Content analysis
1. Introduction
“Much of the Knowledge of the Greeks and Persians was
preserved in Arabic translations, following the fall of
these empires to the expanding Islamic Empire. This
knowledge eventually reached the monasteries of Europe
where monks, who could be termed knowledge special-
ists, preserved and translated these works for contem-
porary scholars and future generations.” [1, pp. 23]
The above quote highlights that the practice of knowl-
edge management is not new. Human civilizations have
been preserving and passing knowledge from generation to
generation for a better understanding of the past and
therefore, the future. In today’s dynamic and complex
business environment, the thirst for knowledge has
increased even more and the scope and content of knowl-
edge have changed dramatically, often spreading outside of
the organization. Information technology and the Internet
have brought new challenges in creating, preserving and
managing knowledge.
The term ‘Knowledge Management (KM)’ has been
defined in a number of ways ([1–5]; among many others). In
this study we have adopted the definition of Ruggles [6],
which is as follows:
“KM is.an approach to adding or creating value by
more actively leveraging the know-how, experience, and
judgment resident within and, in many cases, outside of
an organization.” ([6])
The above definition highlights important elements of
knowledge management. The ‘know-how’ aspect of KM
emphasizes the ‘explicit’ knowledge, which can be
easily captured and codified ([4]). On the other hand,
0950-7051/$ - see front matter q 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.knosys.2004.11.001
Knowledge-Based Systems 18 (2005) 107–115
www.elsevier.com/locate/knosys
* Corresponding author. Tel.: C61 7 5506 9320; fax: C61 7 5506 9301.
E-mail addresses: quaddus@gsb.curtin.edu.au (M. Quaddus), jxu@
scu.edu.au (J. Xu).