Measuring knowledge use in organizations

Abstract

It is a management truism that "you can't manage what you can't measure". To manage knowledge work effectively, one must first have an understanding of what comprises knowledge work. The intent of the current study was to develop a measure of knowledge work based on a definition that is both [a] grounded in the literature and [b] reflective of individual experiences. Toward this end, two studies were conducted. In the first, a series of qualitative interviews were conducted to develop an understanding of individuals' use of knowledge in the workplace. In the second, items derived from the interview results were used to construct a questionnaire, which was administered to a diverse sample to assess the psychometric properties of the instrument. In the current research, knowledge use is defined in terms of a discretionary investment organizational members choose (or choose not) to make to their employer in at least one of four forms: (1) the application of current knowledge to existing situations; (2) the acquisition of existing knowledge through research or learning; (3) the creation of new knowledge or innovation, and (4) the packaging of knowledge for the purpose of transmitting knowledge to others. The context in which knowledge work occurs in organizations was also examined, in an attempt to determine if knowledge use was linked to organizational rewards/recognition, support and/or opportunity.