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The purpose of this research paper is to report about an investigation on the relationship between knowledge acquisition and knowledge creation to find out whether knowledge acquisition can predict knowledge creation. The study measures the concept of knowledge acquisition through the faculty use of knowledge acquisition tools and reading knowledge sources while measuring the concept of knowledge creation through the faculty use of knowledge creation tools and publishing knowledge sources.

The population of the study is faculty members in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The sample of the population consisted of 300 faculty members affiliated with 26 universities and colleges. Data was collected from the sample through questionnaire instrument. Stated hypotheses and Mathew’s theory of knowledge consumption–production correlation are tested and verified through correlation matrix and regression analysis.

Findings of the study revealed that the use of knowledge acquisition tools by faculty members has a positive effect on the use of knowledge creation tools and on publishing knowledge sources. Likewise, reading knowledge sources appeared to have a positive impact on the use of knowledge creation tools and publishing knowledge sources. Accordingly, the study confirmed the stated four hypotheses. Moreover, the results of the study supported the theory of knowledge consumption–production correlation and strongly confirmed the prediction of knowledge creation through the use of information and communication technology (ICT) tools for knowledge acquisition and reading knowledge sources.

Findings of the study appeal to the decision-makers and stakeholders of academic institutions to make effective investment in ICT facilities and knowledge sources to improve knowledge creation among faculty members.

Not many studies have investigated how knowledge acquisition can predict knowledge creation in the academic environment. This paper contributes to the understanding of the relationship between knowledge acquisition and knowledge creation in academic settings. Findings of the study can be an important reference for providing and improving knowledge sources, knowledge acquisition tools and knowledge creation tools in the academic environment.

The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyze demographic differences in using knowledge creation tools among faculty members. It also attempts to identify the most knowledge creation tool used by the participants. The tools comprised of 13 items including data mining, metadata, classifications, expert profiling, Mashup and blogs.

Data were collected through an online survey questionnaire. A total of 300 faculty members from 26 universities and colleges accredited by the UAE Ministry of High Education participated in the study. The t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) test are used to validate the stated hypotheses.

The study found personal knowledge management to be the most used knowledge creation tool among the faculty members, followed by authoring tools and templates. Findings of the study indicate statistically no significant difference in using knowledge creation tools with respect to gender, qualification, academic rank, teaching experience and institutional affiliation. These findings support the stated null hypotheses (H1, H3, H4, H6 and H8) and suggest that the use of knowledge creation tools is independent from these variables. However, the results showed statistically a significant age group difference, academic specialization and research experience in using knowledge creation tools. The findings reject the assumed hypotheses (H2, H5 and H7) and suggest the impact of these variables on the use of knowledge creation tools.

The paper is based on the data collected through a survey questionnaire. Future studies may combine quantitative and qualitative data collection methods for the purpose of comparison and in-depth analysis.

Findings could be an important reference for knowledge management officers and knowledge intensive organizations and institutions to develop knowledge creation tools and promote usage among knowledge workers.

The paper represents one of the very few empirical studies conducted on the use of knowledge creation tools. Findings of the study may contribute to the process of knowledge creation among faculty members and also to the improvement of knowledge management in the academic environment and other knowledge organizations.

This paper aims to evaluate a range of best practice knowledge management (KM) ideas used to manage knowledge resources. In total, four KM toolkits and 16 KM tools were tested over a five-year period (2008-2013), as part of a large-scale longitudinal change project. Each tool was assessed against an evaluative framework designed to test criticisms of KM: strategy, implementation and performance. The results provide empirical evidence about which KM tools work and which do not and why, and outcomes for practitioners, researchers and consultants.

The case study organization participating in the study was selected because it was a knowledge-intensive organization, with an ageing workforce. An invitation and cover letter explaining the study were sent via email to all 150 engineering and technical staff at the case study organization. Therefore, the entire population was included in the study. Respondents were asked to attend training workshops. Following each workshop, respondents were asked to complete feedback in the form of learning journals and to be involved in work-place based trials of the KM tools. Both management and staff participated in the project.

The results provide empirical evidence that KM can be used to manage knowledge resources. The highest rating toolkit was knowledge strategy, followed by knowledge measurement. The most value was created by using KM to introduce objectivity into future thinking (future capability requirements) and decisions when filling competency gaps (sourcing). The results tended to support criticism that KM is difficult to implement and identified the main barriers as participation located at the operational action research level, i.e. how do we make this work? Evidence that KM works was found in progress towards learning organization capacity and in practical outcomes.

The action research cycle and learning flows provide opportunities to examine barriers to KM implementation. The research also presents opportunities for further research to examine the findings in other organizational and industry settings, for example, the relationship between the KM toolkits and organizational change and performance, presents an important area for further research. Researchers might also consider some of the toolkits which rated poorly, e.g. knowledge creation (KC), and challenge these findings, perhaps selecting different KC tools for testing. The paper has limitations. It is based on a single case study organization, offset, to some degree, by the longitudinal nature of the empirical evidence. It is ambitious, and the findings may be controversial. However, the depth of the study and its findings provide rare longitudinal empirical evidence about KM, and the results should be useful for practitioners, researchers and consultants.

There are many critics of KM. It has been described as overwhelmingly optimistic and managerial rhetoric; that its claims are false; and that many KM initiatives fail and, therefore, it does not create value for the firm, and its return on investment is unlikely. There is a shortage of empirical studies demonstrating an actual connection between KM and organizational performance. Despite widespread interest and growth in investment by practitioners and growth in research, KM needs validation to give people confidence in its value and some of the problems associated with implementation. This paper provides rare empirical evidence gathered from a five-year (2008-2013) large-scale longitudinal change project to address this gap. For practitioners, the research findings provide management with an evaluative framework to use when making decisions regarding KM.

Much of the previous research on this topic looks at specific KM tools only, and often at one point in time. This study examined a wide range of best-practice KM tools as part of an integrated set of KM systems, launched at the same time and studied over five years. The study did not examine what the case study does in terms of KM. Instead, it deliberately introduced tools which were new to the case study organization. The results provide practical outcomes in terms of the effectiveness of KM when introduced to an organization as a system of integrated tools, and what happens in the five years that follow.

This paper aims to propose a taxonomic scheme of knowledge management systems (KMSs) and a set of technologies and managerial practices supporting supply firms in knowledge management processes.

Based on a field analysis involving a sample of suppliers operating in high-tech manufacturing and service industries, this paper investigates the use of KMSs in the sample investigated.

The paper shows that suppliers are generally reluctant to use updated and innovative KMSs replacing traditional ones. This gap confirms that suppliers have difficulties in facing rapid technological changes. The field analysis also points out that suppliers investigated perceive knowledge management mainly as an issue of knowledge transfer and knowledge storage while appear to be neglected the phase of knowledge creation.

Moreover, the paper highlights a misalignment between the intensity of use of knowledge management practices that support the phase of knowledge creation and knowledge management tools that should support such practices.

Knowledge management (KM) is widely adopted by organisations to improve their performance and make informed decisions. Prior research has confirmed that Information Systems (IS) play a critical role in effective KM. The purpose of this study is to examine the existing literature on the role of cloud-based KM systems (C-KMS) in small- and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) by understanding its impact on the five KM processes: knowledge acquisition, creation, storage, sharing and usage.

This study conducted a systematic literature review by examining 133 journal articles and 24 conference papers from 2010 to 2021 on the role of cloud computing in KM for SMEs.

This study revealed that there are numerous empirical analyses on KM processes and tools in SMEs; however, only few studies demonstrate how the whole gamut of KM processes can adopt cloud computing in SMEs. Therefore, SMEs are ineffective at KM with limited IS intervention. This paper offers a proposition on how C-KMS can impact all five KM process, thereby increasing its effectiveness of KM in SMEs. This study analysed the benefits of C-KMS that brings to SMEs in terms of availability, scalability, reliability, security and cost.

This systematic review is restricted to certain databases (ScienceDirect, Sage journals, Scopus and Emerald Insight) and specific IS conference proceedings to source articles. The selection of search criteria and time frame is based on this study’s assessment and choice. This study adds value to our understanding of the role of KM in SMEs, and it reinforces the role of cloud computing in effectively managing knowledge in SMEs. The proposal of C-KMS for the enhancement of KM has significant implications for SMEs to effectively use knowledge for their survival and superior performance.

This study suggests three practical implications. First, adopting and using C-KMS provide a strong foundation to manage knowledge for SMEs in a cost-effective way. Second, C-KMS improves the effectiveness of KM by increasing availability of knowledge artifacts, which in turn aids SMEs’ growth. Third, C-KMS is useful to codify SME’s knowledge, and accordingly supports employees to acquire and use knowledge based on their requirements.

This study discussed C-KMS with contemporary social issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic challenges for SMEs and demonstrated how C-KMS can support SMEs to handle such crises by managing knowledge effectively.

This research highlights the importance of the implementation of a C-KMS for the enhancement of KM in SMEs. The review provides empirical evidence on the challenges faced by SMEs regarding KM, as they often only have enough resources to focus on a single KM process, predominantly knowledge sharing. Consequently, a holistic approach to KM cannot be realised by SMEs. In this context, the findings of this study offer theoretical and practical insights into the role of cloud computing by addressing the challenges of KM in SMEs.

This paper aims to highlight the degree of diffusion and intensity of use of knowledge management systems (KMSs) among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Brazil and apply a taxonomy that synthesizes the strategies of use of KMSs by the SMEs. In addition, it seeks to better understand the processes, practices and technologies of KM by SMEs, pointing improvements in the KMS of Brazilian SMEs and contributing to obtain better results in the search for efficiency and innovation.

Based on a literature review on KMSs used by SMEs, an empirical investigation was conceived, developed and conducted through online questionnaires involving 49 selected SMEs operating in several sectors.

This paper reinforces the results of the previous work of Cerchione and Esposito (2017) that point to the existence of a reciprocal relationship between KM-Tools and KM-Practices: one reinforces the other and vice versa. On the other hand, it indicates a difference in the behavior of Brazilian companies in relation to the sample of Italian companies studied by Cerchione and Esposito (2017), which presented a negative correlation between the general differentiation index and the general use intensity index of SMEs, while the Brazilian ones showed a positive correlation.

The study points out the need for greater dissemination of practices and tools to support knowledge management (KM), as well as greater support for the implementation and effective use of these practices and tools within the organizational context of SMEs.

This paper identifies the main practices and tools to support KM used by Brazilian SMEs, indicating the need for investments in employee training and acquisition of tools.

SMEs represent an important part of the generation of jobs and income in Brazil. Initiatives that lead to the successful implementation of tools and practices to support KM can increase the efficiency and productivity of these organizations.

This paper applies in a sample of Brazilian companies the taxonomy proposed by Cerchione and Esposito (2017) combining strategies of SMEs for the use of KMSs.

This paper aims to study the challenge of transferring knowledge among product development processes of an research and development department and other departments of the organization. To have a more concise focus on this broad field and having a lean perspective, this paper aims to analyse and identify how the cross-training employee lean tool affects the knowledge transfer processes in the previously mentioned departments.

This paper bases its research on a valid theoretical framework which is built to develop an explorative perspective that allows the authors to create and interpret the data collected from the companies through interviews. The paper uses a qualitative perspective by using the expertise of the companies not only to validate and draw conclusions from the studied theoretical framework but also to look beyond it.

The companies agree that the implementation of the cross-training employee lean tool will have a positive effect on the knowledge transfer processes in the organizations. Other important advantages that are detected are that this lean tool broadens the knowledge and the competences of employees, and that it helps the company to manage the tacit knowledge. However, some unexpected drawbacks such as the lack of metrics for measuring the knowledge transfer and the strictness of this lean tool were also found.

No previous research exists that analyses the effect of cross-training lean tool in knowledge transfer processes. This paper identifies such a gap in the literature and is used as the starting point to motivate the use of this tool to improve knowledge transfer processes due to the positive effects of it.

From this push for non‐linear innovation has come a fragmented market of hardware, software, and services branded as, knowledge‐management solutions. Virtual knowledge networks provide a dynamic way of working relevant for the emergence of a post‐industrial economy. E‐learning is seen as a driver of knowledge creation across unstructured virtual communities. The paper considers the role of managed learning environments (MLEs) in the context of information‐intensive organisations operating in virtual markets (software, publishing, education, music, consultancy services plus many more), the relationship with knowledge creation across distributed networks, and finally strategies for building knowledge networks through the creation of e‐learning communities.

Aims to explore the relationships between groupware use and the knowledge management process.

The activities comprising the knowledge management process are conceptualized as: knowledge creation, knowledge maintenance, knowledge distribution, and knowledge review and revision. The data for this exploratory study were gathered through a telephone survey of managers at Fortune 1000 firm divisions. Based on the prior literature, it was expected that use of certain types of groupware and certain aspects of the knowledge management process would be significantly associated with each other.

The results of this exploratory study show that the groupware tools which enhance or support traditional aural media were significantly associated with most of the knowledge management processes we identified. However, e‐mail is the sole groupware tool that is significantly associated with knowledge distribution.

As an exploratory study, this research highlights some interesting trends in the knowledge management process, and suggests multiple lines of future research.

The purpose of this paper is to report on a study examining the effectiveness of TWiki, an open‐source online collaborative groupware, in facilitating students' co‐construction of knowledge in their group work. The paper focuses on the groupware's impact on knowledge management, in terms of knowledge creation, capture, sharing and transfer. It also discusses some of the obstacles faced by students in using the software and how these can be addressed.

In this study, TWiki was used in structuring the knowledge‐building environment for group projects in an undergraduate course on knowledge management. Students created a chapter for a wikibook. Wiki templates were designed for the course to help with the organisation of contents in TWiki. A questionnaire and individual interviews were used to collect student opinions on the advantages and disadvantages of using the wiki software for their projects.

Overall, students were generally positive about the effectiveness of TWiki in facilitating their group projects. In particular, TWiki was seen to improve group collaboration and work quality, and as a useful tool for knowledge management in terms of knowledge creation, capture, sharing and transfer.

With its ability to improve student collaboration as well as their quality of work, TWiki can clearly be a suitable tool for collaborative constructive learning such as group projects. However, the study also showed that students and teachers should be adequately trained to use the tool in order to maximise its benefits. Some features of TWiki have to be improved and technical difficulties need to be fixed for easy use. Further studies could focus on using TWiki in different subjects and in classes of different sizes.

There were several important outcomes of the study: first, the comparison between students' perceptions of TWiki and MS Word in terms of usability and effectiveness; second, the findings with regard to improvement of work quality in small group size, which are unique; and third, TWiki was found to be an effective knowledge management tool.