A study on knowledge management and its impact on organizational performance in public sector with special reference to Bharat heavy electricals limited, Tiruchirappalli

Abstract

In the recent past, organizations and researchers have turned their attention to knowledge management (KM). Many disciplines have contributed to the growth and evolution of knowledge management. Consequently, KM has become a rich field of inquiry, and many disparate approaches and strategies have been suggested for managing knowledge. However, the effect of different KM strategies on organizational performance (OP) is not known. The objectives of this study are to study the different types of Knowledge management strategies adopted in BHEL, Tiruchirappalli and to examine its effect on firm s performance. The three types of KM strategies are: IT-centered KM strategy, capture-based KM strategy and learning-based KM strategy. Further, this study conceptualized long-term performance which is termed as organizational performance. The study linked the three KM strategies to organizational performance by integrating the insights from the literatures on Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management. It is argued that IT-centered KM strategies and capture based KM strategies in isolation do not yield organizational performance benefits, and learning-based KM strategies yield organizational performance. IT-centered KM strategies and capture based KM strategies are complementary to learning based KM strategy and yield better performance benefits when used simultaneously. A model is developed and the relationships of three Knowledge Management strategies on organizational performance are tested. The model encompasses three KM strategies namely IT centered KM, Capture based KM and Learning based KM and organizational performance. To test the validity of model, the study employed Partial Least Squares- Path Modeling (PLS-PM) to Structural Equation Modeling.