The effectiveness of using intranet as a knowledge management strategy
The use of communication technology such as Intranet is one of strategy that been used by some organization to support knowledge management process. Some organizations develop the internet technology to transform knowledge sharing process among the employees. Intranet also can solve distance problem, help to streamline workflow from one area to another area, and organization can conduct training through it. (Taylor, 1997). Some organizations claim that the use of intranet is really effective to cut the time spent. For example, by using traditional training method, an organization can spent one month training program in one particular place. If the organization has three branches, they will conduct the same training three times and with longer time. However, by applying the intranet some organization only conduct training one time and use the same time for all the branches.
Cynthia P. Ruppel and Susan J Harrington in their article ‘Sharing Knowledge through Intranets…’, add that intranet also can be used as a collaboration application such as discussion group, workflow, and document management. (Ruppel &Harrington, 2001). Intranet can become a dynamic and living environment for knowledge management such as support communities of practice, provide staff directories and expertise finder, collaborative environment, and provide a web-blog, wiki, milist for the staff. (Robertson, 2004)
The use of the intranet will be effective and achieve an oranization’s objectives only if the employees are willing to share their knowledge with each other, and the organization can create a knowledge sharing culture among their employees. The technology in knowledge management is only 20% while the other dominant is culture and management issue. (Ruppel & Harrington, 2001). The intranet will be useless if the employees do not use it. This is the manager’s or leader responsibility to encourage their employees to use this technology. A reward culture also becomes an important key to support the intranet success. In this case the role of manager to set up the friendship and working as a family environment, so every employee feels free to share their idea. Kirsner in Rupper & Harrington states that the success of intranet is 60% of communication and only 40% of technology. (Ruppel & Harrington, 2001). The more organization has a sharing culture, the more enhance of the intranet ability as a sharing knowledge tools. The use of intranet as a single strategy to knowledge sharing is not effective, since knowledge management not deal with technology but how to encourage the employees willing to share their ideas and technology then support the knowledge sharing process so the knowledge sharing will be more effective.
References:
Robertson, J, (2004). Intranets and knowledge sharing. Retrieved April 25, 2007 from World Wide Web
http://www.steptwo.com.au/papers/
kmc_intranetsknowledge/index.html
Ruppel, C P., Harrington, S J.,(2001). Km on intranets and the fifth dimension (ethics). IEEE Potensial, 20(2):19-24.
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org.ezproxy.
lib.monash.edu.au/iel5/45/20647/00954652.pdf?
tp=&arnumber=954652&isnumber=20647
___________,(2001). Sharing knowledge through intranets: a study of organizational culture and intranet implementation. IEEE Transaction On Professional Communication. 44(1): 37-52
Taylor, M,(1997). Intranets a new technology changes all the rules. Telecommunications. 31(1):39-40