Knowledge management measurement in South African organisations

Abstract

This article explores the status of knowledge management (KM) measurement in South African organisations. KM has been advocated by some observers as the only way of maintaining a competitive advantage in today's global economy, but if KM is not to fade away as yet another `management fad', it needs practical implementation models and measures to determine if it adds value. Considerable international research into KM models and measures exists, and several projects are afoot to derive KM standards, but there has been very little research in South Africa in this regard. This article investigates whether organisations in South Africa are using KM measurement models and measures, and if so, which ones. In particular, the authors wanted to establish if the measures used conform to one of the published approaches, namely that of the British Standards Institute (BSI). A descriptive quantitative research methodology was employed, using a semi-structured questionnaire e-mailed to a target population derived from non-probability purposive sampling. In the sample of eighteen organisations 94 per cent were found to be using KM measurement models, albeit from a much wider range than has been recorded elsewhere. In terms of measures, 89 per cent of the sample were found to be using measures, and all of these were using at least some of those recommended by the BSI.