Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Knowledge ...

3.1 Methodology
Jan Pawlowski and Markus Bick
Knowledge management is highly dependent on <strong>the</strong> context and cannot be validated separated from
practical implementations. It is <strong>the</strong> main aim <strong>of</strong> knowledge management research to construct
solutions which achieve practical impact and benefits. Therefore, our framework is built on a design
science research approach (Hevner et al., 2004) – based on a thorough literature analysis <strong>of</strong>
frameworks and global influence factors, we have identified gaps and extension needs to create <strong>the</strong>
new artifact. The framework will be validated in a case study (Yin, 2003). By this, we aim at
progressing from a conceptual framework towards <strong>the</strong>ory building for knowledge management
settings.
3.2 Global Knowledge Management Framework Construction
As shown above, we base our development on a combination <strong>of</strong> frameworks and an analysis <strong>of</strong>
influence factors, barriers and challenges in global settings.
We have identified commonalities <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> frameworks (strategies, processes, knowledge resources,
tools) and harmonized <strong>the</strong> different terminologies. We <strong>the</strong>n derived extensions and mapped those to
<strong>the</strong> initial components <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> framework. The components were revised during <strong>the</strong> case study
validation.
We have also derived a description format to clarify relations between components - this is important
for understanding <strong>the</strong> mechanisms and impact (e.g. which intervention has positive impact on which
metrics for which process?). This distinguishes out framework clearly from o<strong>the</strong>r frameworks which
just specify components.
Context
Strategies
create
enable
Knowledge
Stakeholders
Problems Resources
Measured
by
influences Results
change
guide
use
Society Organization Individual
Intervention A Intervention B Intervention N
Processes
influences
influences
embedded in
runs
External Processes
Business Processes
Knowledge
Processes
Improved by
Validation, Feedback, Improvement
measures
Performance Knowledge …
Culture
perform
influences
Measured
by
Figure 3: Global Knowledge Management Framework
In <strong>the</strong> following, we describe <strong>the</strong> GKMF components (Figure 3) in detail – a particular focus is not
solely identifying those components, providing potential instantiations as well as exemplary relations
(only main relations are illustrated in <strong>the</strong> figure). As an example, potential instruments are listed as
options / design alternatives. By this, <strong>the</strong> framework also creates a solution space for knowledge
management design.
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Support
Human-based
instruments
Technologies and tools
Instruments
enable
Infrastructures