Organizational Development for Knowledge Management at Water ...

a broad visionary view of what the Utility needs and is perceived by employees as benefiting one
division versus the overarching Utility, employee response to the new project will be less than
supportive.
Public Perception
If the public customers or governance body do not understand the nature, purpose and
value of knowledge and Knowledge Management to the performance and sustainability of the
Utility, they may misinterpret the project and consider it a waste of time and money. To
minimize the potential effect of such external misunderstanding, Utility leaders and managers
need to carefully monitor employee and stakeholder reactions and make sure that all interested
parties understand the purpose and payoff of the KM strategy.
Getting Buy-in for the Project
For a KM project to be successful it must have a certain level of cooperation from many
different individuals within the Utility. Where employees are complacent, cannot have
ownership, are concerned about potential accountability, it may be very challenging to overcome
such resistance. In some organizations to principal resistance comes from first line managers or
supervisors and feel a potential loss of control even though they maintain responsibility and
accountability.
Resistance to Technology
Technology may represent a significant barrier to new projects in that it takes financial
resources, may increase the complexity of the current systems through growth, and may concern
many employees who lack the technical expertise and understanding of what the new technology
may bring. Some employees may perceive new technology as another means of exercising
control over them.
Regulations and Laws
Union contracts, city policies, regulations and the lack of flexibility in some laws and
regulations may be seen via employees as additional restrictions and constraints on their freedom
to get the job done. Further, these regulations and laws may be perceived as making it difficult
to create and implement new KM strategies or initiatives.
Utility Culture
The culture of the Utility, having been created over decades, may resist new initiatives
that significantly change the relationships between managers and supervisors and employees, and
even among employees themselves. Culture is frequently referred to as "the way the work gets
done." When initiatives are proposed that may significantly change how that work gets done,
they can cause serious concerns, and perhaps even opposition to new ideas. Employees often
develop a focused mindset and limited perspective of their organization, their work environment
and their place within that environment to the extent that any potential shifting or changing
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