Executive Knowledge Management

Managing knowledge is a critical activity for any firm that has to survive in a highly competitive environment. While information technology facilitates search and retrieval of documented knowledge, the individual specific and interpretative nature of knowledge makes management of knowledge a human resource management problem. The study focuses on the determinants of the management of knowledge by an executive. An executive engages in knowledge management behavior by participating in knowledge accretion, knowledge sharing and knowledge utilization which together is termed executive knowledge management (EKM). While the organizational variables, like openness, trust, willingness to experiment, and the development orientation, performance orientation and teamwork orientation of human resource policies affect the three processes at the organizational level, dispositional variables viz. a learning goal orientation, high managerial aspirations and individual expectations viz. reciprocity, recognition and need to build social networks were also proposed to determine EKM. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Autorentext

Dr. Gurunathan L holds a doctorate in Management from IIM, Ahmedabad, India specializing in Human resource management.As a faculty at XLRI, Jamshedpur, India. He handles courses on Executive compensation and knowledge management. He also serves as a consultant with various corporates and offers training programs to corporates in the above areas.