Knowledge Management Implementation in a Government Research Institute in Selangor, Malaysia

Knowledge is recognised as an important asset in any organisations these days. Unfortunately, many organisations are not doing enough to effectively manage this important asset in creating and maintaining their competitive advantage. The objective of this study was to investigate the implementation of knowledge management in a government research institute in Selangor, Malaysia. This explorative study employs both quantitative and qualitative approaches to achieve the research objectives. A set of questionnaires was developed using online survey software. This set was sent to 96 respondents from five divisions based on a simple random sampling method. The questionnaires comprised items that were used to investigate the understanding and awareness of KM in the chosen organisation. The data were analysed using the Lime Survey statistic, Chi Squared tests and Reliability analysis. For the qualitative component, the interview method was used. This method was conducted to determine the KM process implementation in the organisation and focuses on the Knowledge Management Section (KMS). The interview data were analysed using ATLAS.ti software. The results showed that three main factors affected knowledge management implementation in the company; namely, organisation, people and technology. We suggest that a need exists within any organisation to strengthen the implementation process to successfully obtain the benefits of knowledge management in creating and sustaining competitive advantage.