Date of Award

3-2004

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Department of Systems Engineering and Management

First Advisor

Summer E. Bartczak, PhD

Abstract

Knowledge Management (KM) has been identified as one of several enablers of the current Transformation effort in the Department of Defense (DoD). Knowledge management is "the attempt to recognize what is essentially a human asset buried in the minds of individuals, and leverage it into an organizational asset that can be accessed and used by a broader set of individuals on whose decisions the firm depends" (Davenport & Prusak, 1998). The ultimate goal of KM is to take advantage of this knowledge asset in order to provide some level of benefit to the organization (Davenport & Prusak, 1998; Nonaka, 1996). However, many in both the military and civilian information resource management communities believe that KM provides nothing beyond what is already accomplished with information management. Given that serious resources are already being committed to KM in the DoD, it follows that identifying the benefits derived from KM from a DoD perspective is highly desirable. Several organizations within the DoD have started using KM and are now interested in identifying and, subsequently, measuring its benefits to gauge success. While many studies have been undertaken to identify the benefits of KM in the commercial sector, similar efforts to investigate the benefits in a DoD context are lacking. Using a Delphi study involving key DoD KM experts, this research aims to identify the major benefits associated with KM practice from a strictly DoD perspective. (27 tables, 8 figures, 45 refs.)

AFIT Designator

AFIT-GIR-ENV-04M-20

DTIC Accession Number

ADA423100

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