Creating and Delivering a Successful Knowledge Management Strategy

Top Management Support

Management support that starts at the top level in the hierarchy is one of the primary factors that strongly influence the success of a KM strategy. Prior research suggests that top management support is essential because the implementation of KM initiatives is resource intensive (Holsapple & Wu, 2009). Substantial financial, human, and material resources are necessary to carry out KM initiatives: sufficient budget is allocated to KM activities; eligible employees are assigned to perform those activities; and adequate facilities are employed to do the job. Such resources are more likely to be available when KM initiatives receive support from top management (Wu, 2008).

In addition, significant and visible top management support contributes to the legitimacy of KM initiatives. Legitimization indicates the validation of employees’ particular activities and beliefs in an organization. As an important signal from executives, top management support is often used as a normative template to ensure employees about the organizational legitimacy of activities and beliefs. Therefore, top management support for KM initiatives will encourage employees’ adoption of, and commitment to, the initiatives.