Knowledge Management in U. S. Federal Government Organizations: Can It Work?

Abstract

Knowledge management (KM) is an active and growing field. One of the key factors of KM is its dependence on a culture that will support KM activities. Some of the activities that are extremely culture dependent are the sharing and acceptance of knowledge between individuals and organizations. The question to be answered is whether U.S. federal government (hereafter referred to as “government”) organizations, which are notorious for the lack of this type of culture (although not all), can accomplish KM at all or just need a different approach that has not been defined previously? In this research, we will propose to use government initiatives to entice the organization into creating the culture needed for KM. We will also propose a way to effect changes in the culture by implementing a social initiative that has proven successful in other organizations. The combination of these two activities is expected to create a culture that is viable for KM to flourish even in the infamous government organization.