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224 Chapter 7

Introduction

There are a number of common myths that persist in the fi eld of KM. Among these
are the “ build it and they will come ” myth. Unfortunately, people rarely take the time
to learn new tools, technology does not always give them what they want/need, and
they often are not in a position to even know what they need. A second myth is that
“ technology will replace face-to-face. ” However, valuable tacit knowledge sharing and
the important role of informal networks and peer-to-peer learning cannot and should
not be ignored. The third common KM myth is that “ the fi rst thing to do is change
the organizational culture to one of learning. ” While a number of successful KM ini-
tiatives grew in organizations that already had a solid learning culture, in other orga-
nizations it is very hard and it takes a very long time to change (and subsequently
maintain) cultural change. If you begin with this challenge, you will end up waiting
a long time for KM to succeed. Most organizations can be envisaged to sit on a KM
readiness gradient: some are already “ there ” while others have to move up to a cultural
state that will more readily accommodate or enable KM to succeed. Regardless of posi-
tion, one thing is certain: the cultural environment that the organization fi nds itself
in will play a crucial role on what happens to knowledge management within that
organization (see fi gure 7.1 ).
What is organizational culture? The literature on organizational culture borrows
heavily from anthropology and sociology. Originally an anthropological term, culture
refers to the underlying values, beliefs, and codes of practice that makes a community
what it is. The customs of society, the self-image of its members, the things that make
it different from other societies, are its culture. Culture is powerfully subjective and
refl ects the meanings and understandings that we typically attribute to situations, and
the solutions that we apply to common problems. The idea of a common culture sug-
gests possible problems about whether organizations have cultures. Organizations are
only one constituent element of society. People join organizations from the surround-
ing community and bring their culture with them. It is still possible for organizations
to have cultures of their own as they possess the paradoxical quality of being both
part of and apart from society. They are embedded in the wider societal context but
they are also communities of their own with distinct rules and values.
Culture has long been on the agenda of management theorists. Culture change
must mean changing the corporate ethos, the images, and values that inform action
and this new way of understanding organizational life must be brought into the man-
agement process. There are a number of central aspects of culture. There is an evalu-
ative element involving social expectations and standards, the values and beliefs that