Biovial

Why KM projects fail: a multi-case analysis

Alton Chua and Wing Lam

Abstract Purpose – This paper attempts to understand the reasons for knowledge management (KM) project failure. Design/methodology/approach – Five well-documented cases of KM project failure in the current literature are reviewed. For each case, the authors examine the circumstantial elements of the failure, including the rationale and intended objectives of the KM project, the outcomes of the project and the reasons that led to project failure. Findings – From the review, two observations are made. First, KM failure factors fall into four distinct categories, namely, technology, culture, content, and project management. Second, KM projects can be traced along a three-stage lifecycle, comprising initiation, implementation, and integration. Research limitations/implications – The findings are discussed and finally synthesized into a model of KM project failure. The model serves as a starting-point for future research in KM project implementation. Practical implications – Practitioners may use the model as a risk identification tool for KM project implementation. Originality/value – This paper highlights the fact that KM project failure is a reality with which both practitioners and researchers have to reckon. Additionally, it leverages on the experiences of five KM failure cases and develops a model that allows KM failure factors to be pre-empted. Keywords Knowledge management, Case studies, Management failures, Project management Paper type Case study

Author information can be found at the end of the article.

Introduction

The recent decade has seen a proliferation of knowledge management (KM) projects in many organisations. Correspondingly, corporate spending on KM projects has increased substantially over the years (Ithia, 2003). This phenomenon is fuelled by the escalating popularity of the knowledge-based view of the firm in which knowledge is recognised as the key sustainable competitive...