Relationships of organizational culture toward knowledge activities

Purpose - This study seeks to explore factors affecting the implementation of knowledge activities, which are the organizational culture which many knowledge management programs adopt. The main problem under investigation is to assess the importance of organizational culture within an enterprise and to ascertain how it can ensure that knowledge activities would continue to be fitting and proper in an enterprise. Design/methodology/approach - An empirical survey was conducted in 154 Taiwanese companies to investigate understanding of the organizational cultures, determine enablers and barriers to implement knowledge activities. Findings - It is suggested that enterprises should adopt an entrepreneurial culture when establishing knowledge activities. Research limitations/implications - Since it was a mass mailing of a somewhat lengthy, blind survey to busy managers, the response rate was believed to be low. Even so, because of the low response rate, the generalized nature of these finds is somewhat in question, and it is important that the study be replicated in Taiwan. Practical implications - The awareness of the external versus internal focus of the organizations will make the organization more or less aware of adoptions in organizational culture efforts and either more or less conducive to implementing knowledge activities. Originality/value - This study points out the need for the consideration of culture when knowledge activities are implemented that may be incompatible with the existing culture. Such organizations can benefit from understanding culture's role in knowledge activities implementation.