Management Information Systems Commons^™

Plugging The Knowledge Drain: Strategies And Technologies For Acquiring Knowledge In Lean Organizations, Kathy A. Stewart, Veda C. Storey, Daniel Robey

Computer Information Systems Faculty Publications

Recent programs for organizational improvement (reengineering, downsizing, and outsourcing) have apparently resolved the productivity paradox by making organizations leaner and more efficient. However, these same programs have drained knowledge from organizations, threatening the future performance of lean organizations. Knowledge management, which focuses on the acquisition, internalization, and maintenance of an organization's intellectual assets, is currently a popular approach used to plug the knowledge drain. Designed and managed properly, knowledge management programs can repair significant damage to organizations affected by work force reductions. In this paper, we analyze the process of organizational knowledge acquisition, which most directly addresses the problem of …