The Effects of Knowledge Management Process on Knowledge Management Effectiveness of Physicians: An Empirical Study in Multi-Speciality Hospitals
Keywords:
Knowledge, Knowledge Management, Knowledge Management Process, Knowledge Management Effectiveness, PhysiciansAbstract
In the present knowledge economy, organizations need to assimilate Knowledge Management (KM) practices in their business process for achieving sustainable competitive advantage. For effective implementation of the KM practices, organization needs to focus on KM process (viz. acquisition, creation, sharing, storage and application of knowledge) that enables them for leveraging the existing knowledge and creating the new knowledge. Hospitals are highly relying on the knowledge of its physicians. Therefore hospitals need to develop a capability for managing KM process that will enhance the knowledge flow across various specialties and increase KM effectiveness of physicians at the point of care. In the background, the purpose of this paper is to explore various elements of KM process prevailing in the hospitals. It also attempts to examine the effects of KM process on KM effectiveness of physicians. Primary data was collected from the physicians in multi-speciality hospitals in Bangalore & Chennai. The results confirmed the relationship between KM process and KM effectiveness of physicians. It also revealed that ‘knowledge creation’ has significant effect on KM effectiveness of physicians. This paper provides insights into how to develop and sustain KM process in hospitals and guides the hospital managers in the implementation of KM practices. It could be a basis for further studies on the relationship between KM and hospital performance.
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