Barriers and Facilitators to Knowledge Management: Evidence from Selected Indian Universities

Abstract

Knowledge Management (KM) is a key ingredient of Research and Development (R&D) organizations and may contribute to enhance the productivity in universities and other organizations involved in conducting research activities. This study shows how researchers from university departments and research centers in India perceive the barriers and facilitators to KM. For this purpose, three domains, namely - knowledge gathering, creation, and diffusion are considered in three dimensions of barriers and facilitators - individual aspects, socio-organizational aspects, and technological aspects. Researchers from three universities and their affiliated colleges and research centers situated in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) region were surveyed for studying the barriers and facilitators to KM systems in the Indian context. The findings suggest that researchers are more concerned with individual and socioorganizational aspects of KM, rather than the technological aspect. People and their interactions create knowledge and promote the flow of knowledge.

Keywords: Knowledge Management (KM), Barriers, Facilitators, Technology, R&D