Zou, P X W (2004) Knowledge management practice in two Australian architecture-engineering-construction (AEC) companies. Construction Economics and Building, 4(2), pp. 19-32. ISSN 2204-9029
Abstract
Knowledge management (KM) could be described as a management system that supports the creation, sharing and retrieving of valued information, expertise and insight within and across communities of people and related organizations using information and communication technologies and hence it is a combination of the effective application of information technlogy and management of human resources. KM is becoming a core competitive factor in construction operations. This paper presents the results of two case studies of KM practices in large AEC (architecture, engineering and construction) companies through desk-top study and semi-structured interviews. The results indicate that implementing KM in AEC companies leads to competitive advantages and improved decision-making, problem solving and business performance. The results also indicateed that while technology plays an important role, top management commitment, total employee involvement, performance assessment and the culture of knowledge-learning and sharing must be considered when implementing KM. Therefore it is suggested that the implementation of KM should incorporate the company's vision, work processes, technology and culture, to improve the ability of knowledge creating, capturing, sharing, retrieving and ultimately, to improve the company's competitive advantage, decision making, problem solving and innovation.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | AEC companies; construction management; knowledge management; knowledge sharing culture; performance assessment |
| Index terms: | commitment, implementation, performance assessment, knowledge management, knowledge sharing, construction operation, competitive advantage, employee involvement, interview, human resource, top management, decision-making, management system, problem solving, business performance, becoming, case study, information and communication technology |
| Subjects: | management, data collection methods, performance measurement, decision-making and reasoning, professional development, computing systems, psychology, market analysis, assessment methods, decision analysis, philosophical process, construction operations, contractual arrangements, knowledge management |
| Topics: | Site Management, Organizational Design, Quality Management, Human Resources, Digital Applications, Procurement, Risk Management, Information Management, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here