Knowledge management systems and organizational knowledge processing challenges: A field experiment

This paper investigates the appropriateness of knowledge management system (KMS) designs for different organizational knowledge processing challenges. Building on the theory of task-technology fit (TTF), we argue that different KMS designs are more effective for different knowledge tasks. An exploratory field experiment was conducted in the context of Internet-based knowledge sharing services to provide empirical support for our hypotheses. The results of our experiment show that a KMS designed to support the goal GENERATE is more appropriate for divergent type knowledge problems because of its affordances for iterative brainstorming processes. Conversely, for convergent type knowledge processing challenges, a KMS with the goal CHOOSE that supports the ability to clarify and to analyze is more effective.