An exploratory study of groupware use in the knowledge management process

Purpose – Aims to explore the relationships between groupware use and the knowledge management process. Design/methodology/approach – The activities comprising the knowledge management process are conceptualized as: knowledge creation, knowledge maintenance, knowledge distribution, and knowledge review and revision. The data for this exploratory study were gathered through a telephone survey of managers at Fortune 1000 firm divisions. Based on the prior literature, it was expected that use of certain types of groupware and certain aspects of the knowledge management process would be significantly associated with each other. Findings – The results of this exploratory study show that the groupware tools which enhance or support traditional aural media were significantly associated with most of the knowledge management processes we identified. However, e‐mail is the sole groupware tool that is significantly associated with knowledge distribution. Originality/value – As an exploratory study, this research highlights some interesting trends in the knowledge management process, and suggests multiple lines of future research.