Comparative Assessment of Knowledge Management Leadership Approaches within the Department of Defense

摘要

Knowledge has superseded traditional corporate assets and has become the strategic resource for competitive advantage. To reap the benefits of knowledge, organizations must harvest and leverage the collective knowledge of the entire workforce. This is achieved through effective knowledge management. KM involves processes to create, to store, and transfer knowledge to accomplish business objectives and to achieve a competitive advantage. The Department of Defense has also recognized the importance of KM and has since mandated the acquiring, refining, and sharing of knowledge. The Departments of the Army, Air Force, and Navy have each undertaken individual KM efforts. This research, guided by Dr. Michael Stankosky's Four Pillar Framework, used a case study methodology to investigate each of the department's KM leadership and described how they compare and contrast (Stankosky, 1999). This study identified evidence of each KM leadership element for all three departments. Additionally, this research revealed that each department approaches KM leadership uniquely.