Evaluating the role and effectiveness of an intranet in facilitating knowledge management: a case study at Surrey County Council
INFORMATION & MANAGEMENT, (2005)Abstract
The research study discussed here examined the role and effectiveness of
intranet technology in the process of creating and managing knowledge
for the Social Services Department of Surrey County Council, which is
one of the largest local authorities in the UK. Based on an analysis of
the literature in the field, we devised an intranet evaluation model
(IEM) using both technical (hard) and human (soft) factors. It made use
of an epistemological framework to elicit user mental models from across
an organisation via a survey.
The model was able to identify gaps, mismatches and failings in the
knowledge management efforts. These were summarised in an easily
understandable diagrammatic form, using knowledge evaluation maps; these
showed the gap between the current and desired intranet roles for the
different user groups within the council.
The paper concludes by demonstrating how factors, such as the different
mental models of the user groups can determine the effectiveness (or
otherwise) of an intranet in managing organisational knowledge. It also
contains recommendations of services that need attention in the council
operations and suggests how the IEM could be used as a consulting tool
for organisations seeking to evaluate their own knowledge management
work on a continuous basis.
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