The elusive benefits of the technological support of knowledge management

It is tempting to conclude that the substantial benefits of communication and information technologies can be seamlessly migrated to knowledge management (KM) applications. However, their success in this capacity is neither certain nor straightforward. The ability of new technologies to support KM in a meaningful manner depends on the types of knowledge they are designed to capture and share, the features and design of the technologies themselves, and the social dynamics among organizational members. Absent careful consideration of these actors, managers and organizational scholars risk either underutilizing these tools or overestimating their utility.