Measuring Knowledge Enablers and Project Success in IT Organizations

Abstract

Knowledge enablers exist at the organizational and project levels. There is however, no meaningful means to measure organizational or project knowledge sharing. The need to understand the elements that enable this flow of knowledge is dramatically evidenced in information technology organizations in which insufficient knowledge sharing leads to intellectual capital loss, rework, skills deterioration, and repeated mistakes that increase project costs or failures. The goal of this study was to examine the relationship among knowledge sharing processes at the organizational level – organizational learning enablers (OLEs) – the project level – project learning enablers (PLEs) – and project success variables (PSVs). After identifying and validating the OLE, PLE, and PSV constructs they were codified in a survey. Results showed a positive and significant relationship among OLEs, PLEs, and PSVs. A multiple regression indicated that the combination of OLEs and PLEs accounted for 30% of a project's success, however, PLEs alone were not statistically significant.