A Typology of Knowledge Management System Use by Teams

Abstract

This essay sketches out a typology of knowledge management system use by teams. It is proposed that how a knowledge management system is framed and enacted by a team depends on (a) psychological safety (the shared beliefs held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking — Edmondson, 1999) and (b) the rate of episodic change experienced by the team. Four distinct patterns of use are identified: candid, ambivalent, conservative, and reluctant. Each of these usage patterns has implications for the learning opportunities teams may face and the perceived usefulness of a knowledge management system.