Knowledge Culture (Dimensions, Criteria and Comparison of Three Different Organizations)

Knowledge culture as one of the most important factors affecting on knowledge management, describes values and beliefs about creating, sharing and implementing knowledge. It plays a basic role in successfulness of knowledge management. Hence, assessing knowledge culture, creating and reinforcing of relevant values and activities to knowledge management is very important. In this research, following an extensive review of literature of knowledge management, dimension of knowledge culture categorized in three general areas of creating, sharing and implementing as well as criteria of: personal beliefs, commitment, knowledge sharing as a source of power, freedom of action v.s. control, and senior management support. Based on these criteria an instrument for assessing knowledge culture was composed and used for measurement and comparison of knowledge culture in three organizations. According to the results, concluding remarks for enhancing dimension of knowledge culture were made at the end.