Abstract

Rooted in activity theory, we develop a model of knowledge management system (KMS) effectiveness, conceptualizing it as individual users’ perceived task performance impacts from the use of a KMS. We incorporate task, actor, tool, and community aspects of the knowledge management process in our model as predictors and moderators. We conceptualize task aspect as perspective development using a KMS; actor aspect as users’ perceived familiarity with the KMS; tool aspect as facilitating technology encapsulated in the KMS; and community aspect as community interaction principles embedded in the KMS. Using complementary theoretical perspectives, we hypothesize that perspective development positively influences KMS effectiveness, and that perceived KMS familiarity, facilitating technology, and community interaction principles each have either U-shaped or inverted U-shaped moderating effects on this relationship. We further hypothesize that these effects vary systematically across users with different levels of cognitive schema sophistication. These hypotheses are tested using two survey samples representing users with distinct levels of schema sophistication: 218 organizational KMS users and 317 student users. Results indicate that perceived KMS familiarity, facilitating technology, and community interaction principles are important non-linear moderators. We contribute to the IS literature in three ways. First, we develop a contextualized KM activity theory framework to identify KM process elements that influence KMS effectiveness. Second, we demonstrate the differential non-linear moderating roles of the actor, tool, and community aspects in shaping the perspective development–KMS effectiveness relationship. Finally, we also highlight systematic differences in these moderating effects emanating from users’ differential cognitive schema sophistication.

DOI

10.17705/1jais.01002

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