UNDERSTANDING KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE-ORGANISATION MISALIGNMENTS FROM AN INSTITUTIONAL PERSPECTIVE: A CASE STUDY OF A GLOBAL IT-MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCY FIRM

Inspired by the proposition that "Enterprise information systems configurations chosen by the organisations will encode institutionalised principles into these systems" (Gosain, 2004: 169), this study seeks to draw attention to potential sources of likely misalignment between Knowledge Management (KM) software and the implementing organisation from an institutional theory perspective. Employing a conceptual framework based on this perspective and the extended theory of structurational properties of technology and using a case study of a global IT-Management consultancy firm, the study elucidates KM software-organisation misalignments as the consequence of differences between organisational and KM technology developer's contexts with due consideration of the case organisation's large and diverse user base. Such contextual differences reflect the different institutional contexts where KM technology developers and adopting organisations operate. Theoretically, this study is arguably the first of its kinds to demonstrate how institutional forces can affect Kil/f technology adoption and implementation in an actual business case, thereby enriching institutional theory. Practically, studies of this nature should assist organisations toward understanding the factors inherent within a successful implementation of KM technology in global firms, particularly those rich in high-value text-based knowledge for making decisions like management consultancies and legal organisations.