ICTs and knowledge management: an Italian case study of a construction company

Purpose - The objective of this paper is to investigate the process of knowledge creation and transfer in project-based organizations, with particular reference to a construction firm, emphasizing first the importance of knowledge transfer, in tacit or explicit form, between the various actors of a project, and then the importance of the information and communication technology (ICT) in supporting project-based organizations (PBOs). Design/methodology/approach - Above all, a series of round-table meetings were developed with six managers of as many construction companies, with a twofold purpose: to understand how companies are managing knowledge, and to understand how a company may reach the excellence through its knowledge activities. Then, one out of these six companies was chosen as example of excellence and described as case study to further develop and investigate the knowledge management ( KM). Findings - The adoption of a phased approach to manage knowledge appears to be a promising means of enhancing the management and transfer of new knowledge derived from the different projects; moreover, the case study shows how ICTs may be effectively used in KM. Research limitations/implications - The findings are limited due to the focused nature of the case study. Practical implications - This case study shows that KM is a powerful tool for PBOs, and allows every company to generate and disseminate knowledge, and to transfer it into activities that produce value for the enterprise as the main source of their competitive advantage. Originality/value - This paper is a real case study showing KM applications in the construction industry.