“Lessons” yielded uneven results within three years of its
implementation. “Warehouse” could not be adapted to the specific context of
each workgroup, while “café” was perceived to be exclusive, impractical and
remote from reality. None of these KM projects had an eective mechanism to
encourage participation or measure outcomes.
The main reasons for the failure of KM at the pharmaceutical company
were as follows:
• In “lessons”, there was no mechanism to sift through the lessons
compiled. Neither were there any opportunities to extend the
scope of the exercise beyond existing procedures. In addition,
the output from “lessons” was a list of dissatisfaction with how
standard operating procedures were applied rather than critical
reections on the procedures themselves. Thus, instead of
fostering organizational innovation, “lessons” became a ritualized
reinforcement of routines.
• “Warehouse” could not be adapted to the specific context of each
workgroup. It was thus deemed to be irrelevant to day-to-day
operational processes.
• Contributing to “warehouse” was perceived as a loss in personal
expertise while accessing “warehouse” was perceived as a sign
of inadequacy. Hence, “warehouse” did not attract spontaneous
contribution and access.
• The open-ended nature of “café” had inadvertently made its
relevance and practicality questionable. Furthermore, the exclusive
access to “café” limited its potential for expansion.