The role of knowledge management in achieving effective crisis management: a case study

Abstract

While most would agree that effective knowledge management can improve the management of crises, it is surprising how little research has been done in this area. In order to begin to address this deficiency, this study presents a framework designed to determine whether, and to what extent, knowledge management can positively impact crisis management (CM). The framework is the result of combining classic strategic CM frameworks with Zack’s knowledge strategy framework. A case study of two energy companies in Taiwan is conducted to investigate the relationships between knowledge strategies and critical CM factors. The research results indicate two main findings. First, an organization needs to employ different knowledge strategies at different phases of a business crisis to fulfil its different knowledge needs and achieve the desired CM outcomes. Second, there are significant relationships among knowledge strategies, crisis phases, and crisis characteristics, as summarized in nine theoretical propositions.