Elsevier

Computers in Human Behavior

Volume 30, January 2014, Pages 800-812
Computers in Human Behavior

Investigating the exploitation of web 2.0 for knowledge management in the Greek tourism industry: An utilisation–importance analysis

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.05.032Get rights and content

Highlights

  • A model of web 2.0 exploitation for people-centric knowledge management (KM).

  • Identification of web 2.0 usages supporting conversational and collaborative KM.

  • Findings measuring the web 2.0 exploitation for KM by Greek tourism firms.

  • Identification of KM needs by conducting a utilisation–importance analysis.

  • Internal KM as a pre-requisite of external KM strategy.

Abstract

The paper investigates the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and specifically of the web 2.0 in supporting knowledge management (KM) processes. A literature review analyses how the web 2.0 transforms the implementation of KM by supporting conversational and collaborative KM processes that in turn divert KM from a technology-centric to a people-centric approach. The discussion also reveals how different ways of exploiting web 2.0 reflect different levels of technology supported KM practices. The study also investigated the type and the level of web 2.0 exploitation for KM purposes in the Greek tourism industry by collecting empirical data from tourism professionals. The data was analysed by performing an utilisation–importance analysis that compared data measuring the actual utilisation of web 2.0 with the perceived utilisation importance of web 2.0 for KM purposes. The analysis identified several gaps and opportunities in relation to web 2.0 exploitation for KM purposes. The paper concludes by providing practical and theoretical implications for enhancing the exploitation of web 2.0 for KM purposes.

Introduction

Nowadays, knowledge is widely recognised as one of the most crucial competitive assets that substantially supports and fosters an enterprise’s adaptation, survival and outstanding performance (Bohn, 1994, Boisot, 1998, Mertins et al., 2000, O’Dell and Grayson, 1998, Palacios and Garrigos, 2006). This is because by being mainly tacit (intangible) and embedded in organisational structures and cultures, knowledge cannot be easily copied and substituted and so, it enables firms to create business value in a unique, inimitable and non-transferable way. Indeed, research has revealed the performance impacts of KM on various business processes and functions, such as (Boisot, 1998, Mertins et al., 2000, Ruhanen and Cooper, 2003, Sigala, 2011, Sigala, 2012, Sigala and Chalkiti, 2007): building and maintaining good quality customer relations and so, enhancing customer lifetime value; improving supply chain management by disseminating and sharing information for increasing coordination and collaboration; and enhancing organisational learning and continuous improvement. As information is the lifeblood of tourism, tourism organisations are not excluded from this knowledge revolution (Poon, 1993, Sigala and Chalkiti, 2007). Actually, knowledge management (KM) is recognised as a competitive and survival necessity for tourism firms (Cooper, 2006, Hallin and Marnburg, 2008) that can significantly contribute to their performance (e.g. Yang & Wan, 2004).

However, previous studies investigating KM in tourism have placed an increased importance on intra-firm KM overlooking the need to also engage in knowledge creation and exchanges with stakeholders beyond the firm’s borders (Bouncken, 2002). In tourism, knowledge sharing at an interfirm level (between and amongst firms’ external networks) are also highly important due to the complexity of the tourism product (i.e. an amalgam of many different services) that creates increased interdependencies amongst many stakeholders (e.g. regulatory bodies) and amongst tourism firms (Cooper, 2006). Tourism is also a dynamically changing and highly vulnerable industry that is continuously influenced by numerous environmental factors. Because of that, tourism firms need to continually collect, share and process a huge amount of information for keeping abreast with any changes, addressing potential and real risks as well as becoming proactive to tourists’ demands and changes. Moreover, in a highly interconnected and dynamic world, technology and specifically, web 2.0 advances empower tourism firms to cultivate, expand and enhance their knowledge sharing practices with their customers, suppliers, various partners and other stakeholders (Chalkiti & Sigala, 2008). Indeed, Young (2008) predicted that by 2013 social networking will be a decent substitute for KM applications. Nowadays, KM is evolving to a new phase that places collective intelligence at its core and promotes its use by accelerating its distribution. However, although tourism research has emphasised and explored the ways in which the collective intelligence of web 2.0 can be used for Customer Relationship Management, new service development, marketing and reputation management strategies (e.g. O’Connor, 2010, Pan et al., 2007, Sigala, 2011, Sigala, 2012), there is a lack of research investigating whether and how tourism firms can exploit web 2.0 for enriching and expanding their KM practices specifically beyond the organisational borders of their firms.

In this vein, this paper aims: (a) to analyse how the web 2.0 enhances and transforms KM practices; (b) to investigate the level of web 2.0 exploitation for KM in the Greek tourism industry; and (c) to identify any gaps and opportunities in web 2.0 exploitation for KM by conducting an utilisation–importance analysis that compares the actual utilisation levels of web 2.0 with the perceived importance of web 2.0 utilisation for KM purposes. To achieve that, a literature review is conducted that first identifies the KM processes and then, it debates the role and the limitations of information and communication technologies (ICT) for supporting these KM processes. The literature review continues by debating the transformative power of web 2.0, as it migrates the implementation of KM from a technology-centric to a people-centric approach. This is because the web 2.0 supports conversational and collaborative KM processes that overcome the conventional ICT-driven approaches to KM. Overall, the literature review shows that the different types of ICT exploitation reflect different levels of technology-supported KM practices. In this vein, the study investigated the technology-supported KM practices in the Greek tourism industry by conducting a survey measuring the ways in which Greek tourism professionals exploit the web 2.0 for KM. To achieve that, a questionnaire was designed in order to collect data related to: the type and level of web 2.0 use by Greek tourism professionals for supporting their KM processes; and the professional’s perceptions regarding the importance of web 2.0 exploitation for conducting these KM activities. Findings reveal interesting information about the level of web 2.0 exploitation for KM purposes in the Greek tourism industry. In addition, an utilisation–importance analysis was conducted for identifying potential gaps and opportunities in web 2.0 exploitation for KM. The paper concludes by providing several implications for advancing future research and addressing the industry’s challenges related to web 2.0 exploitation for KM.

Section snippets

Knowledge management processes

Knowledge management (KM) is a structured approach for addressing the core processes of creating, codifying, using, measuring and retaining knowledge, as well as leveraging knowledge for competing in turbulent business markets (Rowley, 2000, Tobin, 1998). Knowledge is generally categorised into explicit knowledge, that can be easily encoded, stored and transmitted (von Krogh, 1998), and tacit knowledge, that is normally developed from action and experience, and it is shared through highly

The role of ICT in supporting KM processes: the levels, benefits and limitations of ICT exploitation for KM

ICT are widely recognised as a crucial factor that can boost knowledge creation processes by mobilising and converting knowledge (Kankannalli et al., 2005; Rhodes et al., 2008, Robert, 2009, Yang and Wu, 2008). Traditionally, ICT are viewed as a collection of technological capabilities and tools (e.g. e-mail, intranets, databases, forums) that capture, store and share knowledge (Grover & Davenport, 2001) in order to enable firms to manage, retrieve, disseminate and process information (Swan,

Web 2.0 supporting a conversational and collaborative KM: KM 2.0

The web 2.0 appears to address many of the abovementioned limitations of the conventional ICT-driven KM, as the various web 2.0 tools do consider the human and socio-cultural aspects of knowledge. By changing the way people search, share and create knowledge, the web 2.0 advances have enabled the technology-supported KM practices to migrate from a technology-centric application, that highlights the information processing and centralised aspects of ICT, to a people-centric KM approach, that

Research aims

The study had three major aims: (a) to investigate the role and the use of web 2.0 for supporting, enhancing and transforming KM; (b) to investigate the level of web 2.0 exploitation for KM purposes in the Greek tourism industry; and (c) to identify gaps and opportunities in web 2.0 exploitation for KM purposes by conducting an utilisation–importance analysis that compares the actual utilisation levels with the perceived importance of web 2.0 exploitation for KM. A literature review has shown

Respondents’ profile

The profile of the 94 respondents reflects a representative sample of the professionals working in the various sectors of the Greek tourism industry (Table 2). Respondents represent both young and matured professionals (65% were until 40 years old), have received tertiary education (88%) and reflect a good gender representation (53% were male). The majority of the respondents worked for hotels (35%), travel agencies (14%) and public tourism organisations (10%), while the remaining 41% were

Conclusions, implications and suggestions for future research

Web 2.0 changes the way people search, share and create information. In this vein, web 2.0 applications shift KM implementation from a technology-centric approach to KM practices reflecting a people-centric approach that supports conversational and collaborative KM processes. The paper reviewed the related literature for revealing this transformational role of web 2.0 in supporting and enhancing KM processes. The paper also collected primary data from Greek tourism professionals in order to

References (80)

  • J.T. Yang et al.

    Advancing organizational effectiveness and knowledge management implementation

    Tourism Management

    (2004)
  • H. Yang et al.

    Knowledge sharing in an organisation

    Technological Forecasting & Social Change

    (2008)
  • T.K. Yu et al.

    Exploring factors that influence knowledge sharing behavior via weblogs

    Computers in Human Behaviour

    (2010)
  • Bateman, S., Brooks, C., McCalla, G., & Brusilovsky, P. (2007). Applying collaborative tagging to E – Learning:...
  • L. Bernoff et al.

    Harnessing the Power of the Oh-So-Social Web

    MIT Sloan Management Review

    (2008)
  • Boland, R.J., Tenkasi, R.V. & Te’eni, D. (1944). Designing information technology to support distributed cognition....
  • G.W. Bock et al.

    Breaking the myths of rewards: An exploratory study of attitudes about knowledge sharing

    Information Resources Management Journal

    (2002)
  • R.E. Bohn

    Measuring and managing technological knowledge

    Sloan Management Review

    (1994)
  • M.H. Boisot

    Knowledge assets: Securing competitive advantage in the information economy

    (1998)
  • R. Bouncken

    Knowledge management for quality improvement in hotels

  • J.S. Brown et al.

    Organizational learning and communities of practice

    California Management Review

    (1991)
  • T. Butler

    From data to knowledge and back again: Understanding the limitations of KMS

    Knowledge and Process Management: The Journal of Corporate Transformation

    (2003)
  • K. Chalkiti et al.

    Information sharing and knowledge creation in online forums: The case of the Greek online forum “DIALOGOI”

    Current Issues in Tourism

    (2008)
  • K. Chalkiti et al.

    Staff turnover in the Greek tourism industry: A comparison between insular and peninsual regions

    International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management

    (2010)
  • C.E. Connelly et al.

    Predictors of employees’ perceptions of knowledge sharing culture

    Leadership & Organization Development Journal

    (2003)
  • Currie, G., & Kerrin, M. (2004). The limits of a technological fix to knowledge management epistemological, political...
  • T. Davenport et al.

    Working knowledge, what organizations manage what they know

    (1998)
  • C.J. Easingwood et al.

    Priorities in services marketing

    International Journal of Service Industry Management

    (1991)
  • L. Edvinsson

    Some perspectives on intangibles and intellectual capital

    Journal of Intellectual Capital

    (2000)
  • L. Fahey et al.

    The eleven deadliest sins of knowledge management

    California Management Review

    (1998)
  • V. Grover et al.

    General perspectives on knowledge management: Fostering a research agenda?

    Journal of Management Information Systems

    (2001)
  • Hayman, S., 2007. Folksonomies and tagging: New development in social bookmarking. Education Services Australia....
  • R. Hull

    Knowledge management and the conduct of expert labour

  • Jackson, C., 2000. Process to product: Creating tools for knowledge management. In Malhotra, Y. (Ed.), Knowledge...
  • M.E. Jennex

    What is knowledge management?

    International Journal of Knowledge Management

    (2005)
  • D. Jonassen

    Theoretical foundations of learning environments

    (2000)
  • A. Kankanhalli et al.

    Contributing knowledge to electronic knowledge repositories: An empirical investigation

    MIS Quarterly

    (2005)
  • G.V. von Krogh

    Care in knowledge creation

    California Management Review

    (1998)
  • Lee, D. and Lam, S. (2007). Protocol Design for Dynamic Delaunay Triangulation. in: 27th International Conference...
  • D. Leonard et al.

    The role of tacit knowledge in group innovation

    California Management Review

    (1998)
  • Cited by (91)

    • Visibility of knowledge in social media: Conceptualization and instrument development

      2022, Information and Management
      Citation Excerpt :

      Prior research identified individual cognitive mechanism as one of the theoretically related constructs related to the visibility of knowledge [60]. Individual cognitive mechanism in the context of social media use refers to a process in which an individual enhances their knowledge by searching, categorizing, and reading information available [61]. The principle of least effort [62] explains the relationship between the visibility of knowledge and the individual cognitive mechanism.

    • Linking social media usage and SME's sustainable performance: The role of digital leadership and innovation capabilities

      2022, Technology in Society
      Citation Excerpt :

      Internet opportunities provide an environment for online interaction by using social media. Social media usage provides practical online options to obtain updated and reliable information [4]. The massive acceptance of social media usage assists online information sharing and learning [5].

    • The effect of social media on firm performance

      2021, Computers in Human Behavior
      Citation Excerpt :

      Therefore, it is very important for businesses to know how to deal with social media and the effects it has on potential customers purchasing decisions (Marco-Lajara, del Carmen Zaragoza-Sáez, Claver-Cortés, Úbeda-García, & García-Lillo, 2017). One of those businesses, which is very competitive, is the hotel industry where customers are located geographically far from the offered products or services (Sigala & Chalkiti, 2014). In the hotel industry, social media provide advantages for firms such as sales growth, faster direct communication with customers, efficient distribution and procurement, high customer satisfaction, cost reduction and enhanced brand image (Melián-González & Bulchand-Gidumal, 2016; Okazaki, Andreu, & Campo, 2017).

    • Assessing technology brands with digital media

      2023, Technology Brands in the Digital Economy
    • EEG-based epileptic seizure pattern decoding using vision transformer

      2023, 2023 15th International Conference on Innovations in Information Technology, IIT 2023
    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text