Comparative analyses of knowledge management practices in a United States of America high-technology multi-national corporation located in China and high technology firms in the United States Silicon Valley (California)

Drawing a distinction between the United States of America - Silicon Valley and the Peoples Republic of China - Xerox China Limited, this study examines perceptions of the existence and importance of knowledge management practices in high technology organizations. The knowledge management concept first appeared in the literature in 1985, a time when organizations became concerned with the increases in the amount of information and knowledge spawned by the Internet, browser software and inexpensive hardware technology and corresponding increases in complex technology, products and processes. Knowledge management, as a discipline, was rapidly becoming the dominant approach for creating, capturing, organizing, accessing and, using an enterprises information asset base. There is a rich ancient philosophical foundation as well as contemporary empirical evidence for the benefits of understanding and leveraging knowledge. To achieve the objectives of this research a comprehensive review of the literature was conducted, starting with the epistemology of knowledge, organizational and national culture and ethics references. A quantitative approach was utilized featuring a 19-item four-construct pencil survey for the measurement of knowledge management practices. Research was conducted with four similar but unrelated organizations specifically three in the Silicon Valley and one multi national in China.; Results address the research questions concerning the differences in knowledge culture, content, infrastructure and processes between the Silicon Valley organizations and Xerox China Limited. Specifically evident in results, for Xerox China Limited, is a higher perceived existence of rewards and incentives, knowledge flow, knowledge accessibility and learning process in addition to a higher perception of the importance of knowledge dissemination versus the Silicon Valley firms. In all other knowledge management areas, the Silicon Valley firms have higher levels of responses in the perceived existence and level of importance of knowledge management practices.