Knowledge management: A study of knowledge utilization in California cities

Purpose. This study sought to identify levels of trust, utilization, barriers to adoption, and variables that have a relationship to higher levels of knowledge resource utilization in California incorporated municipalities.;Theoretical Framework. The study builds on a theoretical foundation for knowledge management through the theory of organizational knowledge creation, intellectual capital theory, social capital theory, theories of the learning organization, systems theory, and theories of knowledge in practice through communities of practice, collaborative networks, and public sector knowledge networks.;Methodology. A 3-wave mailed survey was distributed to all 482 California incorporated cities directed to city managers to collect primary data. Descriptive statistics, bivariate regression, multiple linear regression, and cross-tabulation were performed.;Findings. The city manager's utilization of knowledgebase as a resource as a percentage of total resources was low (6.41%) as compared to personal, staff, and consultant expertise (81%); 25.4% of city managers indicated low band levels of trust with an additional 34.3% in the middle ranking of trust in knowledgebase systems as a resource. For expertise in knowledge management systems, city managers (38.8%) and organizations (29.9%) were in the lower band (1-3 on a 7 Likert scale). Organizations had a higher likelihood to utilize a shared computer knowledgebase than to submit to a system. Top barriers to adoption and utilization were identified as higher priorities exist and funding availability. External professional groups/networks that offer shared knowledgebase systems to members had a mean of 59.87%. Statistical significance was identified between independent and dependent variables including city manager expertise and trust (IV) to utilization as a percentage of total knowledge resources; city manager and organization expertise (IV) to likelihood of the organization to utilize (DV) and to submit (DV); and city manager and organizational utilization (IV) to level of trust (DV).;Conclusions and Recommendations. A model was created from findings (the Knowledge Utilization Wheel) to demonstrate that an increase in city manager and organization expertise will begin a cycle that has an association to increased city manager utilization, organization utilization, organization submission, and higher levels of trust in knowledgebase systems as a resource. Five areas for further study are recommended.