Culture is widely acknowledged as a most prominent make-or-break factor of knowledge management systems implementation projects. Behavioral and organizational change management are critical to achieve a good fit between human factors and technology.

Hauke Heier examines how technology-facilitated knowledge management initiatives can establish supportive knowledge-intensive cultures. Based on an explorative case study of a four-year implementation and change management project in the electrical engineering and electronics industry, he investigates the explanatory power of two complementary change management frameworks in the new setting of knowledge management systems. Thus, this study contributes to the development of theory and managerial practice - toward a culture change-based implementation framework.

Dr. Hauke Heier works as a research associate at European Business School (Oestrich-Winkel), and acts as a visiting assistant professor of business administration and information management at Leiden University School of Management and Munich Business School.

Hauke Heier examines how technology-facilitated knowledge management initiatives can establish supportive knowledge-intensive cultures.

Content.- 1. Introduction.- 1.1 Research Problem and Relevance.- 1.2 Key Concepts and Significant Prior Research.- 1.2.1 Definitions and Basic Concepts in Knowledge Management.- 1.2.2 Refining the Research Question.- 1.3 Research Objectives and Expected Contributions.- 1.4 General Research Approach.- 1.4.1 Research Design.- 1.4.2 Site Selection.- 1.4.3 Unit of Analysis.- 1.4.4 Data Collection, Analysis, and Exposition.- 2. Conceptual Foundations.- 2.1 Change Paradigms Guiding KMS Implementations.- 2.2 Linear, Staged Change.- 2.2.1 Lewin-Schein's Conceptualization of Change.- 2.2.2 Unfreezing.- 2.2.3 Cognitive Restructuring.- 2.2.4 Refreezing.- 2.3 Circular, Continuous Change.- 2.3.1 Sathe's Conceptualization of Change.- 2.3.2 Behavior.- 2.3.3 Justifications of Behavior.- 2.3.4 Cultural Communications.- 2.3.5 Hiring, Socializing, and Replacing Employees.- 3. Case Study: Siemens ShareNet.- 3.1 Project Prologue.- 3.2 Definition and Prototyping.- 3.3 Setup and Piloting.- 3.4 Global Rollout.- 3.5 Operation, Expansion, and Further Development.- 3.6 Shifting to a Multi-Community Concept.- 4. Case Discussion: Change Paradigms Revisited.- 4.1 A Linear, Staged Perspective to Explain Success and Failure.- 4.1.1 Revealing Critical Success Factors for Unfreezing.- 4.1.2 Revealing Critical Success Factors for Cognitive Restructuring.- 4.1.3 Revealing Critical Success Factors for Refreezing.- 4.1.4 Findings Related to a Sequential Implementation Perspective.- 4.2 A Circular, Continuous Perspective to Explain Success and Failure.- 4.2.1 Unveiling Critical Success Factors for Behavior Change.- 4.2.2 Unveiling Critical Success Factors for Behavior Justifications.- 4.2.3 Unveiling Critical Success Factors for Cultural Communications.- 4.2.4 Unveiling Critical Success Factors for Socialization and Removal.- 4.2.5 Findings Related to a Cyclical Implementation Perspective.- 5. Conclusions and Implications for Further Research.- 5.1 Motivators Fitting Knowledge Management Systems.- 5.2 Knowledge Management Systems as Change Drivers.- 5.3 Toward a Culture Change-Based Implementation Framework.- 5.3.1 Combining Conceptualizations of Change.- 5.3.2 Initiation.- 5.3.3 Continuation.- 5.3.4 Termination.- Interview Guidelines.- Interview Synopses.- Interview with Horst D. Angerer.- Interview with Felix Baumann.- Interview with Joachim Döring.- Interview with Stefan Jenzowsky.- Interview with Dietmar Krauss.- Interview with Alfons Kuhn.- Interview with Andreas Manuth.- Interview with Rolf Meinert.- Interview with Dr. Johannes Müller.- Interview with Barbara Stahl.- Interview with Ursula Streit.- Interview with Donald Tsusaki.- Interview with Gerhard Vogt.- Interview with Marc Widuch.- References.