Abstract
Knowledge management is seen as a core element for successful implementation of smart cities projects and initiatives. KM can contribute to make faster, smarter and better decisions, increase productivity, decrease task completion time, and to increase organisational learning and innovativeness. However, so as to create efficient KM strategies, it is critical for smart cities organisations to understand and identify their unique drivers to manage knowledge in their particular environment. The aim of this paper is to investigate the key drivers that have pushed forward the implementation of KM strategies within the context of smart cities. The study deployed an online questionnaire survey conducted via 97 participants from various public and private sector organisations involves in smart cities projects and initiatives. Through the online survey questionnaire respondents were asked to indicate the level of importance of the drivers for managing knowledge in the context of smart cities. The quantitative data has been analysed with the help of statistical techniques such as descriptive analysis and the t-test. Statistical analyses were undertaken using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings of this study revealed that the five most important drivers for managing smart cities related knowledge are: to improve sharing of knowledge related to smart cities agenda, to protect loss of smart cities related knowledge due to key workers’ departures, to help integrate knowledge assets related to smart cities agenda, to improve the capture knowledge related to smart cities agenda, and to improve employee’s productivity in implementing smart cities agenda. Therefore, smart cities organisations need to carefully identify their key drivers to deploy KM. They need to be aware of the factors that can influence, enable or hinder the effectiveness of KM strategies. Additionally, smart cities organisations leadership and senior management need to create encouraging the supportive corporate culture that contribute to employees’ willingness to share their knowledge.