ifkad articles

Customer Satisfaction and Added Value Creation Damaged by Knowledge Barriers

Marko Manu

Information and knowledge management is key to create added value for organizations no matter what field organization is acting. Covid -19 has shown the importance of accurate and right information to be available for those who need information to be able to act. Respectively we have seen the challenges and problems when information has not received on time, information is insufficient or not received at all. For organizations and their many stakeholders, customers included, uncertain times are the ultimate test for processes. This can be seen strongly in information and knowledge management practices. If organization has strong organizational culture where communication and knowledge management have strong position it can assume that ability and willingness to use alternative methods for communication when those are needed are in good level. This ensures also that ability to create added value for stakeholders and customers are not in danger and agility to react changes occurring in operating environment is existing. Barriers in communication have many different levels in organization. Individuals have different ways to communicate and receive information and these individual differences are creating needs to better and diverse communication within organization to create better possibilities to be successful also in organizational level. Today as covid-19 has changed dramatically ways to communicate and manage knowledge technological barriers and ability to use new technology has been the most important challenge organizations have been faced today. To be able to continue their businesses and survive new technology must be adopt and take in use even in individual level might be some challenges to learn and adopt new ways of doing things. This study focuses on added value and how communication as well as knowledge management. Case study is presented through industrial organization and their customer satisfaction survey to see how knowledge barriers are affecting on customer satisfaction and organization´s ability to create added value through minimizing knowledge barriers. Through theoretical review of knowledge barriers, case study organization´s customer satisfaction survey and survey creation process are shortly presented. Results of the customer satisfaction survey are introduced and results are reflected against theory related to different knowledge and information barriers. This evaluation is to be done to present the challenges what organizations are facing in individual, organizational and especially in technological level and how these all levels are connected when communication tools and methods must be changed quickly and knowledge management is suddenly most important mode of management.

IN: Proceedings IFKAD 2021 – Managing Knowledge in Uncertain Times
PP: 1840-1855