The implementation of Knowledge Management in the practice of international active Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises with the special aspect of motivation and commitment

Seminar paper from the year 2008 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1,3, University of applied sciences Dortmund (FOM - Fachhochschule für Oekonomie und Management), course: International Business Strategy, language: English, abstract: KM is and will be a more and more important issue for all companies in the future, especially for SMEs referring to the fast development of globalisation, if they don't want to miss the connection to this trend. SMEs haven't already adopted KM in the same way great companies has done it and often not as effective and systematic as it should be. So SMEs must improve their efforts in this direction and apply the right tools and processes of KM, also and especially referring to the motivational aspects, which are indispensable for it. The focus of this work lies therefore on the practical implementation of KM-Systems and furthermore on the special roles of motivation and commitment of the employees in this process. SMEs must improve their efforts in this direction and apply the right tools and processes of KM. A it will shown, a knowledge-friendly culture and a proactive management support is very import for the success of the KM-process. This has to be combined with good motivational aids, incentive systems and a well planned commitment of and with the employees from the very first beginning of the KM-process. In the comprehensive view the whole organisational framework could be could be seen as a system of incentives, which either motivates or discourages the employees to search for new effective behaviour within the KM-process. SMEs should see the knowledge orientated trend as a positive pressure to make their homework in the mentioned way. The presented work provides the theoretical back¬ground for the mentioned goals as well as practical tools and approaches towards KM in SMEs. Some helpful tools are presented in the appendix.