{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,19]],"date-time":"2026-06-19T16:30:06Z","timestamp":1781886606926,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,14]],"date-time":"2021-12-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1639440000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["AJIM"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2022,5,16]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>This paper focuses on the meanings attributed to the measurement of return on investment (ROI) in knowledge management (KM) initiatives in knowledge-intensive organizations. At the heart of this exploratory research is the introduction of a unique coherent perspective of discipline experts regarding the ROI metric, as part of their perception of assessing effectiveness in this field.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>The research begins with in-depth semi-structured personal interviews and continues with focus groups, as part of a qualitative research paradigm. The data were analyzed using a thematic analysis method, based on the grounded theory approach.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>The findings provide empirical evidence regarding the significant challenges associated with the objective assessment of KM performance, which is deeply rooted in numerical-financial values. Despite the high status of ROI in the business environment, the authors find that decision-makers surprisingly avoid evaluating ROI for the most important resource of the organization, notwithstanding the immeasurable hopes that depend on this performance measure and the expectation of establishing the profitability of investment in organizational KM.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>The uniqueness of this research is the adoption of the skeptical-critical research approach. For the first time, the authors interrogate the suitability and relevance of the general model of the ROI metric as a means of proving the value and contribution of well-managed knowledge to organizations. The authors call for adoption of a new integrative perspective for evaluating effectiveness, which will reflect the holistic set of KM in organizations.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/ajim-09-2021-0268","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,13]],"date-time":"2021-12-13T01:02:35Z","timestamp":1639357355000},"page":"417-431","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Can return on investment in knowledge management initiatives in organizations be measured?"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"74","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6791-1624","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maayan","family":"Nakash","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3141-8819","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dan","family":"Bouhnik","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"140","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,14]]},"reference":[{"issue":"2","key":"key2022051813315904900_ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"349","DOI":"10.1108\/BPMJ-03-2016-0047","article-title":"The mediating role of product and process innovations on the relationship between knowledge management and operational performance in manufacturing companies in Jordan","volume":"23","year":"2017","journal-title":"Business Process Management Journal"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2022051813315904900_ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100","DOI":"10.1108\/13673271011015598","article-title":"Modeling enablers for successful KM implementation","volume":"14","year":"2010","journal-title":"Journal of Knowledge Management"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2022051813315904900_ref003","first-page":"24","article-title":"Measuring the performance of corporate knowledge management systems","volume":"13","year":"2009","journal-title":"Informatica Economica"},{"key":"key2022051813315904900_ref004","unstructured":"APQC (2015), \u201cEffective measurement of knowledge management initiatives\u201d, available at: https:\/\/www.apqc.org\/resource-library\/resource-listing\/effective-measurement-knowledge-management-initiatives (accessed 9 October 2020)."},{"issue":"3","key":"key2022051813315904900_ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"261","DOI":"10.1504\/IJKBD.2015.072829","article-title":"ISO 9001 as a tool for improving knowledge management in business ecosystems","volume":"6","year":"2015","journal-title":"International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2022051813315904900_ref006","first-page":"43","article-title":"Understanding researchable issues in knowledge management: a literature review","volume":"13","year":"2015","journal-title":"IUP Journal of Knowledge Management"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2022051813315904900_ref007","first-page":"5","article-title":"Measuring knowledge management: evidence essentials in purpose-driven organizations","volume":"14","year":"2019","journal-title":"Knowledge Management for Development Journal"},{"issue":"5","key":"key2022051813315904900_ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6170","DOI":"10.1016\/j.eswa.2010.11.053","article-title":"Performance implications of knowledge management processes: examining the roles of infrastructure capability and business strategy","volume":"38","year":"2011","journal-title":"Expert Systems with Applications"},{"key":"key2022051813315904900_ref009","volume-title":"Constructing Grounded Theory: Practical Guide through Qualitative Analysis","year":"2006"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2022051813315904900_ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17","DOI":"10.1177\/0165551506059220","article-title":"Knowledge management performance evaluation: a decade review from 1995 to 2004","volume":"32","year":"2006","journal-title":"Journal of Information Science"},{"key":"key2022051813315904900_ref011","volume-title":"Knowledge Management in Theory and Practice","year":"2005"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2022051813315904900_ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"129","DOI":"10.1108\/14637150610657486","article-title":"Cutting corners: CKOs and knowledge management","volume":"12","year":"2006","journal-title":"Business Process Management Journal"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2022051813315904900_ref013","first-page":"139","article-title":"Developing a conceptual framework of knowledge management","volume":"11","year":"2020","journal-title":"International Journal of Innovation Science"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2022051813315904900_ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"117","DOI":"10.5937\/ekonomika1901117H","article-title":"Knowledge management and the importance of knowledge management for the organization's performance","volume":"65","year":"2019","journal-title":"Ekonomika"},{"key":"key2022051813315904900_ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Heisig, P. 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