A Fuzzy Decision Support System (FDSS) for Evaluating Organization Readiness in KM Acceptance

Findings indicate that despite the satisfying development in conceptual and theoretical dimensions of knowledge management (KM), many organizations, have failed to implement KM successfully and effectively. Among the reasons for this failure, is incorrect understanding of organization readiness and unavailability of basic requirements for KM implementation.This article attempts to present a fuzzy decision support system to assess the organization readiness in KM acceptance. To do so, after reviewing the literature, we extracted the experience of knowledge managers and experts using fuzzy Delphi approach and quantitative algorithms such as fuzzy screening approach. In this regard, 21 sub-criteria under five basic categories for the assessment of organization readiness were suggested: cultural capacity, organizational processes and structures capacity, change management capacity, technology capacity and
KM capacity. Furthermore, this paper shows how fuzzy screening approach can be used to sub-criteria for the evaluation of organization readiness in KM implementation. Findings indicate that proposed fuzzy
decision support system (FDSS) could select organizations with higher maturity in prerequisites of KM implementation. Finally, the model is applied to three subsidiaries of a holding company active in the food industry to illustrate the proposed methodology.