Knowledge Management in Developing Countries: understanding an interpretivist approach

If strategically managed, knowledge can be implemented to generate development. Knowledge management has been proven successful in industrialized economies. This study explores the more complex interaction between knowledge management and national culture. It uses empirical testing under the interpretivist paradigm to include a case study from the Arab world. Does knowledge management add value when directly exported to the Arab countries? Which elements in the system require customization to a specific target culture? Grounded theory methodology has been applied within resources-based theory and knowledge-based view of the firm. The study looks at the processes of creation, organization, sharing and application of knowledge in an Arab company. It compares these elements with descriptions of other successful practices in world literature. Through the comparison, it establishes the degree of dependence between knowledge management and national culture. Conclusions are limited by only one case study in one country.