The benefits of a knowledge culture

Current received wisdom would seem to suggest that a simple deployment of web‐based technologies will provide the platform for competitive differentiation in the dynamic and agile world of mass customisation. It is argued here that technology is but one element of infrastructural renovation required to support intranet applications. An emerging pattern in these applications is support for the soft networks which exist within all organisations and which embody the key raw asset for competitive advantage: knowledge. The discussion reviews the emergence of Knowledge Management as a discipline, presents a model for the flow of commercial knowledge through an organisation (Knowledge Economies), and looks at the cultural and organisational ramifications of knowledge programs (Knowledge Cultures). On this basis the technological superstructure is discussed in the context of one intranet application: Corporate Digital Library. The principal assertion of this paper is that applications of this type can only be said to be commercially successful when they are deployed in support of knowledge‐based initiatives where first order benefits can be realised, improved market performance in particular. A proto‐typical benefit statement is provided.