Examining the role of ethics in knowledge management process

Purpose – Current successful and thriving organizations are those which create or gain new knowledge and convert it into applicable methods for improving their activities and performance. Nonetheless, ethics are the key issues in achieving such organizations and gaining success in implementation of supportive systems for aforementioned subjects. The main aim of the present study is therefore to examine the impact of ethical principles on knowledge management processes. Design/methodology/approach – The present paper tries to study the impact of ethics on knowledge management process according to the model of Nonaka and Takeuchi. To measure this issue, a conceptual model is developed based on literature. In order to examine the validity of the model, employees in some areas of an industrial organization including computer, IT, electronic and mechanic were asked to answer the items in a questionnaire designed for the same research. Structural equation modeling is used to analyze research variables. Findings – The results show that there is a positive and significant relationship between ethics and knowledge management process. Likewise, there is a direct and significant relationship between ethics and knowledge management processes such as socialization, externalization and combination while the relationship between ethics and internalization is not significant. Research limitations/implications – Published resources are paramount about knowledge management while they suffer from a systematic regard as well as considering ethics in all knowledge management processes. Therefore, the main limitation of this research is the lack of studies in the field of relation of ethics and knowledge management (KM). Originality/value – The results extend the understanding of the role of ethical principles in knowledge management processes. Hence, this research can open a new window in science space that is related to knowledge management and ethics.