Knowledge management in museums: enhancing organizational performance and public value

Purpose This study examines the enabling factors and practices that foster knowledge management in museums and the impact of those factors and practices on museums' performance and public value. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted an exploratory survey of senior leaders of 191 small and mid-sized museums in the United States. The survey tested a novel conceptual model that integrates the constructs of knowledge management enablers, knowledge management orientation and organizational performance. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses of survey data were conducted to identify both the presence and dimensions of these constructs as well as the nature of the relationships among them. Findings The results of this study identified strong and significant predictive relationships between the constructs of its novel conceptual model. However, findings also identified key gaps in how museums create, manage and share organizational knowledge. These gaps limit their organizational performance and their ability to create public value. The authors identify specific factors and practices that enable museums to improve their organizational performance and increase their public value. Originality/value As the first empirical study of knowledge management enablers and knowledge management orientation in museums, this research not only adapts the study of these constructs to the museum sector, but it develops a novel conceptual model that links these constructs to multiple dimensions of a museum's organizational performance and public value. This research sets the stage for new study of knowledge management in museums; it also provides valuable insights for museum leaders.