Abstract

This study investigates the factors affecting the perceived usefulness of and the intention to use knowledge
management (KM) systems by students. The research model posits that the intention to use KM systems in
higher education depends on perceived usefulness, perceived user-friendliness, organizational rewards, and
community of practice. A survey method was used to collect the data for the study. We used a convenience
sample consisting of undergraduate students enrolled in various business courses in a Canadian University. The
data obtained from a sample of 120 students were initially factor analyzed to identify the relevant factors.
Separate factor analysis was conducted for each of three types of measures – the independent measures, the
intermediate measures, and the dependent measure. In order to test the proposed hypotheses, we employed the
method of multiple regression analysis. The findings suggest that organizational rewards and KM system
characteristics positively impact perceived usefulness, and that user-friendliness, usefulness, organizational
rewards, and community of practice are significant predictors of intention to use KM system. This analysis
reveals that business schools need to focus on usefulness and practical relevance of knowledge captured in
knowledge management systems. This is in line with the current debate in management education regarding the
appropriateness of methods employed to teach business knowledge. Organizational rewards being a significant
predictor of intention to use KM systems corroborate the expectancy theory. Therefore, it is important for
business schools to communicate on the usefulness of their KM systems but also to encourage its usage through
different incentives.

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