15 Enriching Knowledge Management in Research & Development Organization: A Malaysian Perspective Amlus Ibrahim a , Nur Fadziana Faisal Mohammad b , T. Ramayah c and Abd. Rahim Saad d Fakulti Pengurusan Teknologi, Universiti Utara Malaysia a amlus@uu,.edu.my, b fadziana@uum.edu.my c School of Management, Universiti Sains Malaysia ramayah@gmail.com d Sirim Malaysia Berhad rahim@sirim.com ABSTRACT The paper study on the knowledge management in utilization of information communication and technology, hereinafter called ICT, in research and development organization. In a turbulent and rapidly changing environment, every organization faces the challenge of how to best manage its knowledge assets to generate value for the marketplace and obtain competitive advantage Such advantage derives from special capabilities that are rare, valuable, non- substitutable, and costly to imitate Historically, the focus was on capabilities involving tangible assets; now, knowledge is widely recognized as the source for competitive advantage, with the tangible assets representing the physical manifestation of but a fraction of this knowledge As companies scramble to develop strategies for more proactively and strategically managing their knowledge, the field of knowledge management (KM) receives increasing attention from trade organizations and academic journals. From this study it was found that to improve the chances of conclusively demonstrating value to the overall business enterprise, a new KM implementation in an innovation organization should address six imperatives: instill the organization's goals and strategies, access tacit knowledge, provide search tools, promote creativity, capture new learning, and build a supportive culture. Keywords Knowledge management, research and development organizational cultures, knowledge management enablers, culture facilitates knowledge 1.0 INTRODUCTION In a turbulent and rapidly changing environment, every organization faces the challenge of how to best manage its knowledge assets to generate value for the marketplace and obtain competitive advantage (Lubit, 2001 and Smith, 2001). Such advantage derives from special capabilities that are rare, valuable, non- substitutable, and costly to imitate (Barney, 1991). Historically, the focus was on capabilities involving tangible assets; now, knowledge is widely recognized as the source for competitive advantage, with the tangible assets representing the physical manifestation of but a fraction of this knowledge (Leonard-Barton, 1995; Nonaka, 1995). As companies scramble to develop ICT strategies for more proactively and strategically managing their knowledge, the field of knowledge management (KM) receives increasing attention from trade organizations and academic journals (Blake, 2000). 2.0 KNOWLEDGE AND ITS MANAGEMENT Purists consider "knowledge" to be that which is within and between the minds of individuals and is tacitly possessed. Knowledge has the capability to add value to the organization (or individual). After knowledge has been explicitly captured (i.e., documented), the purist considers it to be a form of data or information (Nonaka, 1995). Data are better viewed as a "set of discrete, objective facts about events." Information is "data that makes a difference"; that is, it has a message that informs the recipient of potential value (Davenport and Prusak, 1998). This documented material--data and information--and knowledge are all vital to the R&D process. We came to understand that "managing" knowledge is not literally possible and, from an ICT and R&D perspective, we are really interested in facilitating knowledge flow. The difference between "managing knowledge" and "facilitating knowledge flow" can be illustrated by analogy to the flow of a river. Managing knowledge, in its most-commonly-practiced techno centric form, can be compared to the building of dams, embankments, locks, and weirs that regulate, direct and filter the course of a river. Facilitating knowledge flow,