Studying decision processes via a knowledge management lens: The Columbia space shuttle case

Authors: Levy, Meira; Pliskin, Nava; Ravid, Gilad

Journal: Decision Support Systems (2010)

DOI: 10.1016/j.dss.2009.11.006

While the role of knowledge management (KM) for decision support is well acknowledged, there is a gap between existing KM theory and actual KM practice in real-life decision-making. This paper aims to illustrate this gap by studying the report of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, focusing on diagnosed preexplosion problems in decision-making processes, and prescribed post-explosion recommendations. The paper's research contribution is two-fold: 1) consolidating two KM frameworks to one research tool, to serve as lens for studying decision-making processes and 2) providing convincing evidence regarding the role of the KM perspective in organizational decision-making processes.

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