Toward a Model of Growth Stages for Knowledge Management Technology in Law Firms

Knowledge management was introduced to law firms to help create, share, and use knowledge more effectively. Information technology can play an important role in successful knowledge management initiatives. In this paper, information technology support for knowledge management is linked to stages of growth. A model of growth stages is proposed consisting of four stages. The first stage is end-user tools that are made available to knowledge workers, the second stage is information about who knows, the third stage is information from knowledge workers, and the final stage is information systems solving knowledge problems. The model can be used to empirically assess the growth stage of law firms as well as indicate future evolution of law firms in the area of knowledge management technology.