Value-added knowledge management in third sector organisations (TSOs)

The changing role of the third sector, driven in part by funding changes, creates service quality challenges (Haley and Grant, 2011). Contracts now constitute the main form of relationship between government and the third sector with increasing emphasis placed on effective service delivery (Dacombe, 2011). Additionally, joint service commissioning has broadened the stakeholder set for third sector collaborators demanding a deeper consideration of stakeholders' competing claims, influences and expectations (Taylor and Taylor, 2013), perpetuating a move toward value demonstration. This paradigm shift however presents further problems not least because of a confused understanding of what value is and how it is specified and assessed in TSOs. Consistent with these challenges, much discussion and interest is taking place, regarding how to cope with and respond to these problems. Whilst the 'Big Society' perspective reflects government's intention to place TSOs more centrally in the role of public service delivery (Mohan, 2011; Alcock, 2012), new ideas, models and perspectives from different research disciplines are required to enable TSOs to both reap the advantages of new opportunities for service delivery whilst simultaneously satisfying polarities and temporal shifts in stakeholder interests. One field under investigation as a potential contributor to TSO development is Knowledge Management (KM). This paper aims to inform future practice by examining how KM can contribute to collaborative practices and service quality by multiple stakeholders of a third sector service delivery consortium, exploring associated service quality enablers and challenges. A conceptual model is presented and findings from a qualitative case study with a non-profit consortium are delivered. This paper will be of interest to academics and practitioners challenged with value-adding knowledge management.