Collective Knowledge Recall: Benefits and Drawbacks

Organizations frequently need to recall past events that, for some reason, were not adequately documented when they occurred. The successful reconstitution of past events depends on several variables, such as how long ago the event occurred, and whether key people are still in the organization. It also depends on the supporting process. This paper examines three knowledge recall methods and compares them in a controlled experiment. A group storytelling approach is used in two of the methods, one of which is supported by technology. The results obtained favor the group approach, but the advantages of technology support are not conclusive. The paper also evaluates the benefits and the drawbacks of using a supporting technology.