Understanding Knowledge Platform Adoption in a Large Industrial Organization: A Multi-Layered Case Study

Abstract

This thesis investigates the factors influencing employees’ willingness to engage with a knowledge management platform within a large multinational industrial organization. Based on a six-month field immersion and a department-level case study, the research combines qualitative interviews and a structured survey to examine how organizational framing, behavioral motivation, and technological usability interact to shape platform adoption. The findings reveal that while interpersonal trust and technical access were present, engagement remained limited due to weak strategic framing, lack of managerial modeling, and persistent usability frictions. The concept of latent disengagement is introduced to describe this passive yet non-resistant pattern of underuse. The thesis makes a theoretical contribution by integrating insights from affordance theory, symbolic framing, and motivation psychology to explain voluntary system use. Practical recommendations include reinforcing symbolic legitimacy, simplifying usability, and establishing feedback loops to support sustained engagement with knowledge-sharing platforms in complex organizational contexts.