María Obeso, Remedios Hernández-Linares, María Concepción López-Fernández and Ana María Serrano-Bedia
The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it aims to analyze the individual influence of different knowledge management practises (KMP) on firm performance. Second, it aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it aims to analyze the individual influence of different knowledge management practises (KMP) on firm performance. Second, it aims to analyze the mediating role of organizational learning (OL) between each KMP and performance.
Design/methodology/approach
A telephone-survey was applied in 2018 to the managers of 400 Spanish firms. The data retrieved was analyzed by using multiple regression analysis.
Findings
Knowledge generation (KG) and knowledge flow (KF) promote firm performance, while there is not a direct association between knowledge storage and performance. OL mediates the relationship between KG and performance, as well as between KF and performance.
Research limitations/implications
First, this research confirms that not all the KMP have a direct effect on firm performance, thus, future research would need to differentiate between different KMP. Second, this paper is pioneering in providing empirical evidence that OL mediates the KMP – performance relationship. Third, the empirical study was performed in a context non-researched yet by the literature considering KMP individually: Spain.
Practical implications
First, besides the results managers should focus their efforts in practises related to KG and application. Second, OL mediating suggests that managers should invest in managerial commitment to promote a shared culture, shared vision, open-mind to new ideas and a lot of dialogue.
Originality/value
This is the first study that investigates how KMP contribute to firm performance by incorporating the mediating impact of OL. The results will help organizations to identify the KMP improving the performance.
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Alisha Rath and Lalatendu Kesari Jena
The competency trap can occur when organizations become resistant to change due to their existing competencies, leading to a culture of complacency and hindering adaptability and…
Abstract
Purpose
The competency trap can occur when organizations become resistant to change due to their existing competencies, leading to a culture of complacency and hindering adaptability and innovation. This paper aims to understand this trap and its hindrance to organizational learning and knowledge acquisition. The study aims to integrate employee well-being into knowledge management (KM) strategies to overcome obstacles and demonstrate its significant contribution to effective KM and improving overall organizational health.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review (SLR) process was used in this research, with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol used to scrutinize articles for review. Only 50 peer-reviewed articles from 2000 to 2023 that focused on KM and employee well-being were included for review.
Findings
Organizations can tackle the competency trap by managing knowledge effectively and prioritizing employee well-being. When considered for effective KM, the PERMA (positive emotions, engagement, relationship, meaning and accomplishment) facets of well-being strategically supports knowledge sharing and sustainable organizational change through KM.
Practical implications
Focusing on PERMA facets of well-being in KM, an organization can emphasize employees' sense of achievement, addressing the competency trap to build a culture of knowledge sharing. This approach benefits professionals in developing an effective KM system.
Originality/value
This paper addresses the challenge of the competency trap, which has gained less academic attention, and explores KM from a well-being perspective.
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Leander Luiz Klein, Kelmara Mendes Vieira, Anabela Carvalho Alves and Matheus Pissutti
Since few studies have explored and advanced on the development of measures of knowledge waste, the purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a scale for measuring the…
Abstract
Purpose
Since few studies have explored and advanced on the development of measures of knowledge waste, the purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a scale for measuring the waste of knowledge.
Design/methodology/approach
A research was carried out in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) divided into five distinct stages, three qualitative and two quantitative. For the quantitative steps, a sample of 223 responses was obtained for the exploratory part and another sample of 614 responses for the confirmatory part of the study. Data analysis procedures involved Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis to test and validate the proposed scale.
Findings
A fifteen-item scale divided into four constructs was obtained after refinement of the proposed scale and validation procedures (convergent and discriminant validity). The scale also has satisfactory levels of reliability.
Research limitations/implications
The resulting scale was validated in a single institutional culture environment (HEIs in Southern Brazil). So it still should be tested in different organizational contexts and cross-culturally in different countries. The scale may be useful for decision-making improvement about knowledge management and waste reduction.
Practical implications
A scale with a practical and quick application is provided. Additionally, a classification of the waste of knowledge level was developed and it could be easily applied in different sectors or organizations.
Originality/value
The literature on waste of knowledge is limited and often confused with knowledge loss. This study provides a clear distinction between these topics, and it advances on the explanation and definition of knowledge waste. Also, it is the first study to offer a scale to measure the elements of knowledge waste.
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Yuliansyah Yuliansyah, Hussain Gulzar Rammal, Maryani Maryani, Ismie Roha Mohamed Jais and Zuraidah Mohd-Sanusi
The study investigates the extent to which organizational learning and innovativeness can improve the firms' performance through a customer-focused strategy.
Abstract
Purpose
The study investigates the extent to which organizational learning and innovativeness can improve the firms' performance through a customer-focused strategy.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from Indonesian financial service firms using a questionnaire-based survey. The 157 useable survey responses were analysed to test the proposed hypotheses using SmartPLS.
Findings
This study finds that both organizational learning and innovativeness have a positive effect on performance. The effect of organizational learning on performance depends on the variations of the customer-focused strategy. However, innovativeness does not mediate through customer-focused strategy to enhance performance.
Practical implications
In firms that implement business model innovation, managers should focus on resource flexibility. Where it is responsive, managers need to be concerned with ensuring various uses of existing resources to understand the performance effectively.
Social implications
As one of the types of dynamic capabilities, organizational learning and innovativeness are also important antecedents of performance.
Originality/value
This study extends the business innovation model from the adaptability of customer-focused strategy. The findings confirm that organizational learning has a prominent role in meeting customer needs for a dynamic market.
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Susanne Durst, Ingi Runar Edvardsson and Samuel Foli
The purpose of this paper is to structure existing research on knowledge management (KM) in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to offer a comprehensive overview of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to structure existing research on knowledge management (KM) in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to offer a comprehensive overview of research strands and topics in KM in SMEs to determine their evolution over time.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper, which is considered a follow-up literature review, is based on a systematic literature review that covers 180 scientific papers that were published since the review paper by Durst and Edvardsson in 2012 that covered 36 papers.
Findings
The findings of this review and those of the aforementioned review are brought together in the form of an overview that structures research on KM in SMEs based on themes that, in turn, allow the derivation of promising research directions and research questions aimed at structuring future research on KM in SMEs.
Originality/value
By combining the findings of this review with the findings from the review published in this journal in 2012, this paper offers, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the most comprehensive literature review on KM in SMEs produced to date.