Improving tacit knowledge transfer within SMEs through e‐collaboration

Task-Individual-Social Software Fit in Knowledge Creation Performance

The present article aims to disclose the role of task–individual–social software fit (TISF) in knowledge creation in the context of the manufacturing and service industries and research institutes. The methodology used is an empirical study that proposes and examines the proposed research model. The mediation effect of structural social exchange is also explored. Results of the data analysis of 279 valid samples reveal the following findings. First, the effect of TISF is confirmed. Second, structural exchanges do not mediate the role of TISF toward creation performance. Third, TISF is significantly associated with the social software, creation task, and individual cognition variables. Lastly, goal-free and goal-frame creation modes and analytical and intuitive cognition styles significantly influence the fit of features of creation task, individual cognition, and social software. The article provides domain scholars and practitioners with value of the task–individual–social software fit in the context of knowledge creation. Discussion and implications are also presented in this article.

The Importance Role E-Collaboration Capability and Information System Maturity on Knowledge Sharing and SMEs Marketing Performance

This article discusses the effect of e-collaboration capability and information system maturity on knowledge sharing and SMEs marketing performance. This study was conducted at SMEs in Central Java which had used information system and technology in collaborating with partners and customers. There were 160 respondents in this research who were the owners or managers of SMEs in Central Java, Indonesia. This research used structural equation modeling analysis. AMOS version 21 was used to process the data. The result of this research showed that all proposed hypotheses were accepted. First, e-collaboration capability has positively and significantly influenced knowledge sharing. Second, knowledge sharing has positively and significantly influenced SME marketing performance. Third, e-collaboration capability has positively and significantly influenced SME marketing performance. Fourth, information system maturity has positively and significantly influenced knowledge sharing. Fifth, information system maturity has positively and significantly influenced SME marketing performance.

Conceptualising social media support for tacit knowledge sharing: physicians’ perspectives and experiences

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the potential contributions of social media in supporting tacit knowledge sharing, according to the physicians’ perspectives and experiences.

Design/methodology/approach

Adopting a qualitative survey design, 24 physicians were interviewed. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to select the participants. Thematic analysis approach was used for data analysis.

Findings

The study revealed five major themes and over 20 sub-themes as potential contributions of social media to tacit knowledge flow among physicians. The themes included socialising, practising, networking, storytelling and encountering. In addition, with the help of the literature and the supporting data, the study proposed a conceptual model that explains the potential contribution of social media to tacit knowledge sharing.

Research limitations/implications

The study had both theoretical (the difficulty of distinguishing tacit and explicit knowledge in practice) and practical limitations (small sample size). The study findings have implications for the healthcare industry whose clinical teams are not always physically co-located but must exchange their critical experiential and tacit knowledge.

Originality/value

The study has opened up a new discussion of this area by demonstrating and conceptualising how social media tools may facilitate tacit knowledge sharing.

Does open innovation apply to China? Exploring the contingent role of external knowledge sources and internal absorptive capacity in Chinese large firms and SMEs

While ‘open innovation’ is often considered to be an organisational strategy with universal application, its generalisability and applicability to organisations operating within emerging economies has yet to be fully explored. This study provides empirical evidence of its importance within a substantial sample of Chinese large firms and small and medium enterprises. Using Tobit regression analysis, our findings indicate that external knowledge sources from inter-firm networking are more important in creating the benefits of open innovation for Chinese small and medium enterprises than their larger peers. Linkages to university and research institutes generally have few direct effects on the innovation performance of both large and small firms in China. However, the role of universities and research institutes is shown to be important among our large firm sample when combined with evident internal absorptive capacity. This interaction is generally limited to our large firm sample, and is not as evident among small firms.

Our study indicates that the barriers to the adoption of open innovation by Chinese firms might be largely related to the comparatively weak domestic research expertise and limited organisational absorptive capabilities, with this most particularly evident for small and medium enterprises.

These findings suggest that, based on this evidence, there is no need for emerging economies like China to mimic the emergence path from closed to open innovation followed by developed countries. Chinese firms will be more likely to garner the benefits available from openness when they develop the capabilities required to identify, assimilate and commercialise knowledge and technologies obtained from external sources.