An Exploratory Study on Knowledge Management Process Barriers in the Oil Industry

A Framework for Knowledge Management System Adoption in Small and Medium Enterprises

Knowledge is a key competitive advantage for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as a way of competing with other organisations. There is a need to investigate SME adoption of knowledge management systems (KMSs). Knowledge management systems can only assist in this task if they are sufficiently adopted. The purpose of this research was to develop a conceptual framework for KMS adoption within an SME context. The research aimed to explore the interdependencies between various contextual KMS adoption factors, namely the technology, organization, environmental and human behavioural contexts. Four mini-focus groups were conducted and included employees in SMEs. Thematic analysis identified nine themes that describe the dynamics that either promote or prevent KMS adoption. The findings provide deeper insights into the influencing factors in KMS adoption to enhance SME performance and competitiveness. The KMS adoption framework can be applied to improve the adoption of technology in SMEs. Future research could include SMEs in specific industries to compare adoption factors and could also include larger organisations.

Linkages Between Knowledge Management Process and Corporate Sustainable Performance of Chinese Small and Medium Enterprises: Mediating Role of Frugal Innovation

In the contemporary world, frugal innovation (FI) is the most discussed area to enhance corporate sustainable performance (CSP) in manufacturing firms. The knowledge management process (KMP) is also a key determinant of FI. Existing literature is limited to knowledge management (KM) and its impact on CSP. This study aims to determine the effect of the KMP (acquisition, dissemination, and application) on sustainable corporate performance with the association of FI. The survey method was used to collect data from 356 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in China. Structure equation modeling was applied to obtain the results of collected data. Results show that all three dimensions of KM have a significant impact on CSP. Furthermore, FI also has a significant and positive impact on CSP. Results further show that FI partially mediates the relationship of the knowledge dissemination, knowledge application and sustainable corporate performance but no mediation role FI was found between knowledge acquisition and CSP. The findings of this study will provide useful insights for experts and manufacturers. It will help to understand the role of KM in their organizational behavior by being an economical manufacturing process. This study underscored the importance of the KMP to policymakers. In countries such as China that have global orders, KM is an essential determinant of FI. KM is a tool used to achieve CSP goals inside and outside of an enterprise, thus the development firms need to focus on KM.

The Importance of Creative Knowledge Workers in Creative Organization

The growing importance of creative knowledge workers as a resource of particular significance for the growth of organizations is becoming one of the greatest challenges of the knowledge-based economy. Thus, the growing role of creative organizations contributes to building the economic potential of cities, regions, countries, but also of various organizations operating in the market. The development of civilization at its current stage has always been a source of this type of activity. Hence, the issue of understanding how creative knowledge workers operate has been and continues to be addressed by researchers around the world in recent years. The topic presented in this article on the knowledge and creativity of employees and their impact on the growth of creative organizations to a certain extent responds to this demand. The aim of the article is to clarify and extend the conceptualization in terms of creative activities performed by knowledge workers and the correlations with their characteristics and with knowledge initiatives. Achieving the set aim would allow to indicate that modern development depends on the proper generation of knowledge and creativity and the resources offered by an organization to facilitate its absorption in terms of growth prospects. The article reviews the research on cognitive, theoretical, methodological, and empirical issues regarding the development of creative knowledge workers employed in creative organizations as well as characteristics of workers and knowledge initiatives introduced in organizations. The analysis of the literature allowed to establish a research framework and indicate which knowledge initiatives are important and which characteristics of selected employees may be related to creative activities. Empirical verification was carried out through the analysis of basic descriptive statistics with Spearman’s ρ rank correlation and the relationship between nominal and ordinal variables using chi-square tests. The results of the study revealed significant relationships between the performance of creative activities and certain characteristics of knowledge workers as well as between the performance of creative activities and the introduction of knowledge initiatives. It turned out that the knowledge of the nature of the connections between the mentioned activities and knowledge initiatives is the basis for determining which knowledge initiatives in the case of a given creative organization will bring the best results in the form of taking effective creative activities by knowledge workers. Moreover, a person who performs creative activities has only some of the characteristics presented in this article. The research results are particularly relevant to the development of creative knowledge workers employed in creative organizations. Setting out guidelines aimed at changing this state of affairs and the research conducted allowed the identification of areas for improvement in order to ensure that they develop more effectively and meet the demands of competitiveness, generating more innovative ideas.

Mediating Role of Knowledge Management in the Relationship between Organizational Learning and Sustainable Organizational Performance

Organizations operating in the intensive knowledge-based sector seek efficient management approaches and sustainable development practices to perform efficiently in the dynamic business environment. Knowledge management practice and organizational learning are significant factors in order to achieve sustainable organizational performance in a rapidly changing business environment. Based on the scientific literature analysis, there is still a lack of evidence related to the mediating role of the whole knowledge management cycle, including the five knowledge management processes (knowledge acquisition, creation, storage, sharing, and application) in the relationship between organizational learning and sustainable organizational performance for organizations operating in intensive knowledge-based sectors. This study aimed to examine the impact of the whole knowledge management cycle on the relationship between organizational learning and sustainable organizational performance in intensive knowledge-based sectors, specifically the audit and consulting companies in the Middle East region. Systematic scientific literature analysis, expert evaluation (structured questionnaire), and structural equation modeling (SEM) technique were used to develop and verify the research model. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire distributed among auditing experts working in a knowledge-based sector—audit and consulting companies in the Middle East region. The research results supported the hypotheses stating that organizational learning positively affects knowledge acquisition, storage, sharing, application processes, and sustainable organizational performance. However, the results verified that organizational learning has an insignificant impact on the Middle Eastern audit and consulting companies’ knowledge creation process.

The Mediating Effect of Decision Quality on Knowledge Management and Firm Performance for Chinese Entrepreneurs: An Empirical Study

While it is well-known knowledge management is crucial for an organization’s competitive advantage, relatively little research has explored the process whereby knowledge management affects firm performance in a collectivistic culture such as China. This study is to explore the mechanism through which knowledge management helps improve firm performance and then to examine the mediating role of decision quality in the Chinese context. Using a self-administered questionnaire to collect data from Chinese entrepreneurs and with structural equation modeling, this study shows that knowledge accumulation, internal sharing, and external knowledge sharing all have a positive impact on firm performance, and decision quality partially mediates the impact of knowledge management on firm performance. This study adds value to the knowledge management literature by introducing decision quality as a mediating variable to examine the impact of knowledge sharing on firm performance in China. The findings of this study can help enrich the literature on knowledge management and firm performance and highlight the important impact of decision quality on knowledge management and firm performance. Management practitioners can also benefit from the findings.