scholarly journals The Critical Role of Knowledge Management in Achieving and Sustaining Organisational Competitive Advantage

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Que Thi Nguyet Nguyen ◽  
Philip A. Neck ◽  
Thanh Hai Nguyen
2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary B. Awino

The Paper is the research findings on the role of strategic planning and competitive advantage of ICT Small and Medium Enterprises in Kenya. Literature suggests that the contemporary business environment in which organisations operate is increasingly becoming uncertain and unpredictable. Significant changes are mostly driven by technological changes, globalisation and trade liberalisation. As a result, like large enterprises, SMEs are facing new and unexpected challenges that threaten their competitiveness. While most countries acknowledge the critical role that SMEs contribute to their economies, both as an engine of growth and sustainable development, many questions still remain unanswered as to the determination of the critical challenges facing SMEs and how these challenges could be addressed to improve their competitiveness. These challenges have increased the need for empirical information which is essential for decision making in addressing issues that are likely to enhance SMEs survival and growth. It is noted that there has been no adequate research studies on the role of strategic planning and competitive advantage of SMEs. This study contributes to the need to address the research gaps and thus explored the role of strategic planning and competitive advange of SMEs in Kenya. The study population consisted of 238 ICT SMEs from Nairobi and its environs. A sample size of 146 firms constituting 61 per cent of the total population was selected through stratified sampling. The study aimed to collect data from 438 respondents from top, middle and lower management teams. Structured questionnaires with closed and open ended questions was used for data collection, 239 responses were received from 123 ICT firms a response rate of 55 per cent and 84.2 per cent respectively. Key characteristics of strategic planning including formality, environmental analysis processes both internal and external orientations, strategies adopted, and implementation and control were recorded. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, t-test, ANOVA, correlation, correlation matrixes and regression analysis. The key findings revealed that strategic planning has significant and positive influence in performance of SME’s. The test of hypothesis revealed that strategic planning has positive and significant influence on competitive advantage. The study demonstrated strategic planning as a learning tool and a strategic resource which is consistent with the underlying assumptions of resource based theory, systems theory, chaos theory and balanced score card model assumptions. It is envisaged that, this kind of research is likely to generate useful discussions on the role of strategic planning and performance, of SMEs. It is apparent that entrepreneurs of SMEs cannot ignore strategic planning as significant changes in competitive advantage is the result of change or effective application of strategic planning. Policy makers and academicians may need to address the capacity needs of SMEs and develop strategic planning model that address the challenges that SMEs encounter in a dynamic environment.


2009 ◽  
pp. 1638-1651
Author(s):  
William R. King

This article provides a conceptual framework and an architecture for an effective knowledge organization (EKO) that emphasizes the important role of information processing in facilitating the creation of a dynamic knowledge capability, which is the essence of an EKO. The architecture links core knowledge management, intellectual property management, organizational learning, and innovation modules with information processing as the hub, or linchpin. The organization’s need to distinguish among these components of an EKO is argued by comparing and contrasting the conceptual bases, objectives, processes, systems, performance measures, and culture of each module. This EKO viewpoint integrates many concepts and applications from various literatures, but it is somewhat contrary to the conventional wisdom that has tended to de-emphasize the significance of information technology in knowledge management.


Author(s):  
Muhammad Shahid Khan ◽  
Ilham Sentosa ◽  
Faryal Salman

Purpose Malaysia has set year 2020 as a targeted year to become the most developed nation and to transform the economy into knowledge based. Issue is to become developed nation, but without human capital development (HCD) process, the achievement of this vision would be difficult. Numerous studies articulated the direct impact of human capital on the country economic growth. Human capital is a significant factor to get competitive advantage, which is the need of the day for all countries as well as for organizations to survive in today’s tough competitive environment. Major objective of this research was to find the role of transformational leadership (TL) in human capital effectiveness with the effect of knowledge management (KM) strategies. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach A mixed research method is deployed in this study. Data are collected with the help of self-administrated questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. The structural equation modeling technique is used in the data; data are analyzed with the help of AMOS and Nvivo software. Findings The results revealed that transformation has a positive effect on KM strategies. Further, this study also identified that knowledge codification strategy and personalization strategy have a positive impact on human capital effectiveness. Research limitations/implications The results revealed that KM strategies play a vital role in human capital effectiveness. Therefore, the Malaysian healthcare industry should introduce KM strategies in order to enhance employees’ knowledge skills and ability. This study is only conducted in Malaysia; the future researcher can use a different method to test the current research model. Practical implications Knowledge codification and knowledge personalization strategy can contribute to the HCD process. This study can be generalized in the Malaysian healthcare industry. This kind of effort will add value into human capital. Hence, organization can get a competitive advantage with the help of human capital. TL style is the most appropriate style in the current era; this leadership has the ability to transform the system, which is the need of the day. Due to rapid changes in technology, a leader who believes in change can meet the challenges of twenty-first century. Originality/value KM strategies and their use have been a research issue for some time. Companies have also adopted knowledge management strategies tools to support and stimulate knowledge sharing in their organizations and to help employees to find the expertise they are looking for. But no research has been performed on the importance of KM strategies. This paper describes a unique and new framework that the authors devised to help companies to do just that.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Son Thanh Than ◽  
Cung Huu Nguyen ◽  
Thang Quang Tran ◽  
Phong Ba Le

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of knowledge sharing (KS) and two specific types of innovation on competitive advantage in Vietnamese firms. Based on using structural equation modeling (SEM) and survey data collected from 225 participants, the findings reveal that KS directly and indirectly affects firm’s competitive advantage through the mediating role of innovation speed and innovation quality. The findings stress the important role of building a positive climate to stimulate employees for sharing knowledge aimed at improving firm’s innovation capability, and sustaining competitive advantage. Future research needs to explore the relationship between three components of knowledge management namely knowledge acquisition, KS, and knowledge application, innovation, and specific aspects of competitive advantage (such as low cost advantage, differentiation advantage, and time advantage) to provide deeper the mechanism of how specifics aspects of knowledge management connected with firm’s certain types of competitive advantage through innovation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 154 ◽  
pp. 01059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bambang Purwanggono ◽  
Yohana Aeria Damyana

Innovation is a strategy for the electronics industry to create a sustainable competitive advantage, in the midst of a rapidly changing environment with all its complexity. Seven AT program as an effort for PT. Hartono Istana Teknologi (Polytron) into enterprise knowledge, will accelerate the innovation process, combined with good organizational technical knowledge management. Organizational technical knowledge will be instrumental in innovation capabilities properly if there is an internal R & D activities that support and absorptive capacity as a mediator. This study reviewed the organizational technical knowledge influence to innovation capability, the influence of R & D activities to organizational technical knowledge, as well as the role of absorptive capacity as a mediator. The study was conducted by distributing questionnaires to 130 employees of PT. Hartono Istana Teknologi. Data processing was conducted using SEM. The results showed that the absorptive capacity mediate the relationship between R & D activities and organizational technical knowledge by 51%, and organizational technical knowledge affect innovation capabilities by 64%.


Author(s):  
Mahboubeh Shateri ◽  
Roya Safari ◽  
Noosha Hozhabrnejad ◽  
Hamid ShateriBaghiabadi

According to modern management literature in the fields of innovation and creativity, it is vital for organizations to innovate to keep up with increasing competition, consumer demands and emerging market fields. Here is where the role of knowledge management is highlighted as a potential key competitive advantage. This paper brings together knowledge from various areas to show that innovation is a form of organizational advantage which can be obtained by appropriate knowledge management. Focus is made the role of knowledge management in sustaining and enhancing creativity in organizations. The simulation of creativity and the allocation of resources for creative thinking methods for employees are also of vital importance. Thus, in the current corporate world, the utilization of knowledge management as a tool for enhancing creativity and innovation will present a competitive edge for organizations.


Author(s):  
Ben Tran

A number of authors have stressed that competitive advantage through knowledge management is realized through identifying the valuable representation, organization, acquisition, creation, usage, and evolution of knowledge in its many forms that the organization knows or could know now: skills and experience of people, archives, documents, relations with clients, suppliers, and other persons and materials often contained in electronic databases. In so doing, this chapter covers the various types of knowledge, the Learning Organization (LO), and Organizational Learning (OL). This chapter also covers the history and meaning of knowledge (management), LO, and OL in terms of how all three elements are interrelated. Emphasis is placed on the relationship between LO and OL. With that said, the chapter explains why the role of knowledge transfer and human resources management is a top down approach and not a bottom up approach.


2008 ◽  
pp. 129-140
Author(s):  
B. Milner

The article considers notion, diversity and sources of knowledge, the new role of intangible assets in organization as competitive advantage, the importance of intellectual resources. The main attention is paid to knowledge management functions and structures, new forms of organizations which create, spread and use intellectual resources.


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