The impact of knowledge management capabilities and processes on SME performance

This research attempts to investigate the degree of implementation of knowledge management (KM) processes in the small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The literature suggested that there are three general KM processes: construction, embodiment, and deployment. The processes are examined in detail which included the contributions of the KM process to enterprise performance. The data collected from 70 owners/managers of SMEs indicate that all the three processes are moderately implemented. However, the SMEs view KM processes as somewhat important in contributing towards better enterprise performance. The findings can be used as a guideline for SMEs to undergo a self-check and to help them rethink and reposition themselves in light of the findings. It helps SMEs to frame their KM activities to enable the creation, communication, and application of knowledge, which should allow them to drive the capability of creating and retaining a greater value onto their core business competencies.

PurposeThe main purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of knowledge management (KM) infrastructure and KM processes on the performance of KM practices.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on personal interviews, data were collected from 83 managers from a single case study of a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) operator in Turkey.FindingsThe paper finds that hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. Test of hypotheses revealed that both KM processes and KM infrastructure positively and significantly influenced the performance of KM practices. These findings tend to corroborate our conceptual model and are also in line with the existing literature. KM infrastructure was found to be more significantly affecting KM performance than KM processes, indicating that the context and background of KM is more important than the application aspects of KM.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings in this paper cannot be generalized due to the case study approach. It may not be claimed that both KM processes and KM infrastructure solely determine the performance of KM practices. Instead, there are many other factors that may influence KM performance, which are somewhat beyond the scope of this research.Practical implicationsThe paper shows that the evaluation of KM performance is expected to increase the effectiveness, efficiency and adaptability of KM efforts so as to add more value to the overall performance of the organization.Originality/valueIn this paper there is little or no empirical evidence investigating the influence of KM infrastructure and KM processes on KM performance. This paper rectifies this imbalance by clarifying the link between KM infrastructure, processes and performance.

This paper examines a framework between different knowledge management enablers (KMEs), knowledge management (KM) processes and organisational performance. Forty-six KMEs are selected from literature and experts' opinion from industry and academia. Further, these 46 KMEs are grouped into six major constructs. These KMEs supports the socialisation, externalisation, combination, internalisation (SECI) KM processes and organisational performance (operational performance, financial performance and customer satisfaction). The postal survey methodology is used to collect the data from Indian manufacturing organisations. The collected survey data was analysed for the construct, content, criterion-related validation and reliability analysis. Additionally, structural equation modelling (SEM) is used to test the relationship between KMEs, SECI KM process and organisational performance. The finding suggests positive relationship exists between KMEs, SECI KM process and organisational performance. The successful KMEs implementation improves the SECI KM processes which enhance the organisational performance.

This paper examines a framework between different knowledge management enablers (KMEs), knowledge management (KM) processes and organisational performance. Forty-six KMEs are selected from literature and experts' opinion from industry and academia. Further, these 46 KMEs are grouped into six major constructs. These KMEs supports the socialisation, externalisation, combination, internalisation (SECI) KM processes and organisational performance (operational performance, financial performance and customer satisfaction). The postal survey methodology is used to collect the data from Indian manufacturing organisations. The collected survey data was analysed for the construct, content, criterion-related validation and reliability analysis. Additionally, structural equation modelling (SEM) is used to test the relationship between KMEs, SECI KM process and organisational performance. The finding suggests positive relationship exists between KMEs, SECI KM process and organisational performance. The successful KMEs implementation improves the SECI KM processes which enhance the organisational performance.

The competitiveness of a firm depends on the quality of knowledge they apply to their business processes. Knowledge management (KM) processes are part of the firm business processes. These processes require turning personal knowledge into corporate knowledge that can be widely shared throughout a firm and appropriately applied. This study examines how SMEs and large firms apply KM processes in their daily business activities and analyse the influence of KM processes on their financial and non-financial performance. KM processes comprise knowledge acquisition, conversion and application while firm performance is measured from financial and non-financial perspectives that consist of profit, growth, innovativeness, customer satisfaction, quality and flexibility. Survey questionnaires were distributed to managers at SMEs and large firms. Results showed that the effects of KM processes on financial and non-financial performance differ between SMEs and large firms. Findings from the survey could help these firms to enhance their financial and non-financial performance via appropriate KM processes.

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the role of knowledge management (KM) processes in enhancing competitive strategies of differentiation and cost-effectiveness and its impact on innovativeness in knowledge-intensive service organizations (KISOs) in India.Design/methodology/approachThis study collected data from 293 employees working in Indian KISOs through a questionnaire survey. After checking for reliability and validity of data, this study tested the hypotheses by structural equation modeling using AMOS 26.FindingsThe results show that KM processes have a significant and positive relationship with competitive strategy and innovativeness. Competitive strategy partially mediates the relationship between KM processes and innovativeness. These KM processes promote differentiation and cost-effectiveness, which in turn enhances innovativeness. A differentiation strategy has a stronger positive relationship with KM processes and innovativeness than a cost-effective strategy.Research limitations/implicationsThis study's cross-sectional design limits its ability to establish a general cause–effect relationship. Even so, theoretically, the results corroborate the contingent view of KM in emerging economies such as India. The findings show the mediating role of competitive strategy on the relationship between KM and its processes with innovation and competitiveness – providing a better cost-effectiveness relationship and organizational differentiation capacity.Practical implicationsThis study suggests managers to adopt KM processes such as creation-sharing, acquisition and knowledge base enabling firms to be different and cost-effective than their competitors. This study provides evidence on how KISOs can leverage their innovativeness by using KM processes in congruence with its competitive strategy and gain competitive advantage.Social implicationsThis study emphasizes the development of KM processes in the management of KISOs, which contributes substantially to India’s economic growth via Gross domestic product and employment. On the social side, this study suggests to manage cultural issues in KM processes, arising because of presence of multi-cultural workforce and a high-power distance society.Originality/valueThis study bridges a research gap of previous studies providing empirical evidence regarding the mediating effect of competitive strategies in the relationship between KM processes and innovativeness. This study adds proof to the KM contingency view of firms, suggesting when KM processes are formulated to achieve competitive strategy; substantial benefits such as innovativeness can be realized. This study adds evidence from the emerging economy of India, where KISOs are increasingly creating value and employment.

In the present dynamic and knowledge-driven business environment, Knowledge Management (KM) has emerged as a critical factor for enhancing organizational performance, fostering innovation, and ensuring long-term sustainability. Organizations increasingly rely on effective KM practices to systematically create, store, share, and apply knowledge, thereby improving decision-making processes, strengthening collaboration, and achieving strategic objectives. KM serves as a catalyst for managing intellectual assets and transforming them into valuable organizational outcomes, contributing significantly to competitiveness and growth . Despite its growing importance, the implementation of effective KM practices remains a significant challenge across organizations. Various barriers such as cultural resistance, technological limitations, lack of resources, and inadequate organizational support hinder the successful adoption of KM systems. Cultural dimensions, including organizational hierarchy, power distance, and communication patterns, play a crucial role in influencing knowledge-sharing behavior and the overall effectiveness of KM practices. In many cases, rigid organizational structures and resistance to change restrict open communication and limit the free flow of knowledge within organizations . Furthermore, the increasing emphasis on sustainability and digital transformation has highlighted the need for robust and adaptive KM frameworks. Emerging concepts such as Green Knowledge Management (GKM) emphasize the role of KM in achieving environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Organizations are increasingly integrating KM practices with sustainability goals to promote resource efficiency, environmental responsibility, and long-term development. At the same time, advancements in digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, and information systems, are transforming traditional KM processes by enhancing knowledge creation, storage, and dissemination capabilities . Although significant progress has been made in KM research, several gaps still exist in understanding its application across diverse organizational and industrial contexts. Existing KM frameworks often fail to adequately address cultural and contextual differences, which are critical for successful implementation. Moreover, while KM has been extensively studied in large organizations, its application in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) remains relatively underexplored. SMEs face unique challenges such as limited resources, lack of structured KM systems, and informal management practices, which affect the effectiveness of KM initiatives . In addition, there is a need for more empirical and longitudinal studies to evaluate the long-term impact of KM practices on organizational performance, innovation, and sustainability. Many existing studies are conceptual in nature and lack practical validation across different industries and cultural settings. The integration of KM with emerging technologies and its role in supporting innovation and decision-making processes also require further exploration . This study adopts a literature review-based approach to examine the current landscape of Knowledge Management research, with a focus on its interrelationship with culture, innovation, and sustainability. By synthesizing findings from various studies, the research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of KM practices, identify key challenges and research gaps, and suggest directions for future research. The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by highlighting the importance of context-specific KM frameworks and the need for integrating technological, cultural, and sustainability dimensions in KM practices.

A repositioning organizational knowledge dynamics by functional upgrading and downgrading strategy in global value chain

Due to the strong competition that exists among organisations and the rapid change in the business environment, knowledge has turned out to become a key source for organisations to enhance the competitive advantage. Integrating Knowledge Management (KM) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) process is a new research area, therefore, scientific research and literature around it remain limited. In addition, the impact of KM process on customer acquisition, retention, and expansion to improve customer satisfaction remains under study and report. The aim of this paper is to present a conceptual framework of KM integrated with CRM called Customer Knowledge Relationship Management (CKRM) Process depending on analysis of various models presented in KM and CRM. The main highlighting is laid upon the concepts of the concept of customer knowledge (knowledge about customer, knowledge for customer, knowledge from customer). Therefore, this paper contributes to the development of KM process (Knowledge Process about Customer, Knowledge Process for Customer, and Knowledge Process from Customer). The paper investigated how the companies in Jordan developed KM process to improvement the CRM process. Based on data collected from the company, results from analysis indicated that the KM process had a positive effect on CRM process.

This paper presents a Knowledge Management Capability framework based upon an empirical case study conducted at a CMM Level 5 software project organisation. The paper discusses the development of the organisation’s knowledge management (KM) initiative from its initial state, to an organisational state where the KM practices are institutionalised and embedded within the daily activities and work methods of the organisation. The organisation’s KM initiative is analysed through the development of two KM capabilities, namely infrastructure and processes, which were examined in depth while conducting the case study, and form the basis for the KM Capability Framework. The resulting framework helps organisations to analyse any imbalance that may exist in their KM initiative and needs to be addressed. In doing so, the framework benefits organisations in making corrections and restoring balance between their KM infrastructure and process capabilities, thereby improving the path of successful KM implementation towards a state of organisational KM capability.

Purpose– This paper aims to find and rank the barriers of the four knowledge management (KM) processes including generation, storage, distribution and application in the gas and petroleum sector.Design/methodology/approach– Reviewing the literature of KM and organizational learning, this paper extracted all of the barriers which impede KM processes. Then it designed a questionnaire for validating, ranking and categorizing barriers. Totally, 190 completed questionnaires were gathered from 26 gas and petroleum companies in Iran. Some statistical tests such asT, Friedman, Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney were used for analyzing data.Findings– Findings reviewed the current literature of KM barriers, validated and ranked the barriers of knowledge generation, storage, distribution and application separately. The importance of knowledge generation and knowledge application barriers were significantly different between gas and petroleum companies. Hence they were disjointedly ranked for gas and petroleum. Finally, KM barriers were ranked according to their contribution to KM processes and the average mean of their importance in KM processes.Practical implications– From the practical point of view, this paper suggests managers of gas and petroleum companies to emphasize solving high-priority barriers according to the KM process which they are focused on. Furthermore, the study provides a checklist that can be used as an assessment tool for evaluating KM processes considering barriers.Originality/value– This paper finds the importance of each barrier for each of the four KM processes and ranks the “critical barriers” according to their contribution to four KM processes in the gas and petroleum sector.

Aim/Purpose: This study aims to investigate the relationship between the knowledge management (KM) process and the performance of construction companies. The ultimate goal is to promote better efficiency and competitive advantage in the construction industry by making the best use of knowledge. Background: While attention to KM is currently on the rise, as shown by the number of studies conducted, research on KM in the construction industry of Indonesia is still very rare. However, organizational learning as the implementation of KM provides an opportunity to improve the construction industry, and thus there is an urgency to conduct research on this topic. Methodology: This study lasted for three months and used the survey method, with 100 questionnaires distributed to contractors of grade 6 and 7 on the islands of Java and Borneo in Indonesia. A total of 54 returned questionnaires were deemed complete and eligible for further analysis. Data analysis was performed using the structural equation modeling method with partial least squares (SEM PLS). Contribution: This study helps to measure the relationship value of the KM process and company performance. Findings: The results of this study indicate that the process of KM has a significant and positive influence on company performance, and there is a positive interaction in the process of KM and company performance as well. Recommendations for Practitioners: Construction companies need to perceive that activities undertaken in a construction project should always be assumed to be a KM process in order to make strategic and effective decisions that can result in improvements to customers, finance, internal business, learning, and growth. Recommendation for Researchers: Research on the KM process and information technology needs to be developed more, so that construction companies can apply this knowledge to explore problems and create solutions, resulting in methods to facilitate efficiency and effectiveness. Impact on Society: This paper helps to understand that KM activities provide initial benefits and guidance for companies that want to apply KM. Future Research: Innovative and new ideas to cultivate the KM process in the construction industry need to be explored and developed to improve the implementation.

PurposeEmployee knowledge is an essential contributor to managing supply chain ambiguities and supply improvement. The current research examined green technology (GT) implementation and knowledge management (KM) processes toward knowledge worker supply performance (KWSP). The present study postulates that GT implementation's positive impacts on the KM process and KM process lead to improved KWSP based on employee knowledge contribution.Design/methodology/approachTo accomplish the research objective, the data were taken from those production houses that are utilizing GT. A total of 400 questionnaires were distributed in Zhengzhou city, and feedback was received (343). The feedback data were studied through partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). fsQCA is used to analyze improving the multiple configurational paths of KWSP.FindingsThe study revealed that GT implementation is positively associated with the KM process, and KM processes substantially influence the improvement of KWSP. The consequence of fsQCA demonstrated that various combinations improve supply chain performance. The study combines certain dimensions of GT implementation with the KM process, revealing that supply chain performance improved based on knowledge sharing in manufacturing firms.Research limitations/implicationsThis study guides decision-makers and academics on using the knowledge process associated with GT to improve supply chain performance. Moreover, future researchers should use information technology in supply houses and compare the result with the literature to generalize the results better.Originality/valueThe asymmetric technique assists in differentiating the connections that are not directly investigated by the traditional symmetric method. The study covers and identifies various approaches that can be used in manufacturing firms to improve the supply chain process and employee satisfaction. The study combines the two techniques to understand supply performance based on knowledge sharing in manufacturing firms.

This study explores the role of knowledge management (KM) processes in enhancing strategic performance within private banks in the Erbil-Kurdistan region of Iraq. Using a quantitative research approach, data was collected from 122 employees through structured questionnaires and analyzed using multiple regression and correlation analyses. The findings reveal that KM processes—Knowledge Management Practices, Knowledge Creation, Knowledge Sharing, Knowledge Storage and Retrieval, and addressing Challenges in KM Implementation—significantly influence strategic performance. Among these, Knowledge Storage and Retrieval demonstrated the strongest impact, followed by Knowledge Management Practices and Knowledge Creation. The R-squared value of 82% indicates that KM processes collectively explain a substantial portion of the variance in strategic performance. The study highlights the importance of fostering innovation, collaboration, and efficient knowledge systems to drive organizational success. Recommendations include investing in KM infrastructure, promoting a knowledge-sharing culture, and addressing implementation challenges. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on KM's critical role in achieving strategic objectives and provides practical implications for organizations aiming to enhance performance through effective knowledge management.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to empirically examine the effect of marketing modification on business performance from the perspective of marketing capabilities theory.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed a survey method to collect data from 225 food processing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on the Ghana Enterprise Agency (GEA) registered list in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The effect of marketing modification on the performance of SMEs in the food processing industry was evaluated using a structural equation modeling (SEM) – path analysis.FindingsAccording to the study’s findings, marketing modification has a positive and significant impact on the financial performance (FP), customer performance (CP), internal business process performance (IBPP) and learning and growth performance (LGP) of Ghanaian SMEs engaged in food processing. The results of this study also demonstrated the importance of marketing modification determinants, such as marketing resources (MR), cross-functional and interenterprise collaboration (CFIEC), architectural marketing capability (AMC) and marketing strategy decision implementation (MSDI), in achieving food processing SME performance in Ghana.Research limitations/implicationsThis current research has its limitation, even though its importance has been mentioned earlier. First, the study can be improved by expanding the sample size through the inclusion of other SMEs from other industries since it is industry specific (i.e. food processing SME). Second, this current study was conducted in Ghana. To compare results, the current study may be replicated in other emerging countries. Third, future research studies may consider how business environmental factors such as technological change (e.g. use of artificial intelligence and machine learning) moderate the relationship between marketing modification and SME performance.Practical implicationsThe outcomes of this research study are anticipated to give profitable implications to both academicians and practitioners. For the academic aspect, this study provides an important contribution to marketing modification and performance literature by examining the impact of innovative marketing on the performance of food processing SMEs in Ghana. For practitioners, this study indicates that food processing SME owners/managers must focus on marketing modification to develop their performance. The increase in marketing modification application through marketing capabilities such as MR and CFIEC will enable owners/managers to achieve performance targets.Social implicationsThe application of marketing modification among food processing SMEs in Ghana will contribute greatly to their profitability, survival and growth. The growth and survival of food processing SMEs (not limited to food processing SMEs) in Ghana will help in the control of unemployment, which is a major social issue in Ghana.Originality/valueThe study’s findings provide solid support for the marketing capabilities theory. This study also supports the notion that food processing SMEs should perceive marketing modification and its determinants (i.e. MR, CFIEC, AMC and MSDI) as a critical strategic capacity to enhance their performance (i.e. FP, CF, IBPP and LGP). In terms of contribution, this study adds to the body of knowledge already available on marketing modification and business performance, particularly in the setting of an emerging economy.