Retracted: Human factors of knowledge‐sharing intention among taiwanese enterprises: A model of hypotheses

Knowledge management (KM) is very important in the business world of today. The Taiwanese government has recognized the importance of KM in helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to innovate through both their internal core competencies and external resources. This study combines the concept of social capital and motivation–opportunity–ability models by both social and technological dimensions to investigate the human factors that characterize knowledge sharing and the motivational elements that can encourage investment in it. In addition, this study also proposes some possible perspective suggestions for implementing KM initiatives to reinvigorate Taiwanese SMEs. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Retracted: Critical Human Factor Evaluation of Knowledge Sharing Intention in Taiwanese Enterprises

Knowledge management (KM) is important in the Taiwan business world. Only 0.1% of SMEs, however, have been guided by the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration (SMEA) to introduce knowledge management from 1993 through 2008. The population of KM‐implementing SMEs is low. The climate of knowledge sharing has been recognized as the critical factor to successful KM. According to the research results obtained in this study, relation‐based motivation is positively related to one's intention to share knowledge. Individual workers can have increased relation‐based motivation to become leaders of SMEs building the culture of interpersonal trust and offering group‐based reward mechanisms in an organization. This research can help business managers to identify the motivational elements that can encourage investment and propose pragmatic suggestions for introducing initiatives to reinvigorate the number of SMEs implementing KM in Taiwan. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Toward a unified knowledge management model for SMEs

Adoption of knowledge management (KM) has become the emerging agenda in developing business strategies. However, due to the resources and budget constraints, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) fail to realize and recognize the potential benefits of KM, hence they are reluctant to participate in advancement and transformation of knowledge management. Moreover, SMEs are usually encountering ambiguity and uncertainty of adopting and implementing KM. This study examines the infrastructure and process capabilities of Taiwanese SMEs and conducts a comparative analysis of KM in SMEs in Hong Kong. The research results indicate that a successful KM implementation depends on a harmonious amalgamation of infrastructure and process capabilities, including technology, culture and organizational structure. This analysis may also help in understanding the government role in providing necessary assistance to the SMEs for pursing KM.     

Mapping knowledge sharing traits to business strategy in knowledge based organisation

Globalization has resulted in increasing use of knowledge as competitive weapon in many organizations nowadays. In this context, an increasing number of organizations are focusing on communities of practice (CoPs) orientated knowledge management (KM) studies and the links between KM and organizational business strategy. This link is an important determinant of organizational performance. While KM business strategy (linked to organization business strategy) is important, knowledge sharing behavior of knowledge workers is a critical enabler of effective knowledge management and organizational performance. That is, organizations invest resources in creating CoPs for competitive advantage and lack of suitable candidates will result in loss of momentum and less knowledge sharing in CoPs and there by underutilizing the resources. The aim of this research is to identify the personality traits to portrait the features of knowledge workers suitable for CoPs oriented KM and business strategy. Four KM business strategies have been established in this paper in light of organization performance orientation and KM implementation mode and traits of knowledge workers are mapped to different business strategies. The most significant personality traits of knowledge sharing behavior have been analyzed to determine the suitable traits for different type business strategies. Thus contributions of this paper include (a) defining a model which links four business strategies with CoPs orientated KM model and knowledge sharing behavior model (based on revised Five Factor Model); (b) mapping of personality traits of knowledge workers with four business strategies; (c) providing a guideline to knowledge based organizations for seamless integration of business strategy with CoPs oriented KM and compatible knowledge workers and d) more effective utilization of organizational resources to facilitate improvement in organizational performance.     

Empirical evidence of an integrative knowledge competence framework for ERP systems implementation in UK industries

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems can greatly improve business productivity and better serve customers by creating values through integrating business processes and sharing current information. Knowledge Management (KM) is crucial for ERP systems implementation, but is particularly demanding task. This paper discusses ERP systems implementation in UK manufacturing and service sector organisations, focusing on empirical evidence of an innovative KM approach for improving knowledge competence for ERP success. Qualitative research was conducted, using semi-structured interviews with ERP experts. Data analysis used a combination of thematic and comparative analysis. The findings suggest that the integrative knowledge competence framework can provide ERP practitioners with useful guidance on what the key knowledge determinants are and how the relationships between knowledge components should be best managed to achieve ERP systems implementation success in real life business situations.     

Revealing performance heterogeneity through knowledge management maturity evaluation: A capability-based approach

The dynamic capabilities view (DCV) focuses on renewal of firms’ strategic knowledge resources so as to sustain competitive advantage within turbulent markets. Within the context of the DCV, the focus of knowledge management (KM) is to develop the KMC through deploying knowledge governance mechanisms that are conducive to facilitating knowledge processes so as to produce superior business performance over time. The essence of KM performance evaluation is to assess how well the KMC is configured with knowledge governance mechanisms and processes that enable a firm to achieve superior performance through matching its knowledge base with market needs. However, little research has been undertaken to evaluate KM performance from the DCV perspective. This study employed a survey study design and adopted hypothesis-testing approaches to develop a capability-based KM evaluation framework (CKMEF) that upholds the basic assertions of the DCV. Under the governance of the framework, a KM index (KMI) and a KM maturity model (KMMM) were derived not only to indicate the extent to which a firm’s KM implementations fulfill its strategic objectives, and to identify the evolutionary phase of its KMC, but also to bench-mark the KMC in the research population. The research design ensured that the evaluation framework and instruments have statistical significance and good generalizabilty to be applied in the research population, namely construction firms operating in the dynamic Hong Kong construction market. The study demonstrated the feasibility of quantitatively evaluating the development of the KMC and revealing the performance heterogeneity associated with the development.     

Information technology as a facilitator for enhancing dynamic capabilities through knowledge management

Research on dynamic capabilities is an emerging field: it studies the activities of firms during turbulent administrative environments. Current management interests are also focused on knowledge management as a major determinant of business excellence and competitive advantage. Our motivation for this paper was to answer the research question: Does knowledge management (KM) contribute to the enhancement of dynamic capabilities and thus to the enhancement of business excellence and competitive advantage? Our effort examined the use of KM in enhancing dynamic capabilities. Based on results from a survey of major Taiwanese firms, we tested a set of hypotheses with regression models. Empirical findings suggest that management of both endogenous and exogenous knowledge through IT applications significantly enhances dynamic capabilities.     

Communities of practice model driven knowledge management in multinational knowledge based enterprises

Existing research in intelligent manufacturing literature has highlighted the need for linking organizational culture, business strategy with Knowledge Management (KM) as well as measuring the performance of knowledge management systems for best practice. Communities of Practice (CoPs) are accepted as best practice and distinct from organizational structures while implementing KM. Besides, employing CoPs as an approach for linking business strategies with KM design, CoPs can be the prevailing way for group learning and innovation building within firms. As firms grow in size, scope, and complexity, CoPs members who regularly engage in sharing and learning based on common interests, could improve organizational performance. The purpose of this work is to design a CoPs model for KM which addresses issues related to organization culture, business strategy and performance measurement reported in earlier publications in intelligent manufacturing. A CoPs evaluation hierarchy for KM is developed. It includes four dimensions and sixteen criteria for studying and evaluating organizational culture and business strategy. Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach has been employed to quantitatively analyze various criteria priorities and business strategy preferences of CoPs. In order to validate the CoPs model, a case study has been undertaken in two multinational knowledge based organizations and the results are compared to differentiate strategic preferences. The contributions of this paper include: a) Definition of a CoPs model based on sixteen criteria which helps to understand an organization’s KM culture or CoPs; b) Employing these criteria to link an organization‘s KM culture with four business strategies; c) Develop a quantitative method for measuring KM performance in the context of four business strategies, and d) Validating the CoPs model through its application in two multinationals in Taiwan and Japan. The CoPs model thus can be used by organizations to understand their KM culture, allocate resources towards the chosen business strategy and measure KM performance in the context of the chosen business strategy.     

SMEs,co-opetition and knowledge sharing: the role of information systems

Co-opetition, simultaneous cooperation and competition, is a recent phenomenon. Co-opetition entails sharing knowledge that may be a key source of competitive advantage. Yet, the knowledge gained by cooperation may also be used for competition. However, there is little investigation of how this problem may be modelled and, hence, managed. A game–theoretic framework for analysing interorganisational knowledge sharing under co-opetition and guidelines for the management of explicit knowledge predicated on coordination and control theory has been proposed, but remains untested. This research empirically investigates these issues in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). SMEs provide an interesting setting as they are knowledge generators, but are poor at knowledge exploitation. The paper uses data from U.K. SMEs to investigate co-opetition, management of knowledge sharing and the role of IS.     

Is Formality in Knowledge Management Practices Related to the Size of Organizations? The Basque Case

This article's objectives are to analyze the trends related to knowledge management process in small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) and to compare these findings with the conclusions of other research studies designed for SMEs and to examine the level of formality in knowledge management processes according to the size of enterprise. As well, to propose a model suited to the characteristics of the small business. The information is collected from 22 Basque Country SMEs grouped into industrial clusters, through a survey that is conducted to identify the use of practices related to knowledge management. Results show that informal practices figure prominently in the day to day of the SME and that the knowledge management process is not standardized but that is performed by the collaborative work between people, among others. Besides, the size of the SME acts as a factor in regard to the level of formality in knowledge management process. This study helps SME managers understand where the organizational knowledge is found within organizations and, consequently, to not neglect the importance of people in keeping competitiveness high. The article provides new information on how firms located in a particular region of Spain perform in relation to knowledge management, and it could be considered a sort of benchmarking practice on the behavior of SME in managing knowledge, which will be useful for the organization when taking management decisions.     

Knowledge sharing in virtual enterprises via an ontology-based access control approach

Collaborating throughout a product life cycle via virtual enterprise (VE) is one of the most promising strategies for enhancing global competitiveness. Efficient and secure knowledge sharing is critical to the success of a VE. This study presents a novel approach, model and technology for knowledge access control and sharing across enterprises. First, this study proposes an ontology-based knowledge sharing model and a multiple-layer knowledge representation framework on which a knowledge access control model for knowledge sharing in a VE is proposed. In the proposed model, user authorizations permitting access to knowledge in a VE are classified into two levels: (1) basic privileges and (2) extended privileges. The former is evaluated from four dimensions, i.e. who, what, when and where, while the latter is determined by considering how three domain ontologies, i.e., product, organization and activity, are related. This study then develops a knowledge access control policy (KACP) language model which is used to identify the knowledge access control and sharing rules of a VE and all its enterprise members. The knowledge access control model proposed in this study can facilitate VE Knowledge management and sharing across enterprises, enhance knowledge sharing security and flexibility and regulate knowledge sharing to expeditiously reflect changes in the business environment.     

SimKnowledge—Analyzing impact of knowledge management measures on team organizations with multi agent-based simulation

Even though there is abundant literature on successful cases of organizations applying knowledge management (KM) measures, many KM initiatives have failed to achieve their knowledge and business goals. In order to foster decisions about the design of such initiatives, information is required on success factors and barriers when selecting KM measures. Multi agent-based simulation (MABS) is suggested as instrument to investigate potential effects of KM measures on dependent variables such as sharing of knowledge in organizations or business performance. For such a simulation, the concept of knowledge sharing, influencing factors and their impact on business and knowledge goals are modeled based on an extensive multi-disciplinary literature survey. An extensive domain model is operationalized in a simulation model which is then further simplified and implemented in a MABS tool used for a series of experiments contrasting results with/without KM measures, specifically skill and experience management. Skill management is found highly sensitive with respect to conditions of application and has no significant impact on knowledge or business goals. Experience management positively impacts knowledge and business goals. Personal documentation leads to specialist, project debriefings to generalist knowledge workers. Finally, the paper discusses the simulation’s limitations and further areas of application.     

Can competitive advantage be achieved through knowledge management? A case study on SMEs

Unlike most Knowledge Management (KM) studies which focus on large enterprises, this study focuses on SMEs in Malaysia which represent 99.2% of the total business establishments, the largest percentage of establishments in the country. The tridimensional relationship between KM practices, technological innovation (TI) and competitive advantage (CA) was examined in this case study. Survey approach was conducted to gather data from managers of the manufacturing SMEs and 195 samples were usable for statistical analysis using Partial-Least-Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM)-Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The use of the combined PLS-SEM and ANN analysis can provide a significant methodological contribution and substantial impacts to the world of expert and intelligent systems and could be the next methodological research paradigm. Findings validated that KM has a direct positive and significant relation with both TI and CA; while TI positively and significantly affects CA. Most outstandingly, the mediating role of TI that connects KM and CA has been proven to be positive and significant. This paper utilizes samples that were collected from Malaysian SMEs only; therefore the findings cannot be generalized to represent the larger firms. Nevertheless, conclusions garnered from the present research can help both practitioners of the manufacturing SMEs and scholars in implementing the correct KM strategies, so that both TI and CA can be enhanced and improved.     

Knowledge management in supply chain: An empirical study from France

Supply chain management has assumed a leading operations strategy position in both manufacturing and service industries, and over the past 10 years companies have seriously implemented supply chain management strategies in their organizations. Knowledge management (KM) is a major enabler of supply chain management, and is a critical element in information intensive and multi-cultured enterprise environments. Realizing the importance of knowledge management in supply chain (SC), an attempt has been made in this paper to propose a conceptual framework for KM in SC and to validate the framework with help of an empirical study conducted with French companies. Finally, a summary of findings and conclusions is presented for KM in SC.     

Reliable and secure communications infrastructure for virtual enterprises

The virtual enterprise paradigm is the key for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to enter into the business-to-business electronic commerce. Nevertheless SMEs require a reliable infrastructure connecting transparently to the global network of enterprises their IT application tools implementing the internal business processes. Such infrastructure is deeply grounded on a communication infrastructure that might offer operative and management mechanisms able to cope with the complexity of the underlying heterogeneous computational and communication available resources. Beyond information communication security (privacy, integrity, and authentication), an operating reliable infrastructure to manage information communication is required. The SME business cannot support the great vulnerability to failures presented by a distributed system made of heterogeneous technologies. The PRODNET Communication Infrastructure aims to offer beyond a secure and high availability communication infrastructure, a set of features to cope with such distribution and heterogeneity implemented by a flexible communication management module. Considering that SMEs do not have their own IT support, the PRODNET Communication Infrastructure also offers remote management/maintenance capabilities.     

An Evaluation Model for Electronic Commerce Activities within SMEs

The exponential growth that has recently characterized the diffusion of electronic commerce (EC) applications could lead companies of any size to plan new investments. The first business experiences show that EC should be considered a competitive instrument not simply affecting economic transactions, but significantly influencing the business organizational structure and strategic objectives. Although this issue has recently been object of considerable attention, the research on the evaluation of EC adoption for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is still relatively new. This paper aims at supporting SMEs in choosing the most suitable EC approach according to their peculiarities and strategic goals. This objective has been pursued through the classification of five main EC activities, which are characterized by different requirements and attainable results. The identification of the main business variables involved in an EC project and the resulting classification of SME profiles should help the entrepreneur in becoming aware of his/her organization. Finally, a cross analysis between EC activities and SME profiles allows developing a framework suggesting the most suitable EC approach for each business profile. This framework provides SMEs with a simple and easy to use tool to perform a qualitative evaluation of the EC opportunity.     

Understanding the effect of knowledge management strategies on knowledge management performance: A contingency perspective

The universalistic perspective research on employing a unidimensional knowledge management (KM) strategy has yielded conflicting findings and recommendations in different contexts. This study proposes a contingency model for investigating the effects of KM strategies on KM performance to resolve these contradictions. Drawing on the knowledge-based view (KBV) of the firm, which identifies knowledge type and origin as two key KM dimensions, this study first defines four KM strategies: external codification, internal codification, external personalization, and internal personalization. A multiple contingency model of KM strategy is then developed based on a technology–organization–environment framework. This study proposes that the effectiveness of each KM strategy depends on both external and internal contextual conditions, namely, environmental knowledge intensity and organizational information systems (IS) maturity. To test and validate the contingency model, we analyze data from 141 firms to explain the effects of KM strategies on KM performance. Our results reveal three KM strategies, not including the internal personalization strategy, which have a significant association with KM performance in their hypothesized contexts. This study expands KM strategy research by theoretically developing an advanced contingency model aligned with external and internal contexts and by providing valuable practical suggestions to managers for selecting a KM strategy based on multiple contingencies related to the external and internal conditions of a firm.     

A fuzzy trust evaluation method for knowledge sharing in virtual enterprises

The success of virtual enterprises (VEs) depends on the effective sharing of related resources between various enterprises or workers who perform related activities. Specifically, VE success hinges on the integration and sharing of information and knowledge. Trust is an important facilitator of knowledge sharing. However, the trustworthiness of a peer is a vague concept that is dynamic and that often shifts over time or with environmental changes. This study designs a trust-based knowledge-sharing model based on characteristics of VEs and the knowledge structure model to express knowledge associated with VE activities. Subsequently, the factors that affect the trust evaluation are identified based on the characteristics of trust and VEs. Finally, this study develops a knowledge sharing, decision-making framework in which a fuzzy trust evaluation method for sharing knowledge is proposed based on VE activities and the interactions among workers in allied enterprises. The method consists of three sub-methods, including an activity correlation evaluation method, a current trust evaluation method, and an integral trust evaluation method. Under the premises of secure VE knowledge and reasonable access authorization, the proposed knowledge-sharing method provides the trust level between a knowledge-requesting enterprise and a knowledge-supplying enterprise to improve the willingness of the latter to share more valuable knowledge, ultimately increasing the efficiency and competitiveness of VEs.     

What drives continued knowledge sharing? An investigation of knowledge-contribution and -seeking beliefs

Knowledge management (KM) research has yielded extensive explanations regarding the individual's motivation to share knowledge, each with different sets of factors. Yet the study of continued knowledge sharing is rare. There has been little research investigating this issue from contributing and seeking perspectives—the two distinct, but closely interrelated, facets of continued knowledge sharing. We propose that knowledge management system (KMS) users' beliefs are contextually differentiated, and thus a distinction between knowledge-contribution and knowledge-seeking behaviors and an adequate emphasis on their variance in terms of user belief is needed. By incorporating the knowledge-contribution and knowledge-seeking perspectives in a single study, we model and examine the differences among driving factors in two behavioral contexts, provide the conceptual comparisons and preliminary discussions, and thus advance our understanding of continued knowledge sharing via the KMS.