5.2 Knowledge identification
Knowing what type of knowledge is provided in the firm and what type of knowledge is
needed to tackle present and future business challenges is vital. So the lack of research
activities in this area is surprising. Thus, the area of knowledge identification offers scholars
a variety of research avenues. For example, what actions are taken in SMEs to identify
existing knowledge? How do they determine knowledge needed to remain competitive? The
process used to distinguish between relevant and less relevant knowledge might be another
promising field of research.
5.3 Knowledge creation
The process of knowledge creation/acquisition is closely linked to learning. To learn
something new an organization, that is to say, its members, must possess the ability of
unlearning. The ways SMEs use to foster unlearning might be a useful field of intense
research. Here country-comparisons would be suitable as well. Due to resource constraints
SMEs need to identify external knowledge sources. How do SMEs proceed in this context?
How do SMEs identify suitable external knowledge sources?
In terms of methods, qualitative approaches should be used in prospective studies, since
the focus is on understanding.