Knowledge management has been considered a critical strategy for competitive advantage in recent years (Ndlela and du Toit 2001, King 2001). In the context of knowledge management, strategy refers to the organisational intention and enabling condition for organisational knowledge creation (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995). Kim, King (2001) observed that knowledge management strategy focuses on the acquisition, explication, and communication of mission-specific professional expertise that is largely tacit in nature to organisational participants and contexts in a manner that is focused, relevant, and timely. Krogh et al. (2001) defined knowledge management strategy as the employment of knowledge processes to an existing or new knowledge domain in order to achieve strategic goals. They developed four strategies for managing knowledge: leveraging, expanding, appropriating, and probing based on knowledge domain and process. However, the current research on the knowledge management strategy-corporate growth performance connection seems far from maturity. Hasan and Al-hawari (2003) stressed the importance of knowledge management strategy by stating that a firm's innovative capacity and performance may be dependent upon its ability to take advantage of its knowledge assets. Capitalisation is one of three instances into which the concept of knowledge management is divided by Kalling (2003), and knowledge management strategy is aimed at helping the firm achieve such capitalisation. Strategic interventions in intellectual asset flows carry implications for firm performance (McGaughey 2002 and Mauborgne (1999) emphasised the role of strategic knowledge management in value innovation.) . Little research offers a detailed understandiMcNamara et al. (2002) found a significant relationship between the complexity of a firm's strategic group knowledge structure and firm performance. Process-oriented knowledge management strategy proposed by Maier and Remus (2003) seeks to ensure the success of knowledge management initiatives. Hitt et al. (2000) considered technological knowledge a main source of growth. Despite a growing interest in the role of knowledge management strategy in achieving corporate growth, there is a lack of credible empirical evidence for high technology firms, which are characterised by their high level of intellectual work (Kelley and Caplan 1993ng about the role of knowledge management strategy in achieving corporate growth in high technology firms. The study aims at filling this gap.
This study offers three additions to the literature on knowledge management strategy.
First, Eisenhardt and Schoonhoven (1990) elaborated that high technology firms, compared with others, are facing severe problems of limited managerial and financial resources. Since knowledge management is characterised as innovative and resource consuming, knowledge management strategy may not be beneficial to high technology firms with limited resources, and may not result in high growth performance. Thus, identifying crucial antecedents of knowledge management strategy becomes an important issue. This study is among the first to develop and test hypotheses on the mediating effects of knowledge management strategy by employing a resource-based view (Amit and Schoemaker 1993, Barney 1991) and growth theory (Penrose 1995) as the theoretical basis.
Second, a high technology industry in China is our research object. Xin and Pearce (1996) suggested that firms face challenges in terms of resource and management in transitional economies. Thus, a Chinese high technology industry presents an interesting setting for investigating the link between knowledge management strategy and growth performance.
Third, the relationship between knowledge management strategy and competitive strategy has been explored deeply. This study analyses the link between knowledge management strategy and growth performance, while considering knowledge management as a dynamic firm capability.
Knowledge management has been considered a critical strategy for competitive advantage in recent years (Ndlela and du Toit 2001, King 2001). In the context of knowledge management, strategy refers to the organisational intention and enabling condition for organisational knowledge creation (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1995). Kim, King (2001) observed that knowledge management strategy focuses on the acquisition, explication, and communication of mission-specific professional expertise that is largely tacit in nature to organisational participants and contexts in a manner that is focused, relevant, and timely. Krogh et al. (2001) defined knowledge management strategy as the employment of knowledge processes to an existing or new knowledge domain in order to achieve strategic goals. They developed four strategies for managing knowledge: leveraging, expanding, appropriating, and probing based on knowledge domain and process. However, the current research on the knowledge management strategy-corporate growth performance connection seems far from maturity. Hasan and Al-hawari (2003) stressed the importance of knowledge management strategy by stating that a firm's innovative capacity and performance may be dependent upon its ability to take advantage of its knowledge assets. Capitalisation is one of three instances into which the concept of knowledge management is divided by Kalling (2003), and knowledge management strategy is aimed at helping the firm achieve such capitalisation. Strategic interventions in intellectual asset flows carry implications for firm performance (McGaughey 2002 and Mauborgne (1999) emphasised the role of strategic knowledge management in value innovation.) . Little research offers a detailed understandiMcNamara et al. (2002) found a significant relationship between the complexity of a firm's strategic group knowledge structure and firm performance. Process-oriented knowledge management strategy proposed by Maier and Remus (2003) seeks to ensure the success of knowledge management initiatives. Hitt et al. (2000) considered technological knowledge a main source of growth. Despite a growing interest in the role of knowledge management strategy in achieving corporate growth, there is a lack of credible empirical evidence for high technology firms, which are characterised by their high level of intellectual work (Kelley and Caplan 1993ng about the role of knowledge management strategy in achieving corporate growth in high technology firms. The study aims at filling this gap.
This study offers three additions to the literature on knowledge management strategy.
First, Eisenhardt and Schoonhoven (1990) elaborated that high technology firms, compared with others, are facing severe problems of limited managerial and financial resources. Since knowledge management is characterised as innovative and resource consuming, knowledge management strategy may not be beneficial to high technology firms with limited resources, and may not result in high growth performance. Thus, identifying crucial antecedents of knowledge management strategy becomes an important issue. This study is among the first to develop and test hypotheses on the mediating effects of knowledge management strategy by employing a resource-based view (Amit and Schoemaker 1993, Barney 1991) and growth theory (Penrose 1995) as the theoretical basis.
Second, a high technology industry in China is our research object. Xin and Pearce (1996) suggested that firms face challenges in terms of resource and management in transitional economies. Thus, a Chinese high technology industry presents an interesting setting for investigating the link between knowledge management strategy and growth performance.
Third, the relationship between knowledge management strategy and competitive strategy has been explored deeply. This study analyses the link between knowledge management strategy and growth performance, while considering knowledge management as a dynamic firm capability.
การแปล กรุณารอสักครู่..
