Antecedents and outcomes of the knowledge management process (KMP) in Malaysian SMEs

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to identify and validate the antecedents and outcomes of the Knowledge Management Process (KMP) in the context of Malaysian SMEs. The antecedents (knowledge management (KM) enablers) in this study were internal collaboration, trust, small and medium enterprise (SME) network, transformational leadership, and information technology (IT) support. The outcomes were innovation speed and organizational performance. Data was collected from 242 SMEs through online surveys and personal visits and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).The salient findings were: (1) among the KM enablers, internal collaboration and IT support significantly influence the KMP; and (2) innovation speed mediates the relationship between the KMP and organizational performance. This study contributes to the literature by: (1) providing a comprehensive framework that links KM enablers, KMP, and performance for SMEs; and (2) establishing innovation speed as a mediator between the KMP and performance.

RÉSUMÉ

L’objectif de cette recherche était d’identifier et de valider les antécédents et les résultats du processus de gestion des connaissances (KMP) dans le contexte des PME malaisiennes. Les antécédents (facilitateurs de gestion des connaissances – KM) identifiés par cette étude étaient la collaboration interne, la confiance, le réseau de petites et moyennes entreprises (PME), le leadership transformationnel et le soutien à la technologie de l’information (IT). Les résultats étaient la vitesse de l’innovation et la performance organisationnelle. Les données ont été collectées auprès de 242 PME par le biais d’enquêtes en ligne et de visites personnelles, puis analysées à l’aide d’une modélisation par équations structurelles des moindres carrés partiels (PLS-SEM). Les principaux résultats sont les suivants : (1) parmi les facilitateurs de la gestion des connaissances, la collaboration interne et le soutien aux IT ont une influence significative sur la KMP ; et (2) la vitesse d’innovation modère le rapport entre la KMP et la performance organisationnelle. Cette étude contribue à la littérature : (1) en proposant un cadre complet qui relie les facilitateurs de KM, la KMP et la performance pour les PME ; et (2) en établissant la vitesse d’innovation comme médiateur entre la KMP et la performance.

Keywords:

• KM process
• KM enablers
• innovation speed
• organizational performance
• SME

Mots-clés:

• processus KM
• facilitateurs de KM
• vitesse d’innovation
• performance organisationnelle
• PME

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sivachandran Narayanan

Sivachandran Narayanan is a Doctoral Student at Putra Business School, Malaysia. His area of interest is Knowledge Management.

Devika Nadarajah

Devika Nadarajah is an Associate Professor at Putra Business School, Malaysia, teaching Operations Management and Business Research Methods to postgraduate students. Her research interest is Business Process Management, Quality Management and Supply Chain Management.

Murali Sambasivan

Murali Sambasivan is a Professor at Thiagarajar School of Management, Pamban Nagar, Thiruparankundram, Madurai, India. He has a PhD from University of Alabama, USA. He has published in many international journals of repute.

Jo Ann Ho

Jo Ann Ho is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Putra Malaysia. Since completing her PhD from Cardiff University, United Kingdom, Jo Ann’s research focus has been in the areas of business ethics, corporate social responsibility and organizational behaviour. Within ethics, she explores factors influencing individual and organizational ethics, cultural issues and ethical behaviour. Her other key research area in corporate social responsibility focuses on green environmental practices and its relationship to organizational practices and performance.