Purpose – The purpose of this article is to analyze the implications for competitive advantage deriving from strategic knowledge and knowledge transfer process. Design/methodology/approach – One major issue in a knowledge-based (KBV) view consists of delimiting the source of competitive advantage, that is, knowledge versus knowledge management processes (acquisition, transfer, generation). Based on the KBV and knowledge management literature, the current paper considers the importance of both elements. Specifically, the paper focuses on strategic knowledge and knowledge transfer process. Findings – The contributions of this paper are the proposal of strategic knowledge characteristics and the suggestion of a theoretical framework to study the internal transfer of strategic knowledge. The main conclusion is that the characteristics of knowledge that generate competitive advantage also create barriers for internal transfer. The research question addressed here is what firms must do to transfer strategic knowledge within the firm while limiting involuntary transfer. Originality/value – In order to answer this question, this paper suggests a theoretical framework that focuses not only on the implications of knowledge of a strategic asset, but rather takes a much broader perspective, considering the transfer process as a whole and highlighting the role of the different elements of this process (source, receiver and context) in order to facilitate the efficient transfer of strategic knowledge.

ResearchGate Logo

Discover the world's research

  • 20+ million members
  • 135+ million publications
  • 700k+ research projects

Join for free

A preview of the PDF is not available

... Integrated KMPs for product knowledge, according to Leitch and Rosen [148], give an organization a competitive advantage. Bou-Llusar and Segarra-Ciprés [149] looked at the consequences of strategic knowledge and knowledge transfer mechanisms for competitive advantage. They looked at one of the most important issues in a KBV, defining the source of competitive advantage: knowledge vs. KMPs of acquisition, transfer, and generation. ...

In recent decades, particularly during the outbreak of COVID-19, businesses organizations have focused on knowledge management processes in order to attain a sustainable competitive advantage by creating human and social capital as strategic leadership capabilities. This paper aims to develop an integrated conceptual and theoretical framework that connects strategic leadership capabilities, knowledge management processes, and sustainable competitive advantage for the public and private organizations within the service industry. The model approach has been used to build a theoretical framework that predicts the relationships between the variables. To support the link between them, a systematic literature review of traditional and contemporary theoretical and empirical research studies is conducted. Through the combination of the related literature, propositions are established. This conceptual research is primarily comprised of a model and assertions concerning strategic leadership capabilities, knowledge management processes, and sustainable competitive advantage. The outcomes of this study reflect that strategic leadership capabilities can accomplish sustainable competitive advantage. They also have the greatest potential to impact sustainable competitive advantage via engaging the knowledge management processes. Particularly, there are significant implications of this study. Regarding the theoretical implication, it contributes to the resource-based view, knowledge-based view, and knowledge creation theory in supporting strategic leadership capabilities, knowledge management processes, and sustainable competitive advantage. To the practical implication, the study linked the concepts of research variables for public and private enterprises within the service industry. It can also enable strategic leaders and businesses owners to participate in real-time opportunities and determine threats for achieving a sustainable competitive advantage in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a preliminary study of the sustainable competitive advantage literature that includes the concept of strategic leadership as a knowledge management processes enabler for achieving a sustainable competitive advantage. Until now, there has not been any work like it in the literature, save in the qualitative style.

... To this end, considerable scholarly attention has focused on understanding how technology, especially information systems, contribute to the effective management of knowledge (Balmisse et al., 2007;Kimmerle et al., 2010;Sarabadani et al., 2017;Young et al., 2012). Many organisations have formulated their strategies and designed business processes to promote knowledge and KM (Bou-Llusar & Segarra-Ciprés, 2006;Halawi et al., 2006). ...

Enterprise systems can play a fundamental role in the management of business analytics by facilitating knowledge management. Nonetheless, and despite extensive studies about enterprise systems and knowledge management over the past four decades, the information systems discipline still lacks a clear and practical understanding of what types of knowledge should be managed by enterprise systems, and how to facilitate the adoption and effective use of business analytics through knowledge management. To a high degree, the issue is rooted in the ambiguity about the nature and sources of knowledge. Motivated by this need, we conducted an exploratory study to address the research question, what knowledge is critical for data analysts to be able to use business analytics effectively? We interviewed 41 data analysts. Using thematic analysis, we propose the theory of knowledge identity, which explains the role of data analysts' knowledge in the adoption and effective use of analytics in organisations. This study offers significant theoretical and practical implications.

... Since it is difficult to obtain, the new holder can permanently adjust and exploit it without radical changes once its significant components are acquired. To enable the transfer of strategic knowledge, there is need to develop appropriate mechanisms for the coordination, communication and affinity among units, individuals and partners (Bou-Llusar and Segarra-Cipr es, 2006). This helps to make the knowledge more explicit, codifiable and available while developing a common language within the JV. ...

Purpose The study explores African partners' experiences regarding Chinese expatriates' knowledge control practices in 29 Sino-African joint ventures in 12 countries. It provides insights into power dynamics and knowledge transfer (KT) from African partners' perspective. Design/methodology/approach The qualitative paper mobilized semi-structured interviews with Africans who worked with Chinese expatriates across Africa. The study focused on understanding the experiences of African partners when collaborating with their Chinese expatriate colleagues on assignments in joint ventures (JVs) in Africa. Findings Chinese expatriates employed five tactics, as described by African partners, to control knowledge based on power, behaviors and knowledge type. Particularly, through the lens of unofficial power, this study explains knowledge hiding tactics between knowledge-holding Chinese expatriates and host country knowledge-seeking locals. A new dimension of authority-based knowledge hiding is discovered. Originality/value The paper brings new insights into the analysis of power (official and unofficial) boundaries regarding knowledge control mechanisms in joint venture collaborations between employees from China and Africa. Unofficial power appeared as a major leverage for expatriates in monopolizing their strategic knowledge. The study recommends mobilizing African diaspora and repatriates from China to improve KT for Africa.

... In Chapter One, knowledge transfer has been defined as an activity that facilitates knowledge flows in organisations, departments or indeed sections and units (Bou-Llusar and Segarra-Cipres 2006). Such knowledge flows may involve interactions of individuals or indeed an individual making reference to codified knowledge (Lochhead and Stephens 2004;Newman and Conrad 1999 (Stovel and Bontis 2002), the findings at UNZA clearly indicate that succession planning as a knowledge transfer technique was lacking. ...

... It is also important to consider the difficulties in verbalizing the tacit knowledge that each person may have internalized. Often people are unaware of the knowledge they have and are unable to articulate in words what seem obvious or natural to say (Bou-Llusar and Segarra-Ciprés, 2006). The greater the experience is, the vaster tacit knowledge is developed, which can lead to increased difficulty to verbalize it (Haldin-Herrgard, 2000). ...

This paper aims to elaborate a diagnosis and performance matrix concerted on the increment of human capital value by sharing tacit knowledge in non-profit organizations. The following objectives were defined: determine which indicators of tacit knowledge sharing are appliable; determine the measures to be implemented, aiming the augmentation of tacit knowledge sharing and learning organizational. Interviews were conducted with the commanders of volunteer fire brigades in Portugal. It was possible to create a diagnosis and performance matrix to increase the tacit knowledge sharing in these organizations. The application of this matrix improves the tacit knowledge sharing and consequently increases the human capital value. The option of a multiple case research of organizations such as voluntary fire brigades is unique in its action and identity, enabling such organizations with competencies to improve their performance with the purpose of mitigating tragic circumstances that may lead to the loss of human lives.

... To this end, considerable scholarly attention has focused on understanding how technology, especially information systems, contribute to the effective management of knowledge [3][4] [5]. Understanding the importance of KM, many organizations have formulated their strategies and designed business processes to promote knowledge and KM [6] [7]. ...

... Knowledge is largely divided into tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge, both of which are very important to the organization. This is because members cannot attain a high level of tacit knowledge without some level of explicit knowledge, and the tacit knowledge accumulated by the members from the organization's point of view is an important strategic asset of the company (Carlos Bou-Llusar & Segarra-Ciprés, 2006). Adult learners in organizations initially seek to improve 4 DOI: 10.1002/piq Performance Improvement Quarterly their technical proficiency or acquire knowledge, yet they are continually learning to develop higher-level learning that gradually modifies organizational norms, policies, or goals, and drives the conversion of fundamental thinking (Argyris & Schön, 1984, 1996Sessa & London, 2015). ...

The purpose of this study is to develop a conceptual model of learning agility based on an integrated literature review. Learning agility is the ability to learn from experience and apply it when faced with a new and unfamiliar environment. However, the absence of a theoretical basis for learning agility causes confusion among researchers in defining the concept and limits the scope in which practitioners apply the concept in their respective fields. This paper discusses the ability to perform effectively in new and unexpected environmental conditions and in changing job environments based on the Individual Adaptability Theory (I‐ADAPT Theory). Applying the conceptual model presented in this paper, practitioners will be able to propose and apply practical interventions, such as the development of an organizational education program that could identify and develop the level of individual learning agility.

The humanitarian sector is being forced to adapt its way of providing aid services; for instance, donors expect to see improvements in efficiency, effectiveness, and data visibility of service delivery. This entails the use of new technologies for collecting data and evidence of the aid sector's needs and proposals for prompt and tangible measurable solutions. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown significant disruption in aid organisations' value chains. The new approach to knowledge transfer (KT) includes the exploitation of the three types of knowledge-tacit, implicit, and explicit knowledge-held by a group of experts, who are being left behind for lack of an inclusive KT management vision. This empirical research also explores the hidden knowledge sources held by the underrepresented female workforce (35%) observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, as essential to cover the existing knowledge gaps in the aid sector. It verifies whether the underrepresentation of female workforce is related to their low mobility due to carrying multiple roles in their society and family, including the factors causing the disruption of the value chain. The paper assesses whether the pandemic had a positive effect in accelerating the organisation's KT between people and to the field staff, and it finds no relationship between gender difference and the extensive use of contingent workforce to deliver results (X2 [1, N=147] =2.580, p > 0.05). It finds no relationship between the underrepresentation of female workforce and mobility (X2 [1, N=151] =0.041, p > 0.05). It confirms that there is no relationship between an employee's gender and their attitude to rating the use of virtual coaching to delivery knowledge to frontline teams (X2 [1, N=298] =1.212, p > 0.05) yet, it finds a strong relationship between an employee's gender and attitude toward rating the use of AI-based technologies in aid sector (X2 [1, N=581] =14.921, p < 0.001). Finally, it confirms that gender is related to the designation of female workforce to management positions in the aid sector (X2 [1, N=128] =5.010, p<0.05). This paper concludes by providing recommendations for action and for the efficient handling of each of the four knowledge-sharing dimensions: reshaping the contingent workforce; adapting the management of employee mobility; innovating approaches to coaching, and deregulating the use of technology for efficient knowledge transfer between people.

This paper highlights the conditions (within the organizational environment) that play a vital role in pursuing the sender to share knowledge and the receiver motivated enough to reproduce or apply the received knowledge. Though these conditions are discussed in knowledge transfer literature, yet a comprehensive framework based on all the elements of transfer of knowledge is not available. This study has taken the basic two-person communication model into account and has defined two sets of conditions that are essential for the transfer of knowledge. The first tier of the framework is the communication nucleus which defines the elements of transfer of knowledge aligned with the two-person communication model whereas, the second tier of the framework spells out the conditionality for a successful transfer of knowledge. Two sets of conditions; one based on content factors labeled as necessary conditions and the other based on contextual factors labeled as supportive conditions are comprehensively explained. The framework claims that content factors are necessary for the transfer of knowledge and their absence will cease the transfer process whereas supportive condition accelerates the transfer process, their absence though may not cease the transfer process. The conceptual framework can be used as a set of policy guidelines for the knowledge management strategy formation and application within organizations along with creating the conducive environment required for creating and nurturing opportunities for transfer of knowledge. Keywords: Knowledge Transfer, Conditions for Transfer of Knowledge, Communication Nucleus.

  • Ouail El Kharraz
  • Yassine Boussenna Yassine Boussenna

il est démontré depuis longtemps qu'une meilleure gestion des connaissances impacte positivement la performance organisationnelle. Cependant, la manière de réalisation de ce processus n'est pas encore bien claire en milieu universitaire et en particulier dans les pays en voie de développement comme le Maroc. Cet article a pour objectif principal de répondre à cette problématique à travers un recensement des points de vue des enseignants-chercheurs de l'Université Abdelmalek Essaadi à travers une démarche de raisonnement de type hypothético-déductive et une méthode de travail quantitative

Much of the prior research on interorganizational learning has focused on the role of absorptive capacity, a firm's ability to value, assimilate, and utilize new external knowledge. However, this definition of the construct suggests that a firm has an equal capacity to learn from all other organizations. We reconceptualize the Jinn-level construct absorptive capacity as a learning dyad-level construct, relative absorptive capacity. One firm's ability to learn from another firm is argued to depend on the similarity of both firms' (1) knowledge bases, (2) organizational structures and compensation policies, and (3) dominant logics. We then test the model using a sample of pharmaceutical-biotechnology RED alliances. As predicted, the similarity of the partners' basic knowledge, lower management formalization, research centralization, compensation practices, and research communities were positively related to interorganizational learning. The relative absorptive capacity measures are also shown to have greater explanatory power than the established measure of absorptive capacity, R&D spending. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  • Robert M. Grant Robert M. Grant

Strategy has been defined as "the match an ovganization makes between its internal resources and skills … and the opportunities and risks created by its external environment." 1 During the 1980s, the principal developments in strategy analysis focussed upon the link between strategy and the external environment. Prominent examples of this focus are Michael Porter's analysis of industry structure and competitive positioning and the empirical studies undertaken by the PIMS project. 2 By contrast, the link between strategy and the firm's resources and skills has suffered comparative neglect. Most research into the strategic implications of the firm's internal environment has been concerned with issues of strategy implementation and analysis of the organizational processes through which strategies emerge. 3

  • Azadeh Heidari
  • Leila Nemati-Anaraki Leila Nemati-Anaraki

In Digital Libraries (DLs) as an innovative community environment, knowledge is nutrition, and the environment for knowledge sharing is the essential condition. As the knowledge is the heart of digital libraries, it is imperative for them to promote the innovation activities embodied by teaching and scientific research through an efficient knowledge-sharing environment. In digital environment, the role of knowledge has become even more significant. Moreover, DLs perform many knowledge-based activities, and by nature, the knowledge-sharing process is embedded in DL systems. These modern knowledge management environments need modern technologies in order to perform properly for end users and online researchers. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to provide a model for global knowledge networking with utilizing digital libraries and artificial intelligence. The specific objectives are to describe a framework of digital libraries and concepts of Knowledge Management (KM). The chapter finds some significant overlaps between DLs and KM and integrates the knowledge-sharing process with DLs and artificial intelligence. The integration of KM and knowledge sharing can add value to develop a global knowledge networking process model so users around the globe can make use of this knowledge transmission.

  • Anil Gupta Anil Gupta
  • V. Covindarajan

Pursuing a nodal (i.e., subsidiary) level of analysis, this paper advances and tests art overarching theoretical framework pertaining to intracorporate knowledge transfers within multinational corporations (MNCs). We predicted that (i) knowledge outflows from a subsidiary would be positively associated with value of the subsidiary's knowledge stock, its motivational disposition to share knowledge, and the richness of transmission channels; and (ii) knowledge inflows into a subsidiary would be positively associated with richness of transmission channels, motivational disposition to acquire knowledge, and the capacity to absorb the incoming knowledge. These predictions were tested empirically with data from 374 subsidiaries within 75 MNCs headquartered in the U.S., Europe, and Japan. Except for our predictions regarding the impact of source unit's motivational disposition on knowledge outflows, the data provide either full or partial support to an of the other elements of our theoretical framework. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  • Jay B. Barney

Understanding sources of sustained competitive advantage has become a major area of research in strategic management. Building on the assumptions that strategic resources are heterogeneously distributed across firms and that these differences are stable over time, this article examines the link between firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Four empirical indicators of the potential of firm resources to generate sustained competitive advantage-value, rareness, imitability, and substitutability are discussed. The model is applied by analyzing the potential of several firm resources for generating sustained competitive advantages. The article concludes by examining implications of this firm resource model of sustained competitive advantage for other business disciplines.