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Knowledge management and strategic orientation: leveraging innovativeness and performance

Alex A. Ferraresi (Based in the Graduate School of Production and Systems Engineering, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná – PUCPR, Curitiba, Brazil)
Carlos O. Quandt (Based in the Graduate School of Management, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná – PUCPR, Curitiba, Brazil)
Silvio A. dos Santos (Based in the Graduate School of Management, Universidade de São Paulo – USP, São Paulo, Brazil)
José R. Frega (Based in the Graduate School of Management, Universidade Federal do Paraná – UFPR, Curitiba, Brazil)

Journal of Knowledge Management

ISSN: 1367-3270

Article publication date: 7 September 2012

4050

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study is to investigate whether knowledge management (KM) contributes to the development of strategic orientation and to enhance innovativeness, and whether these three factors contribute to improve business performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 241 Brazilian companies was surveyed, using Web‐based questionnaires with 54 questions, using ten‐point scales to measure the degree of agreement on each item of each construct. Structural equation modeling techniques were applied for model assessment and analysis of the relationships among constructs. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and path analysis using the technique of structural equation modeling were applied to the data.

Findings

Effective KM contributes positively to strategic orientation. Although there is no significant direct effect of KM on innovativeness, the relationship is significant when mediated by strategic orientation. Similarly, effective KM has no direct effect on business performance, but this relationship becomes statistically significant when mediated by strategic orientation and innovativeness.

Research limitations/implications

The findings indicate that KM permeates all relationships among the constructs, corroborating the argument that knowledge is an essential organizational resource that leverages all value‐creating activities. The results indicate that both KM and innovativeness produce significant impacts on performance when they are aligned with a strategic orientation that enables the organization to anticipate and respond to changing market conditions.

Originality/value

There is a substantial body of research on several types of relationships involving KM, strategic orientation, innovativeness and performance. This study offers an original contribution by analyzing all of those constructs simultaneously, using established scales so that comparative studies are possible.

Keywords

Citation

Ferraresi, A.A., Quandt, C.O., dos Santos, S.A. and Frega, J.R. (2012), "Knowledge management and strategic orientation: leveraging innovativeness and performance", Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 16 No. 5, pp. 688-701. https://doi.org/10.1108/13673271211262754

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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