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Knowledge Management in Brazil: What Governance Mechanisms are Needed to Boost Innovation?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 May 2019

Guillermo Antonio Dávila*
Affiliation:
Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
Tatiana Andreeva
Affiliation:
Maynooth University, Ireland
Gregório Varvakis
Affiliation:
Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
*
Corresponding author: Guillermo Antonio Dávila (davila.guillermo@gmail.com)

Abstract

The need to innovate is relevant to many firms around the globe and is particularly pressing for those in emerging markets. They face global competition, are under-resourced, and suffer from weaker institutional support. It is suggested that to innovate successfully in this context, indigenous firms would benefit from focusing on managing their current knowledge base more efficiently. We know little about how knowledge management works outside developed economies and which knowledge governance mechanisms have more influence than others in the context of emerging economies. To address this gap, we explore how context may matter for the use of knowledge governance mechanisms and their effect on innovation performance in Brazilian firms. Using the survey data of 109 firms, structural equation modelling, and cluster analysis, our findings suggest that the joint application of knowledge-focused rewards, organizational design, and information and communication technologies that support knowledge processes is critical for boosting innovation performance. We discuss how the peculiarities of the Brazilian context may shape these findings. Our article contributes to the knowledge management and innovation literature by demonstrating that the joint effects of bundles of knowledge governance mechanisms and contextual variables should be explored in order to understand their impact on organizational outcomes.

摘要

全球的许多公司都需要创新,这对于新兴市场中的企业尤其迫切。新兴市场中的企业面临全球性竞争、资源不足以及制度支持很弱等问题。本土企业在这种环境下要成功创新需要更加有效地管理它们当前的知识基础。我们很少了解发达经济体之外的知识管理,也不太了解新兴经济环境中哪个知识治理机制更有影响力。为了填补这个空白,我们探讨巴西企业中采用知识治理机制中情境怎样变得重要及其对创新业绩的影响。对于109家企业调查数据进行结构方程模型和聚类分析,我们发现同时采用基于知识的奖励、组织设计和支持知识流程的信息沟通技术,是促进企业创新业绩的关键。我们讨论了巴西独特的环境怎样造成了这些结果。本文表明,应该探讨知识治理机制和情境因素的联合影响才能理解他们对于组织绩效的作用,从而对于知识和创新领域的文献做出了贡献。

Аннотация

Инновационная деятельность крайне важна для многих компаний по всему миру и особенно необходима для компаний в развивающихся странах. Эти компании сталкиваются с глобальной конкуренцией, не имея достаточных ресурсов и страдая от более слабой институциональной поддержки. Предполагается, что для успешного внедрения инноваций в этом контексте местные компании должны сосредоточиться на более эффективном управлении существующей базой знаний. Мы мало знаем о том, как управление знаниями работает за пределами развитых стран и какие механизмы управления знаниями оказывают большее влияние в странах с развивающейся экономикой. Для того, чтобы устранить этот пробел, мы исследуем, какое значение может иметь контекст для использования механизмов управления знаниями и каким образом эти механизмы влияют на эффективность инноваций в бразильских компаниях. На основании данных из 109 компаний, структурного моделирования и кластерного анализа, мы приходим к выводу о том, что одновременное применение вознаграждений за приобретение знаний, организационной структуры, а также информационных и коммуникационных технологий, поддерживающих процессы развития знаний, имеет решающее значение для повышения эффективности инноваций. Мы рассматриваем, каким образом особенности бразильского контекста могут влиять на эти выводы. Наша работа вносит свой вклад в литературу по управлению знаниями и инновациям, поскольку свидетельствует о том, что совокупное влияние механизмов управления знаниями и контекстных переменных требует изучения для того, чтобы понять их воздействие на организационные процессы.

Resumen

La necesidad de innovar es relevante para muchas empresas alrededor del globo y es particularmente apremiante para aquellas en mercados emergentes. Ellas enfrentan competencia global, no cuentan con recursos suficientes, y adolecen de débil apoyo institucional. Se sugiere que, para innovar exitosamente en este contexto, las empresas nacionales se beneficiarían de enfocarse en gestionar su base de conocimiento actual más eficientemente. Sabemos poco sobre cómo funciona la gestión de conocimiento por fuera de las economías desarrolladas y cuáles mecanismos de gobernanza tienen más influencia que otros en el contexto de economías emergentes. Para abordar esta brecha, exploramos como el contexto puede importar para el uso de los mecanismos de gobernanza del conocimiento y su efecto en el desempeño de la innovación en empresas brasileras. Usando datos de encuestas de 109 empresas, modelo de ecuaciones estructurales, y análisis de clúster, nuestros hallazgos sugieren que la aplicación conjunta de recompensas enfocadas en el conocimiento, diseño organizacional, y tecnologías de información y comunicación que apoyan los procesos de conocimiento es crítico para fomentar el desempeño de la innovación. Discutimos cómo las peculiaridades del contexto brasilero pueden moldear estos hallazgos. Nuestro artículo contribuye a la literatura de gestión de conocimiento e innovación al demostrar los efectos conjuntos de los paquetes de mecanismos de gobernanza del conocimiento y las variables contextuales deben ser exploradas para entender su impacto en los resultados organizacionales.

Type
Article
Copyright
Copyright © 2019 The International Association for Chinese Management Research 

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Footnotes

Accepted by: Deputy Editor Gerald McDermott

References

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