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Knowledge management practices and absorptive capacity in small and medium‐sized enterprises: is there really a linkage?
Author(s) -
Valentim Luís,
Lisboa João Veríssimo,
Franco Mário
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
randd management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.253
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1467-9310
pISSN - 0033-6807
DOI - 10.1111/radm.12108
Subject(s) - absorptive capacity , business , knowledge management , scarcity , usable , tacit knowledge , exploit , linkage (software) , small and medium sized enterprises , knowledge transfer , multinational corporation , adaptation (eye) , knowledge value chain , absorption capacity , organizational learning , marketing , engineering , computer science , biochemistry , chemistry , physics , computer security , finance , chemical engineering , world wide web , economics , optics , gene , microeconomics
S mall and medium‐sized enterprises ( SMEs ) are more vulnerable to globalization and rapid technological change due to their scarcity of resources. SMEs ' absorptive capacity allows them to access knowledge and plays a key role in their ability to explore and exploit opportunities in their environment. Therefore, this study aims to identify and categorize knowledge management practices which SMEs can adopt to develop absorptive capacity. From a population of 4,534 P ortuguese SMEs , 260 usable completed questionnaires were returned. We concluded that P ortuguese SMEs are engaged in knowledge management practices, through collaboration with business partners, favoring learning processes based on experience, knowledge transfer to employees and knowledge absorption by employees, reflecting the importance given by SMEs to the tacit nature of knowledge which helps them in efficiency improvements, strategic adaptation, and the launch of new products and services. Our study contributes to advancing theory in the fields of knowledge management and absorptive capacity. We combine and extend previous research which allows us to reconcile the sometimes contradictory findings concerning knowledge management practices which SMEs can adopt to reinforce absorptive capacity. Some theoretical and practical implications are also presented.