In today"s complex and dynamic environment, survival and competitiveness of companies are based on their capacity to continuously create and use new knowledge. In this perspective, this paper focuses on the enabling factors that boost Knowledge Creation Process (KCP) within organizations. On the basis of previous studies, this research examines the most important factors that have been recognized to be critical for KCP: collaboration, trust, learning, incentives and rewards, decentralized and low formalized structure, T-shaped skills Business Management and Strategy ISSN 2157-6068 2014 www.macrothink.org/bms 2 and information technology (IT) support and transformational leadership. The purpose of this paper is also to examine the relationship between KCP and innovation performance. Conceptually, we develop a research model highlighting the relationship between all these variables. This model was tested using structural equation modeling within Tunisian ICT sector. Based on a survey of 202 companies, results reveal that the best path for Tunisian ICT companies to foster knowledge creation is through incentives and rewards, collaboration, trust, learning, decentralized and low formalized structure and IT support. Findings show also that KCP significantly affects firms" innovation performance.

In order to strengthen their competitiveness, companies have to look for ways that allow them to be innovative and to achieve better performance. To reach these objectives, previous researches suggested that companies must implement motivational managerial practices. In particular, employee empowerment is recognized as a key for building trustful-relationships in the organizations, which in turn lead to innovation and higher level of performance. In this perspective, the purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of employee empowerment on both innovation and organizational performance and to explore the mediating role of trust in these relationships. The main result of the empirical study conducted with a sample of 248 firms belonging to ICT Tunisian sector is that employee empowerment has a positive effect on trust, innovation and organizational performance.

<p>The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of both institutional and interpersonal trust on innovation and deepens the analysis by exploring the mediating role of knowledge management (KM) practices in this relationship. Conceptually, this reflection leads to the proposal of a conceptual model summarizing the relationships between the research variables. This model was tested with 226 senior officials in companies operating in the information and communication technologies (ICT) Tunisian sector on the basis of a structured questionnaire. The collected data were treated by structural equation analysis using AMOS software. The results of the empirical study highlighted the significant relationship between interpersonal trust and innovation and confirmed that KM practices act as partial mediators in this relationship. Findings show also that institutional trust is not correlated to KM practices and to innovation.</p>

On the basis of the Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995)’s study, this paper examines the effects of knowledge creation process on firm’s innovation performance and the mediating role of organizational learning in this relationship. Conceptually, we develop a research model summarizing the relationships between these variables. This model was tested within 214     companies belonging to the information technology and communication (ICT) sector. Results highlight the role of organizational learning as a partial mediator in the relationship between the knowledge creation process and innovation performance. Findings identify also the importance of tacit-linked activities namely socialization, internalization and externalization for innovation performance of the Tunisian ICT companies.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between the customer-contact employees’ (CCE) empowerment and customer performance indicators, namely, perceived service quality (PSQ), customer satisfaction (CS), customer loyalty (CL) and word-of-mouth (WOM). The authors deepen the analysis by highlighting the mediating role of the dimensions of the customer relationship management (CRM) effectiveness in this link. The authors also investigate links between customer performance indicators. Design/methodology/approach An empirical study was carried out on the basis of a questionnaire administrated to a sample of 215 Tunisian bank CCE and 516 customers. Data analysis was performed using the structural equation modeling method. Findings Findings reveal that the CCE’ empowerment contributes to PSQ, CS and all the dimensions of CRM effectiveness which in turn are key factors of customer performance. This research also outlines the mediating role of two dimensions of the CRM effectiveness, namely, organizational commitment and customer experience between CCE’ empowerment and PSQ and CS, respectively. In addition, the study highlights that PSQ improves CS which is positively linked to CL. Finally, loyal customers tend to generate positive WOM. Originality/value Few studies have investigated the effects of the CCE’ empowerment on PSQ, CS, CL and positive WOM, especially in the banking sector. This research fills this gap by highlighting the mediating role of the dimensions of the CRM effectiveness in these links. This paper offers interesting insights to bankers by providing them with tools to improve their customers’ relationship. In this sense, banks must bet on the proximity of the CCE as a key asset that allows creating a real sense of closeness with customers and offers lighting to banks on how to create customized marketing approaches to ensure customer performance.

Résumé Comment gérer les travailleurs du savoir (knowledge workers) ? Comment peut-on améliorer leur productivité ? Quels sont les enjeux de cette productivité ? Et comment l’entreprise peut-elle développer un avantage compétitif durable basé sur cette catégorie de travailleurs ? Toutes ces questions semblent intéresser les chercheurs et les praticiens qui sont en quête de recherche d’un mode de gestion efficace et approprié aux travailleurs du savoir. Dans le cadre de cet article, nous tentons de faire une réflexion sur ces différentes interrogations par une analyse des différents débats théoriques actuels et l’étude empirique d’un échantillon d’entreprises tunisiennes employant des travailleurs du savoir. Nous sommes arrivés à conclure que la responsabilisation de ces travailleurs représente le meilleur moyen pour développer leur productivité.

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This paper is an attempt to illuminate the effect of fit between allies’ cultures on their trust and to analyse the moderating role of institutional framework on this effect. A quantitative empirical analysis, adopting a hypothetico-deductive approach, was carried out in order to validate the causal model. The results, declined from a collected data by a survey distributed to 114 international alliances, evince that the cultural fit of allies influences positively the trust between themselves. Besides, they highlight the role of the institutional framework which moderates positively and reinforces the effect of the allies’ cultures compatibility on the trust between themselves. This can be explained by the fact that the rigour of the institutional framework represents for allies a guarantee of their tangible and intangible assets’ protection and collaboration. Keywords: Organisational cultures fit, national cultures fit, intercultural intelligence, mistrust, goodwill.