A case study on the implementation of a knowledge management strategy oriented to innovation

Abstract

A critical aspect of business management is the successful creation of processes which drive the development of a continuous flow of innovation, to give a basis for competitive advantage. To reach this goal, the establishing of a knowledge management (KM) strategy may be considered the best way to channel the organization's efforts to this end. Knowledge management is understood in a wide sense as a process of overall change in the organization, focused on innovation, and especially related to the participation of every employee in the processes of creation and transmission of knowledge. This study analyzes the implementation of an innovation and KM strategy in the Irizar company, a maker of luxury coach bodywork. According to The Economist Intelligence Unit, Irizar is the most efficient company in the world in its sector. Irizar's success has been built on a system of self-management and participation, organizing its activity into processes and using multidisciplinary work teams. This type of organization has outstripped the traditional model, based on functions and the division of labour, and has permitted a centering of effort on those activities which add value. Another defining characteristic of Irizar is its combination of continuous improvement with radical changes and process re-engineering. A series of organizational factors are extracted from the case study which were successful in implementing the strategy. The study shows how the organization achieved the promotion of experience transmission and the generation of continuous innovation. It also makes clear that the firm's values and corporate culture are essential for success in this process.

The Mediating Effects of Organizational Learning on the Relationship between Knowledge Management and Organizational Performance: An Applied Study on the Egyptian Commercial Banks

“…One might expect KM to influence many different aspects of OP. KM has been linked positively to OP (Tanriverdi, 2005;Francisco & Guadamillas, 2002;Lapre & Wassenhove, 2001). Becerra-Fernandez, et al, (2004) discussed the impact of KM processes on people, processes, products and OP.…”

Knowledge transfer in product development: an analysis of Brazilian subsidiaries of multinational corporations

“…The former includes knowledge acquisition and assimilation, whereas the latter includes the transformation of knowledge and its actual use. Forcadell and Guadamillas (2002) stress how absorptive capacity requires similar levels of technical development for both transmitter and recipient, thus ensuring the quality of assimilation of the intervening knowledge. The quality of the process is tied to the specificity of the knowledge, the degree of formalization and the results obtained.…”

A Conceptual Model for Success in Implementing Knowledge Management: A Case Study in Tehran Municipality

“…Davenport and Pursak (2000) [2] notice organizational culture as the fundamental index to evaluate success of knowledge management within organizations; such that successful [10]; [40]; [26]; [17]; [24]; [44]; [35]; [19] Culture [10]; [40]; [24] Structure [10]; [17]; [18]; [24]; [44]; [35], [26]; [19]; [52] Strategy and Leadership [40]; [26]; [18]; [19]; [10] Human Resource [40]; [26]; [17]; [19]; [24]; [10]; [35] Information Technology knowledge management in the organization depends on its value in the organizational culture [2]. Trust, participation, encouragements, participation leadership and forces to develop organizational goals are considered in relation with organizational culture [30]. Organizational culture is formed and supported through inter-related components of strategy, individuals, process and structures [31].…”