Knowledge management and organizational intelligence as tools to combat Covid-19

Abstract

The emergence of a novel coronavirus at the end of 2019 generated a severe health crisis worldwide. In a few months, this virus called COVID-19 was present in several countries, being recognized by the WHO as a pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic was dramatic for the economy and society. In many economic sectors, companies were faced with the inoperability of their commercial activities. For example, in the healthcare sector, institutions were faced with unprecedented pressure, and this pandemic has exposed some weaknesses in the responses to environmental changes. As a result of this scenario, knowledge management and organizational intelligence become fundamental for hospitals to adapt to changes in the environment and respond effectively to new challenges. Considering this scenario, this research aims to analyze the influence of effective knowledge management, organizational intelligence, and organizational performance on the effective hospitals' response to COVID-19. Data were collected through research sent to physicians and nurses working in Brazil and Portugal hospitals.We sent the survey using a professional social network, and 248 valid responses were obtained. The PLS-SEM analysis technique was used to test hypotheses. The results showed a positive relationship between effective knowledge management, organizational intelligence, and organizational performance with the effective hospital's response to COVID-19. Additionally, the results suggest the need for managers to focus more on developing internal programs encouraging knowledge transfers among their employees.As practical implications, our research validates the relationships between effective knowledge management, organizational performance, effective hospitals' response to COVID-19, and the importance of effective knowledge management for pandemic management. In originality, this research provides hospitals and other healthcare organizations with a direction on key resources to which these organizations should turn their efforts to improve their effectiveness in responding to new disease outbreaks.