Knowledge transfer and management in tourism organisations: An emerging research agenda

Abstract

This paper reviews current research on knowledge management and knowledge transfer in the context of innovations. Specific attention is focussed on the integration of management perspectives into tourism research. The paper explores some of the key mechanisms and conduits of knowledge transfer within tourism. In doing so it explores such concepts as interlocking directorships, communities of practice, learning regions and labour mobility. There is also an emerging research agenda on knowledge management within tourism but progress is variable with most research being within the hotel sector, where a range of recent studies have examined aspects of knowledge transfer. The paper also draws attention to the need to give closer attention to the nature of innovations within tourism and to consider these in a knowledge management framework

Tourism Diversification and Its Implications for Smart Specialisation

“…Even though tourism is, with a few exceptions, a low-tech industry [75], technology is pivotal to the tourism industry in general [76], and the creation of RVs in particular. ICTs allow stakeholders' collaboration and the raising of consumers' demands for more tailor-made products and therefore facilitate knowledge for diversification into niche markets in distant locations through social media [76,77] as well as in some historical and heritage cities such as Venice, Barcelona, Rome and Bruges [78].…”

Aspects of service-dominant logic and its implications for tourism management: Examples from the hotel industry

“…In some areas this dislocation is increasingly being recognised with attempts by tourism researchers to incorporate new conceptual frameworks as evidenced by the recent discussions of knowledge management and knowledge transfer mechanisms within tourism (Cooper 2006;Yang and Wan 2004;Hallin and Marnbury 2007;Shaw and Williams 2009). However, there are other key developments, particularly within marketing management that have been largely neglected in tourism management studies.…”

“…Smith and Wheeler (2002) and Etgar (2008) also stress that the customer skill sets are a source of "touch points" and can aid in the management of their experiences (see also Schmitt 2003). Such touch points are numerous in tourism as highlighted by Shaw and Williams (2009) and also play a key role within the co-creation processes identified in S-D Logic. The factors highlighted in table 2 suggest that engagement in co-production is highly selective which has implications for the range and management of co-production processes involving consumers, at least in terms of the initial phases of product and service innovations.…”

“…For example, to harness customer expertise the firm requires a management environment which embraces knowledge sharing amongst its workforce. Etgar (2008) goes further arguing that those employees who act as "boundary spanners" (Shaw and Williams 2009) are critical to the process of co-production. These ideas also relate to shared goals and understanding amongst staff.…”

Economics of Strategic Knowledge Management: A New Model for Assessment

“…An increasing range of disciplines have drawn attention both to the significance of knowledge and its various codified and explicit forms in terms of business success [37]. It is worth underlining that the concepts of knowledge and information tend to be used interchangeably throughout the literature and praxis [17,31].…”