Knowledge transfer in a start-up craft brewery

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of the entrepreneur in the knowledge transfer (KT) process of a start-up enterprise and the ways that role should change during the development phase to ensure mid-term business survival and growth. Design/methodology/approach An in-depth, qualitative case study of Birra Flea, an Italian Craft Brewery, is presented and analysed using Liyanage et al.’s (2009) framework to identify the key components of the KT process, including relevant knowledge, key actors, transfer steps and the criteria for assessing its effectiveness and success. Findings The entrepreneur played a fundamental and crucial role in the start-up process, acting as a selective and passionate broker for the KT process. As Birra Flea matures and moves into the development phase, the role of the entrepreneur as KT’s champion needs to be integrated and distributed throughout the organisation, with the entrepreneur serving as a performance controller. Research limitations/implications This study enriches the knowledge management literature by applying a framework designed to provide a general description of KT, with some modifications, to a single case study to demonstrate its effectiveness in differentiating types of knowledge and outlining how KT can be configured to support essential business functions in an SME. Practical implications The analysis systematises the KT mechanisms that govern the start-up phase of an award-winning SME, with suggestions for how to manage KT during the development phase. Seldom are practitioners given insight into the mechanics of a successful SME start-up; this analysis serves as a practical guide for those wishing to implement effective KT strategies to emulate Birra Flea’s success. Originality/value The world’s economy thrives on SMEs, yet many fail as start-ups before they even have a chance to reach the development phase, presenting a motivation to study the early stages of SMEs. This study addresses that gap with an in-depth theoretical analysis of successful, effective KT processes in an SME, along with practical implications to enhance the knowledge, experience and skills of the actors that sustain these vital economic enterprises.

Knowledge Management and Performance Measurement Systems for SMEs’ Economic Sustainability

“…Even if the existing literature has usually referred these evidences to large companies [49], often emphasizing the role of ambidexterity [28,29,50], our study demonstrates that managing knowledge is a process that also generates value for SMEs when adopting a coherent KM approach, especially for the KM exploration strategy. This is in line with previous studies that have recognized the importance of KM, which allow entrepreneurs to identify and exploit opportunities [141], to enhance entrepreneurial orientation [142] and to reinforce organizational learning [19].…”

“…In contrast to larger firms, within the SMEs context, economic sustainability and competitive advantages do not depend on physical and financial assets. Indeed, they are mostly influenced by entrepreneurs' ability and employees' knowledge [19,20]. As clearly highlighted by Vasudevan and Chawan [71], "in manufacturing SMEs, knowledge can come from owners, production managers, supervisors, workers, vendors, customers, consultants, conferences, social media, market orientation, knowledge portals, knowledge forums, books, case studies, research papers and the list goes on.…”

“…In the specific context of SMEs, knowledge and knowledge management (KM) have become a primary source to support firms' innovation and sustain economic survival [18]. The question of knowledge is particularly relevant for SMEs, since they have to often rely on employees' knowledge and skill in order to build their competitive advantages instead of relying on physical and financial assets, as compared to larger firms [19,20].…”

Knowledge transfer and organizational performance and business process: past, present and future researches

“…The paper by Cardoni et al (2019) proposes the analysis of the KT process in a craft brewery start-up. Cardoni et al (2019) aim to identify the relevant knowledge and the transfer steps that led to successful results, investigating the role played by the entrepreneur in this process.…”

“…The paper by Cardoni et al (2019) proposes the analysis of the KT process in a craft brewery start-up. Cardoni et al (2019) aim to identify the relevant knowledge and the transfer steps that led to successful results, investigating the role played by the entrepreneur in this process. Thus, framing the analysis on major literature on knowledge management and KT for SMEs, Cardoni et al (2019) adopts the Liyanage et al (2009) analytical approach to interpreting the KT as a social and interactive process based on several components and steps that have to be carefully disaggregated and managed.…”