Small- and medium-sized enterprises’ knowledge management systems as edifiers of new value innovations

Abstract

Background: New value innovations are organically ingrained and complementary to the process of knowledge management. However, epistemological trends highlight only limited studies to have explored how the effectiveness of knowledge management leverages new value innovations.Objectives: This research evaluates how the effectiveness of the small- and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) knowledge management systems enhance new value innovations so as to identify the major paradoxes and a business model that coherently integrates knowledge management with new value innovations.Method: Using a qualitative research method, semi-structured interviews were used to explore the opinions of 20 purposively sampled managers from 20 SMEs on how knowledge management edifies new value innovations.Results: A strong culture of information utilisation was found to enhance relevant analysis and identification of new gaps in the markets that must be filled through new value innovations or modifications of the existing products. However, poor culture of knowledge utilisation, cost of knowledge management and the often poorly functional business information systems were still reiterated as major paradoxes hampering effective knowledge management as one of the determinants of new value innovations.Conclusion: The study concluded with a model highlighting a continuum of knowledge management–new value innovation pillars like a strong culture of information utilisation, and encouragement of creativity that the executives must consider to create an effective knowledge management foundation that subsequently leverages the overall effectiveness of new value innovations.

Effects of knowledge management on innovation capabilities amongst small and medium enterprises in South Africa: The case of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality

“…Furthermore, acquiring knowledge through hiring experts has been established to improve an enterprise's ability to innovate because only people with the relevant know-how can develop particular services and products. Unlike other studies that focused on technology as the best way to acquire knowledge that eventually leads to improved IC (Okanga 2017;Razali et al 2017), this study did not go that far.…”

A Systematic Literature Review of Accounting Information Systems Implementation Success Factors

“…Furthermore, the efficacy of knowledge management systems in fostering new value innovations in small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has not been extensively investigated (Boniface, 2017). Exploring how knowledge management systems can drive new value innovations in SMEs could offer valuable insights into improving innovation processes in smaller organizations.…”

Creatividad en la Pyme y efectos sobre la innovación y el desempeño empresarial en una economía emergente

“…as well as open innovation strategies (Balan, 2017), online platform applications (Walsh et al, 2017) or ERP platforms (Okanga, 2017) as support to creative processes. There is one area of creativity research that has mostly addressed in higher education.…”

“…Management: Hay un llamado a estudiar el problema de la convertibilidad de la creatividad en productividad (Sussan, Kim, Chinta, & Enriquez, 2017), los estudios empíricos que analizan las capacidades para gestionar la creatividad (Arora, 2016) y los factores organizacionales, los sistemas de valores o las prácticas de gestión (Elia et al, 2017). La incorporación de estrategias de innovación abierta (Balan, 2017), el uso de plataformas en línea (Walsh et al, 2017) o de plataformas de planificación de recursos empresariales (ERP) para apoyar los procesos creativos (Okanga, 2017). Con ello, crear una base de conocimientos que genere eficacia en los procesos de creatividad en la Pyme.…”

“…Para los investigadores interesados en esta área, se ha organizado una agenda de investigación futura y brechas existentes para identificar y probar factores para que la creatividad pueda generar desarrollo económico (Belitski & Desai, 2016). En gestión, hay un llamado a estudiar el problema de convertir la creatividad en productividad (Sussan et al, 2017), así como estrategias de innovación abierta (Balan, 2017), usos de plataforma en línea (Walsh et al, 2017) o plataformas ERP (Okanga, 2017), como apoyo a los procesos creativos. Hay un área de la investigación de la creatividad que ha sido mayormente abordada en la educación superior, pero existe un vacío por establecer la intersección de la creatividad, la innovación y la iniciativa empresarial en lugar de analizarla individualmente (Dino, 2015), tanto a nivel individual como organizacional en empresas (Jovanović et al, 2018;Sokół & Figurska, 2017).…”