Barriers and levers towards knowledge management configurations

Abstract

Purpose Seeks to discuss barriers/drivers to the selection and implementation of different knowledge management configurations in the process of product innovation. Design/methodology/approach Building on literature and the previous survey‐based research results, this study compares on a longitudinal perspective the approaches of two companies with similar conditions but adopting different choices in terms of ICT and organisational tools to support the knowledge management process. Findings Case studies highlight how firms adopting a KMC that differ from the one indicated by the previous survey‐based research model show an intention to align to it in the near future. Hence, it seems that a match exists between the configuration expected from the model and the intended configuration planned by the company. Using longitudinal case studies the paper analyses the barriers that hamper the transition of firms toward the approach that better suits their contingent situation. These barriers are mainly at the level of industry trend, lack of culture from users and loss of champions. This paper also analyses the enablers, which strengthen the alignment between the configuration expected from the model and the intended configuration the company planned. These are the social interaction between employees, the pressures from headquarters, the internal commitment from top managers, the technological development and the ICT maturity. Originality/value The paper validates two hypotheses. H1: there is a match between the configuration expected from the research model (driven by contingencies) and the intended configuration planned by the company: the contingent approaches which disagree with the model represent different stages of maturity within an evolutionary path which drives toward the configuration expected from the model. H2: there are barriers/enablers, which hamper/foster the transition toward the intended configuration. It also analyses the barriers.

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