MODERATING ROLE OF INFORMATION AND
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE RELATIONSHIPS
BETWEEN KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND
ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE: EVIDENCE FROM RUSSIA
Introduction 6
Chapter 1. THE REVIEW OF EXISTING LITERATURE ON KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
AND ITS EFFECT ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE 9
1.1 The concept of knowledge management 9
1.2 Knowledge management processes 11
1.3 Knowledge management practices 15
1.4 The influence of knowledge management practices on organizational performance 19
1.5 The role of ICT in knowledge management 23
Summary of chapter 1 27
Chapter 2. EMPIRICAL STUDY OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN
RUSSIA AND THEIR INTERACTION WITH ICT 29
2.1 Existing research methods in social studies and the type of current research 29
2.2 Research design 31
2.3 Measurement of variables 32
2.4 Data cleaning and analysis methods 33
2.5 Descriptive statistics 35
Summary of chapter 2 38
Chapter 3. RESULTS OF THE STUDY OF KM PRACTICES APPLICATION IN RUSSIAN
COMPANIES: DISCUSSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS 40
3.1 Findings of the empirical study 40
3.2 Theoretical contribution 46
3.3 Managerial implications 47
Summary of chapter 3 48
Conclusion 50
References 51
Appendix
Nowadays it is difficult to overestimate the necessity of knowledge management (KM) in organizations. Efficient knowledge management creates the capability, which becomes the basis for the future competitive advantage of any company (Davenport and Prusak, 2000). Companies in different sectors of economy and various industries face an increasing flow of information, which need to be managed and analyzed, in order to create knowledge and stay competitive on their markets. That is why the knowledge management is a topical area for research in management science.
Despite the fact that KM has been one of the key areas of management studies over last decades there are still a number of unsolved questions, which need to be explored deeper. Some authors try to understand the essence of knowledge (Bellinger et al., 2004), others concentrate on knowledge management processes and the ways they could be managed in order to achieve higher results (Nonaka, 2000; Cabrera, 2002; Roland, 2006). However, one of the most interesting area from the perspective of practical application is the actual relationship between KM practices and organizational performance. Authors all over the world tries to discover the best way to use knowledge management activities to increase company’s performance (Gholami et al., 2013; Andreeva and Kianto, 2014; Massingham, 2014; Giampaoli et al., 2017). In spite of wide specters of multidisciplinary studies in the field there are still many uncertainties, and new empirical works may bring clarity.
One of such fields that need to be studied is the role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in knowledge management. There are two different approaches to the question in scientific community. Some authors consider ICT the basic asset for KM (Cabrera, 2002). The other group of authors prefer not to overestimate the necessity of ICT and emphasize non- technological social interactions (Davenport and Prusak, 2000). However, even supporters of the first point of view do not have common view on the place of ICT in knowledge management.
Based on the above-mentioned statements there is still a question, if knowledge management practices have a direct impact on organizational performance, financial and non-financial ones. And the second question is which exact role ICT have.
This master thesis investigates the question of the effect knowledge management practices have on organizational performance in Russian companies. In the paper the influence, which different KM practices has on performance were tested for moderation by information and communications technologies aspect. The main goal was to discover if the effect is increasing with the rise of ICT development.
The review of existing literature on the topic of knowledge management has helped to highlight the importance of the current study and has provided the theoretical basis for the research. Basing on previous studies the most important KM practices were identified. Furthermore, the original framework for the empirical investigation was built in accordance with previous studies of the prominent scientists in the field.
The survey was conducted among top managers, which allowed to gather information about KM practices application in Russian companies. We also have collected more than two hundred responses about managers’ perception of their companies’ performance comparing to competitors.
The analysis has shown that knowledge management practices, connected to HR, ICT, organizational culture and organizational structure, supervisory work and strategy have a direct impact on organizational performance indicators. By introducing such practices companies may increase their financial indicators, become more productive and responsive to market needs. Moreover, ICT can be considered a moderator in the relationships between strategic KM and organizational performance. However, no evidence was found of such interaction with other KM practices.
The results of the study have valuable implications for the research community addressing the problem of ICT - KM interaction from new perspective. It opens the way to new profound studies in the area asking the questions about the ability to enhance KM practices through ICT applications. Furthermore, managers of Russian companies may apply the results of the current research to adjust their vision of the KM strategy implementation. The necessity of information and communication technologies for empowering KM does not necessarily mean that the developing of ICT infrastructure will help to make other KM practices more influential.
The study has certain limitations, which proves the possibility of the future works on the theme on the other markets, applying different factors or looking at a specific industry.
