A study of knowledge management enablers across countries

Abstract

Knowledge has been long cited as a strategic asset and a source of competitive advantage for organizations.However, the creation of knowledge is a complex process that is influenced by several factors beyond the typical practice of knowledge management.In this research, we assess the effects of leadership, Ba (shared context in motion), organizational culture, organizational control and work style on knowledge management defined in terms of the SECI process of socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization.Based on data gathered from a questionnaire survey of a Japanese pharmaceutical company and its subsidiaries in the United States, France, and China, we compare how the aforementioned organizational factors influence the processes of knowledge management in these organizations.The results show that organizational factors affect knowledge management practices differently in each of the targeted countries, and suggest that knowledge management activities need to be tailored to the organizational idiosyncrasies of each local office, without betraying the global vision of the corporation.