Research Article
BibTex RIS Cite

ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONAL SIZE AND FORMALIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER PROCESSES

Year 2009, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 59 - 64, 01.12.2009

Abstract

 In spite of the fact that the ability to transfer knowledge is critical for securing a firm’s competitive
advantage through leveraging scarce internal resources, few investigations have been conducted to date to
systematically explore intra-firm knowledge transfer processes put in place by small firms operating in turbulent
environments. Drawing upon an exhaustive cross-case analysis of a set of knowledge transfer processes within
five small software firms, we found that these processes exhibit striking differences in their degree of
formalization in two firms of equal size. Contrary to the conventional belief held by many scholars in the
literature that assumes that the degree of process formalization increases in direct proportion with firm size, our
results demonstrate that the major factors explaining the variance in the degree of formalization of intra-firm
knowledge transfer processes are the CEO personality, firm age, and availability of venture capital. 

References

  • Argote, L., Ingram, P., Levine, J.M., Moreland, R.L., 2000. Knowledge transfer in organizations: learning from the experience of others. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 82 (1), 1–8.
  • Egbu, C.O., Hari, S., Renukappa, S.H., 2005. Knowledge management for sustainable competitiveness in small and medium surveying practices. Structural Survey 23 (1), 7–21.
  • Evans, D.S., 1987. The relationship between firm growth, size and age: estimates for 100 manufacturing industries. Journal of Industrial Economics 35 (4), 567–581.
  • Furnham, A., 2005. The psychology of behavior at work. The individual in the organization. Taylor and Francis, London, UK.
  • Ghauri, P.N., Grİnhaug, K., 2005. Research methods in business studies. Prentice Hall, London, UK.
  • Grant, R.M., 1996. Toward a knowledge-based theory of the firm. Strategic Management Journal 17, 109–122.
  • Keil, T., Autio, E., George. G., 2008. Corporate venture capital, disembodied experimentation and capability development. Journal of Management Studies 45 (8), 1475–1505.
  • Kets de Vries, M.F.R., Miller, D., 1986. Personality, culture, and organization. Academy of Management Review 11 (2), 266–279.
  • Kogut, B., Zander, U., 2003. Knowledge of the firm and the evolutionary theory of the multinational corporation. Journal of International Business Studies 34, 516–529.
  • March, J.G., 1991. Exploration and exploitation in organizational learning. Organization Science 2 (1), 71–87.
  • Matlay, H., 2000. Organizational learning in small learning organizations: an empirical overview. Education and Training 42 (4/5), 202–210.
  • McAdam, R., Reid, R., 2001. SME and large organization perceptions of knowledge management: comparisons and contrasts. Journal of Knowledge Management 5, 231–241.
  • Minbaeva, D., 2007. Knowledge transfer in multinational corporations. Management International Review 47 (4), 567–593.
  • Murray, S.R., Peyrefitte, J., 2007. Knowledge type and communication media choice in the knowledge transfer process. Journal of Managerial Issues 19 (1), 111–133.
  • Nonaka, I., Takeuchi, H., 1995. The knowledge creating company. Oxford University Press, London, UK.
  • Patton, M., 2002. Qualitative research: evaluation methods. Sage Publications, Boston, MA.
  • Pleshko, L., Nickerson, I., 2007. Strategic comparisons of very large firms to smaller firms in a financial service industry. Academy of Strategy Management Journal 6, 105–116.
  • Spence, L.J., 1999. Does size matter? The state of the art in small business ethics. Business Ethics: A European Review 8 (3), 163–174.
  • Szulanski, G., 1996. Exploring internal stickiness: impediments to the transfer of best practice within the firm. Strategic Management Journal 17 (Special Winter Issue), 27–43.
  • Teece, D., 2005. Technology and technology transfer: mansfieldian inspirations and subsequent development. Journal of Technology Transfer 30, 17–33.
  • Thorpe, R., Holt, R., Macpherson, A., Pittaway, L, 2005. Using knowledge within small and medium-sized firms: a systematic review of the evidence. International Journal of Management Reviews 7 (4), 257–281.
  • Wong, K.Y., Aspinwall, E., 2005. An empirical study of the important factors for knowledge-management adoption in the SME sector. Journal of Knowledge Management 9 (3), 64–82.
  • Wong, K.Y., Aspinwall, E., 2004. Characterizing knowledge management in the small business environment. Journal of Knowledge Management 8 (3), 44–61.
  • Wong, K.Y., 2005. Critical success factors for implementing knowledge management in small and medium enterprises. Industrial Management and Data Systems 105 (3/4), 261–279.
  • Yin, R.K., 2003. Case research study: design and methods. Sage Publications, Boston, MA.

ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONAL SIZE AND FORMALIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER PROCESSES

Year 2009, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 59 - 64, 01.12.2009

Abstract

In spite of the fact that the ability to transfer knowledge is critical for securing a firm's competitive advantage through leveraging scarce internal resources, few investigations have been conducted to date to systematically explore intra-firm knowledge transfer processes put in place by small firms operating in turbulent environments. Drawing upon an exhaustive cross-case analysis of a set of knowledge transfer processes within five small software firms, we found that these processes exhibit striking differences in their degree of formalization in two firms of equal size. Contrary to the conventional belief held by many scholars in the literature that assumes that the degree of process formalization increases in direct proportion with firm size, our results demonstrate that the major factors explaining the variance in the degree of formalization of intra-firm knowledge transfer processes are the CEO personality, firm age, and availability of venture capital.

References

  • Argote, L., Ingram, P., Levine, J.M., Moreland, R.L., 2000. Knowledge transfer in organizations: learning from the experience of others. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 82 (1), 1–8.
  • Egbu, C.O., Hari, S., Renukappa, S.H., 2005. Knowledge management for sustainable competitiveness in small and medium surveying practices. Structural Survey 23 (1), 7–21.
  • Evans, D.S., 1987. The relationship between firm growth, size and age: estimates for 100 manufacturing industries. Journal of Industrial Economics 35 (4), 567–581.
  • Furnham, A., 2005. The psychology of behavior at work. The individual in the organization. Taylor and Francis, London, UK.
  • Ghauri, P.N., Grİnhaug, K., 2005. Research methods in business studies. Prentice Hall, London, UK.
  • Grant, R.M., 1996. Toward a knowledge-based theory of the firm. Strategic Management Journal 17, 109–122.
  • Keil, T., Autio, E., George. G., 2008. Corporate venture capital, disembodied experimentation and capability development. Journal of Management Studies 45 (8), 1475–1505.
  • Kets de Vries, M.F.R., Miller, D., 1986. Personality, culture, and organization. Academy of Management Review 11 (2), 266–279.
  • Kogut, B., Zander, U., 2003. Knowledge of the firm and the evolutionary theory of the multinational corporation. Journal of International Business Studies 34, 516–529.
  • March, J.G., 1991. Exploration and exploitation in organizational learning. Organization Science 2 (1), 71–87.
  • Matlay, H., 2000. Organizational learning in small learning organizations: an empirical overview. Education and Training 42 (4/5), 202–210.
  • McAdam, R., Reid, R., 2001. SME and large organization perceptions of knowledge management: comparisons and contrasts. Journal of Knowledge Management 5, 231–241.
  • Minbaeva, D., 2007. Knowledge transfer in multinational corporations. Management International Review 47 (4), 567–593.
  • Murray, S.R., Peyrefitte, J., 2007. Knowledge type and communication media choice in the knowledge transfer process. Journal of Managerial Issues 19 (1), 111–133.
  • Nonaka, I., Takeuchi, H., 1995. The knowledge creating company. Oxford University Press, London, UK.
  • Patton, M., 2002. Qualitative research: evaluation methods. Sage Publications, Boston, MA.
  • Pleshko, L., Nickerson, I., 2007. Strategic comparisons of very large firms to smaller firms in a financial service industry. Academy of Strategy Management Journal 6, 105–116.
  • Spence, L.J., 1999. Does size matter? The state of the art in small business ethics. Business Ethics: A European Review 8 (3), 163–174.
  • Szulanski, G., 1996. Exploring internal stickiness: impediments to the transfer of best practice within the firm. Strategic Management Journal 17 (Special Winter Issue), 27–43.
  • Teece, D., 2005. Technology and technology transfer: mansfieldian inspirations and subsequent development. Journal of Technology Transfer 30, 17–33.
  • Thorpe, R., Holt, R., Macpherson, A., Pittaway, L, 2005. Using knowledge within small and medium-sized firms: a systematic review of the evidence. International Journal of Management Reviews 7 (4), 257–281.
  • Wong, K.Y., Aspinwall, E., 2005. An empirical study of the important factors for knowledge-management adoption in the SME sector. Journal of Knowledge Management 9 (3), 64–82.
  • Wong, K.Y., Aspinwall, E., 2004. Characterizing knowledge management in the small business environment. Journal of Knowledge Management 8 (3), 44–61.
  • Wong, K.Y., 2005. Critical success factors for implementing knowledge management in small and medium enterprises. Industrial Management and Data Systems 105 (3/4), 261–279.
  • Yin, R.K., 2003. Case research study: design and methods. Sage Publications, Boston, MA.
There are 25 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Martin Spraggon This is me

Virginia Bodolıca This is me

Publication Date December 1, 2009
Published in Issue Year 2009 Volume: 4 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Spraggon, M., & Bodolıca, V. (2009). ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONAL SIZE AND FORMALIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER PROCESSES. Bilgi Ekonomisi Ve Yönetimi Dergisi, 4(2), 59-64.