Knowledge Management Process, Entrepreneurial Orientation, and Performance in SMEs: Evidence from an Emerging Economy

Shiaw Tong Ha, May Chiun Lo, Mohamad Kadim Suaidi, Abang Azlan Mohamad and Zaidi Bin Razak
Additional contact information
Shiaw Tong Ha: Faculty of Economics and Business, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan 94300, Malaysia
May Chiun Lo: Faculty of Economics and Business, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan 94300, Malaysia
Mohamad Kadim Suaidi: Chancellery, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan 94300, Malaysia
Abang Azlan Mohamad: Faculty of Economics and Business, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan 94300, Malaysia
Zaidi Bin Razak: Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA), Level 5, Kuching 93000, Malaysia

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 17, 1-15

Abstract: Knowledge management (KM), a process of acquiring, converting, applying, and protecting knowledge assets, is crucial for value creation. The purpose of this research is to empirically test the relationship between KM processes (knowledge acquisition, knowledge conversion, knowledge application, and knowledge protection), entrepreneurial orientation (EO), and firm performance. Data were collected from 159 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia using a cross-sectional survey. This research uses partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and WarpPLS version 7.0 to test the model. The results show that three of four KM dimensions: knowledge acquisition, knowledge conversion, and knowledge protection are positively related to performance. Moreover, EO has been found to moderate the relationship between knowledge application and performance positively.

Keywords: knowledge management (KM); knowledge acquisition; knowledge conversion; knowledge application; knowledge protection; entrepreneurial orientation (EO) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/17/9791/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/17/9791/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:17:p:9791-:d:626268

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().