A framework for integration of knowledge and innovation processes

Abstract

Academics and practitioners agree that modern organizations competitive advantage rely on effective management of knowledge and innovation. On the one hand, there is a strong correlation between long-term survival of organizations and innovation considered as the source of key means of adapting to change. On the other hand, knowledge creation is among the most important enablers of innovation within modern organizations. Nowadays, innovation management and knowledge management are often studied separately by academics. Certainly, knowledge management and innovation management refer to two different management areas within organizations. Nevertheless, we think that these processes are connected through continuous and complex interactions and have important impacts on one another. Moreover, to be continuously competitive, organizations must integrate the knowledge and innovations processes in order to create better, faster, and cost-effective goods and services. In this paper, we propose a framework which links knowledge and innovation processes activities and demonstrate how such a framework can contribute to help organizations innovate and obtain a sustainable competitive advantage.