Mapping the Connection between Knowledge Transfer and Firm Competitiveness: An Empirical Research in the Basque Country

Abstract

Knowledge transfer (KT) is a wide and complex phenomenon enclosed in the subject of knowledge management which encompasses some related concepts such as knowledge exchange, knowledge sharing, knowledge interfacing and knowledge flow. Presently, KT is one of the most appealing topics in the field of business and economics due to the connection with innovation and business growth that raises the interest and expectancy of diverse institutions and companies on this practice. Many studies about the theme: concept, characteristics and composing elements have been written during the last two decades, and researchers have tried to depict models to represent KT drawing on the different perspectives of the phenomenon, and focused on varied contexts. Connection of knowledge transfer, innovation, and competitiveness has already been revealed, and evidence of a close relationship between effective impact of KT processes, successful innovation, and higher business performance has already been found out. Therefore, identifying the basic keys of the phenomenon of KT which moderate the impact on business competitiveness will be- come a noteworthy contribution to the business and innovation management field. The aim of this research is to describe the connection between KT and firm competitiveness through the listing of the main business keys to take into account when planning and performing KT operations. For this purpose, firstly, we develop a conceptual framework of the KT phenomenon, drawing upon a distinguished theoretical KT model which links the determining factors and the impact. Afterwards, we elaborate a survey of questions framed in the model, in order to proceed with an empirical fieldwork based on qualitative interviews with companies and institutions sited in the Basque Country and whose KT activities are frequent and heterogeneous. The qualitative research lets us explain the findings, and state the conclusions of the study, bringing to light a direct link between KT impact and the extent of competitiveness of a company, and revealing a set of main success factors to increase business performance: suitable design and implementation of mechanisms to perform KT, effective cooperation between players, skilled management of the mix of knowledge, and propitious organisational culture.