Abstract
The existing literature fails to identify to which extent the utilization of social media could be relevant for increasing the effectiveness of knowledge management, in respect to overall business operations. In order to shed some light on this area we define three goals. Firstly, we investigate to what extent the different activities of clients on social media (SM), are important to the processes of knowledge management (KM) in companies. Secondly, we examine to what extent KM functions can be relevant in attaining the quality of IT services. Thirdly, we analyze to what extent KM mediates between SM and the quality of IT services, that is, which client activities on SM should be formalised in the form of KM processes so as to influence the quality of IT services. In order to asses these goals, the decision tree method was used at the sample of B2B companies, more specifically at the sample of those companies offering Knowledge Intensive Business Services (KIBS). The study has shown that: (i) SM client activities have the largest importance for building efficient KM; (ii) KM functions are relevante to the overall quality of IT services, and (iii) those SM options and activities have been identified, whose importance for the assessment of the quality of IT services is indirectly transmitted through KM. This paper offers new empirical evidence which can lead to a better understanding of the role of KM in KIBS. Thanks to the obtained findings, managers will be able to define the goals of their companies in relation to the utilization of SM, more specifically: their presentation on SM, monitoring the outcomes of the SM, usage improving their KM practices and, thus, define strategies to increase the quality of the IT services they offer.
Highlights
After the transition from an industrial to an information economy, and, the shift in focus from material to intellectual resources, knowledge management (KM) has become an interesting and necessary concept in overall enterprise management
This study provides insight into the individual and interactive impacts of specific social media (SM) elements, that is, SM activities, in terms of building KM in companies that provide knowledge intensive business services, as well as findings on the impact of KM functions on the assessment of the quality of services.It provides insight into the direct impact of SM elements and activities on assessing service quality, as well as on the intermediary role played by KM in relation to SM elements or activities and the quality of services
The analysis showed that the SM element of visibility has the strongest individual impact on KM, while within it, the strongest influence is exerted by the activities through which clients offer information on their business intentions
Summary
After the transition from an industrial to an information economy, and, the shift in focus from material to intellectual resources, knowledge management (KM) has become an interesting and necessary concept in overall enterprise management. For this reason, the need for companies to find ways to acquire knowledge, share and exploit it as an instrument of increase has been widely identified: competitive advantages [1, 2], innovation [3, 4], the quality of business processes [5], growth in the creativity of employees [6], and overall business performance [7, 8]. Microblogs, social networks, wikis and so on can, greatly facilitate the operation of KIBS, or can offer significant advantages in comparison with traditional systems [11]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
