The Interdependencies of Quality Management, Knowledge Management and Innovation Performance. A Literature Review

Abstract

Quality management should represent one of the most common approaches to improving quality and innovation performance. Still, it is shown that this is not always the case. To find the real cause of the contradictory results, a literature review was conducted. Some authors propose that knowledge management might present the missing link between quality management and innovation performance. Therefore, in this research, the importance of knowledge management will be considered, as a key mediator between quality management on innovation performance. Thus, this paper aims to provide answers to: “What does quality management need to provide, to support innovation performance?”, “How does knowledge management contribute to innovation performance?” and “How does knowledge management mediate the relationship between quality management and innovation performance?”. Knowledge management provides benefits for innovation performance, under certain organizational conditions and mechanisms. The lack of proper knowledge management among employees can be the cause of shortcomings in the relation between quality management and innovation performance.