TY - JOUR
AU - Liang, Ting-Peng
AB - PurposeKnowledge has been considered a crucial organizational asset for gaining competitive advantages. It is critical for a firm to maintain a knowledge composition that is productive. In this study, we examine the applicability of the diversity–stability principle in ecology to knowledge management and further investigate the impact of knowledge diversity on firm performance. Design/methodology/approachA theoretical framework for knowledge diversity and firm performance is proposed; a questionnaire survey was conducted to evaluate the research framework. Fifty-eight valid responses from experts were collected to measure knowledge strength and diversity of twenty enterprises in four industries, and financial indexes of the twenty enterprises from 2008 to 2012 were collected to analyze the research model.FindingsThe results show that higher IT capabilities in a firm lead to higher levels of knowledge strength and diversity. The strength and diversity of knowledge in a company can improve average company performance and reduce performance variations.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper presents a new perspective that applies the ecological concept of diversity to examine the value of knowledge in organizations. The findings expand our understanding of the role of information technology and knowledge in organizational performance. A limitation is that the sample size is relatively small, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. Practical implicationsCEOs and chief knowledge officers can apply the findings herein to assess their organizational knowledge profiles and maintain a healthy knowledge ecology in strategic planning. They should be aware that both knowledge strength and knowledge diversity are crucial to the stability of firm performance. Originality/valueThe ecological view of knowledge management stresses the importance of maintaining a healthy intensity and diversity of knowledge at the macro level and indicates a new direction for knowledge management.
TI - Knowledge diversity and firm performance: an ecological view
JF - Journal of Knowledge Management
DO - 10.1108/JKM-10-2015-0377
DA - 2016-07-11
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/emerald-publishing/knowledge-diversity-and-firm-performance-an-ecological-view-76SBzplB80
SP - 671
EP - 686
VL - 20
IS - 4
DP - DeepDyve
ER -