Susanne Durst

Knowledge management in SMEs: a literature review

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to review research on knowledge management in small and medium‐sized enterprises to identify gaps in the current body of knowledge, which justify future research directions.Design/methodology/approach – The study consists of a systematic review of 36‐refereed empirical articles on knowledge management and small and medium‐sized enterprises.Findings – The areas of knowledge management implementation, knowledge management perception, and knowledge transfer are relatively well researched topics; whereas those of knowledge identification, knowledge storage/retention and knowledge utilisation are poorly understood. Given the prevalence of small and medium‐sized enterprises there is a strong need for more research on this important topic. The future research directions proposed by the authors may help to develop a greater understanding of knowledge management in small and medium‐sized enterprises.Research limitations/implications – By only using the ProQuest database this stud...

Knowledge management and succession planning in SMEs

Purpose: An ignorance of knowledge attrition caused by employee exits is considered as careless and can lead to considerable consequences regarding both a firms financial capital and intellectual ...

Knowledge management in practice: insights into a medium‐sized enterprise's exposure to knowledge loss

The purpose of our paper is to examine how a medium‐sized enterprise characterised by slow executive turnover might identify and manage its critical knowledge. The main interest is in the managements handling of the potential danger of knowledge loss due to turnover or long‐term absence. A qualitative research approach is adopted through semi‐structured interviews with seven members of top and middle management of a German medium‐sized enterprise operating in the printing sector. Our findings contribute to the literature on knowledge management in SMEs and provide fresh insights into the management of knowledge attrition. A knowledge map of the firm is derived and used to demonstrate how smaller firms can identify key organisation members and their relevance to the firms business model. This may provide a better overview of potential areas of knowledge attrition. The information provided by the knowledge map can raise awareness of the perils of knowledge loss and suggest initiatives that not only help firms defend competitiveness and save financially but also sustain their intangible resources.

Developing inter‐regional brands

Purpose – The contribution of the present research and aim of the present paper is a provision and discussion of eclectic interdisciplinary concepts constituting a body of knowledge for developing and managing inter‐regional brands, hence contributing to closing the scientific gap as to an inter‐regional brand development conceptualisation.Design/methodology/approach – The research method used was a case study, targeted to develop an understanding of a neglected academic field. Based on a documentary analysis, semi‐structured in‐depth interviews were conducted and interpreted. The InterReg IIIB‐supported RegioMarket project and a case study on Liechtenstein provide the background for the project.Findings – Based on an extensive literature review, the present paper states that interdisciplinary theoretical development of the concept of branding has not kept pace with the increasing practical application of the branding concepts in a variety of sectors leading to application gaps and dissatisfying results. ...

The meaning of social capital in the event of organisational failure: insights into a medium-sized company

This case study of a medium-sized firm in Germany suggests how such companies experience the changing meaning of social capital in the face of organisational failure. The authors provide an analysis of the manner in which the companys managing directors responded to and behaved during an event that threatened the firms existence. It is based on literature concerning social capital and organisational failure discussed from a small firm perspective and illustrates the fragility of social capital. More precisely, it displays the issue of trust in times of financial distress.

The influence of intangible assets on external succession decisions in small and medium-sized enterprises

External company succession provides an alternative route into entrepreneurship. However, due to a strong focus on new ventures, this form of succession would appear to be less in the public eye. This article endeavours to contribute to changing this situation. In doing so, it explores the meaning of intangible assets in company succession from an external successor perspective. Despite the fact that intangibles are supposedly the key drivers of business performance, the connection between intangibles and external company succession in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has so far been neglected. Our research draws on a quantitative web survey of German trade associations and qualitative interviews with external SME successors. Our findings suggest that intangible assets have a notable influence on the decision of an external successor to take over a company. This research offers new insights into company succession, specifically with regard to the selection process for potential external successors.

The impact of decision-maker's identity on SME internationalisation: Do origins matter?

This paper examines if the identity shaped by the region does have an influence on the owner-managers managerial behaviour. A survey approach was chosen, addressing SMEs from Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, to address the research aim. The hypotheses posed were investigated applying hierarchical cluster analysis. Based on it different clusters were identified relating to different types of owner–manager identity. The findings provide a fruitful base for a better understanding of the owner-managers influence on the companys internationalisation process and assist in developing specific policies for different characters of owner-managers. Furthermore, the studys findings suggest that owner-managers of small countries are made of other sets of identities compared with their German counterparts indicating a different course of action in terms of internationalisation.