Title: The significance of knowledge management, innovation on firm performance in the Indian manufacturing sectors: an empirical analysis

Authors: Vasanth Kamath; Lewlyn L.R. Rodrigues; Pradeep V. Desai

Addresses: Department of Humanities and Management, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal, India ' Department of Humanities and Management, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal, India ' Software Sciences & Analytics, GE, Bangalore, India

Abstract: This paper investigates the influence of knowledge management (KM) enablers viz. knowledge enabled culture, structure, technology and human resources, on KM effectiveness, R&D innovation, and the firm performance specific to the Indian manufacturing sectors. India has often been hailed as the biggest manufacturing hub after China, but in terms of innovation, the Indian manufacturer has not been able to make a global presence. Hence, a study is essential to analyse the capabilities of KM and innovation on firm performance specific to Indian manufacturing. Findings revealed that the KM enablers had a significant influence on KM effectiveness, R&D innovation, and firm performance. Further, it divulged that firms should manage knowledge-based resources strategically and assess whether it has an effective KM in place for superior innovation and R&D leading to profitability.

Keywords: India; manufacturing industry; strategic enablers; knowledge management; innovative ability; firm profitability; technology; structure; culture; human resources; PLS analysis; partial least squares; R&D innovation; research and development; firm performance.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBEX.2016.074842

International Journal of Business Excellence, 2016 Vol.9 No.2, pp.178 - 191

Received: 21 Apr 2014
Accepted: 14 Jun 2014
Published online: 21 Feb 2016 *

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