Knowledge‐based manufacturing enterprises: evidence from a case study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study how managers in manufacturing firms approach the challenge of knowledge management in their organizations.Design/methodology/approach – The research methodology is an in‐depth case study. The empirical data were collected from an international oil and gas manufacturing company operating in more than 30 countries and leader in Spain and Argentina. The purest form of a longitudinal field study, daily participant observation, was feasible as one of the authors is an executive at the firm studied.Findings – Based on the field investigation, the paper presents the process followed to build a knowledge vision in the company, the first stages of the initiative, the development of new projects, and the lessons learned resulting in the creation of a knowledge management unit, a working model, a strategy, and a set of different projects that were on the basis of the competitive advantage of the organization.Research limitations/implications – The perspective proposed ...

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