Unpacking knowledge management practices in China: do institution, national and organizational culture matter?

Purpose This study aims to empirically examine knowledge management practices in China with the purpose to provide a holistic view regarding the current status of knowledge management at both national and organizational levels. Design/methodology/approach Using a survey method, this study collected primary data from organizations across several regions in China. The data were analyzed to detect possible relationships among institutional force, organizational culture and knowledge management process in Chinese organizations. More specifically, to what extent are these relationships moderated by national culture? Findings While knowledge management practices in China were partly influenced by institutional forces, most of the predicted connections between organizational culture and knowledge management were supported. In addition, the dynamic nature of national culture is predominant, that pervasively influencing knowledge management processes and thus contextualization determines how knowledge is being managed in China. Indeed, the ideologies of relationships and trust are key vehicles for knowledge management in the Chinese organizations. Practical implications This study comprehensively reviews existing literature to form an integrative framework, which is under explored in a Chinese context. Such initiative helps scholars and practitioners to gain a full understanding of knowledge management, in general, in the Chinese business environment in particular. Originality/value This paper provides a detailed and empirical insight into the knowledge management practices in Chinese organizations and suggests that knowledge management in a distinctive and yet diverse cultural context should be considered with caution.

[1]  Liu Lu,et al.  A cognitive model of intra-organizational knowledge-sharing motivations in the view of cross-culture , 2010 .

[2]  Stefan Wilhelm,et al.  Journal of Knowledge Management Knowledge management and succession planning in SMEs , 2017 .

[3]  R. Prusak,et al.  The impact of employee competencies management as part of the human capital on the intellectual capital implementing process , 2016 .

[4]  Shih Yung Chou,et al.  What happens when “younger” helpers meet “older” recipients? A theoretical analysis of interpersonal helping behaviour in Chinese organizations , 2014 .

[5]  Yi Jiang,et al.  An institution-based view of international business strategy: a focus on emerging economies , 2008 .

[6]  T. Fang A Critique of Hofstede’s Fifth National Culture Dimension , 2003 .

[7]  Marvin Washington,et al.  Institutional pressures, government funding and provincial sport organisations , 2009 .

[8]  Said Abdullah Al Saifi,et al.  Positioning organisational culture in knowledge management research , 2015, J. Knowl. Manag..

[9]  Arno Boersma KM in China: Western heads in Eastern hands? , 2010 .

[10]  Aaron Buchko,et al.  Institutionalization, Coercive Isomorphism, and the Homogeneity of Strategy , 2011 .

[11]  Chin Wei Chong,et al.  Knowledge management process effectiveness: measurement of preliminary knowledge management implementation , 2009 .

[12]  Jun Xia,et al.  On the duality of political and economic stakeholder influence on firm innovation performance: Theory and evidence from Chinese firms , 2018 .

[13]  Sandra Moffett,et al.  Knowledge sharing in Chinese Service organisations: A multi case cultural perspective , 2012, J. Knowl. Manag..

[14]  Lilian Miles,et al.  Corporate Governance in Asian Countries: Has Confucianism Anything to Offer? , 2013 .

[15]  Peter Meso,et al.  A resource-based view of organizational knowledge management systems , 2000, J. Knowl. Manag..

[16]  Mian M. Ajmal,et al.  Examining the Relationship between Organizational Culture and Knowledge Management: The Moderation Effect of Organizational Divisions at an Abu Dhabi Gas Company , 2014 .

[17]  Dong Wang,et al.  Organizational culture and knowledge creation capability , 2011, J. Knowl. Manag..

[18]  Mohamed A. Youssef,et al.  A structural equation model for knowledge sharing behavior in an emerging economy , 2017, J. Knowl. Manag..

[19]  Hui Wang,et al.  Organizational Culture in China: An Analysis of Culture Dimensions and Culture Types , 2006, Management and Organization Review.

[20]  A. Hayes Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis: A Regression-Based Approach , 2013 .

[21]  K. Lai,et al.  Institutional-based antecedents and performance outcomes of internal and external green supply chain management practices , 2013 .

[22]  Giustina Secundo,et al.  Engineering knowledge and information needs in Italy and Japan: bridging the gap between theory and practice , 2015, J. Knowl. Manag..

[23]  T. N. Nguyen Knowledge management capability and competitive advantage: an empirical study of Vietnamese enterprises , 2010 .

[24]  Yuanyuan Huang,et al.  Performance implications of ties to large-scale state-owned enterprises and banks in an emerging economy , 2017 .

[25]  Garry D. Bruton,et al.  Entrepreneurship, poverty, and Asia: Moving beyond subsistence entrepreneurship , 2014, Asia Pacific Journal of Management.

[26]  E. Wenger,et al.  Communities of Practice: The Organizational Frontier , 2000 .

[27]  Robert M. Davison,et al.  Context is king! Considering particularism in research design and reporting , 2016, J. Inf. Technol..

[28]  M. Festing,et al.  Generational challenges to talent management: A framework for talent retention based on the psychological-contract perspective , 2014 .

[29]  Xinming He,et al.  Managerial Ties, Market Orientation, and Export Performance: Chinese Firms Experience , 2017, Management and Organization Review.

[30]  Keith D. Brouthers,et al.  Institutional, cultural and transaction cost influences on entry mode choice and performance , 2002 .

[31]  Wang Yazhou,et al.  An empirical research on knowledge management orientation and organizational performance: the mediating role of organizational innovation , 2013 .

[32]  Douglas D. Heckathorn,et al.  Comment: Snowball versus Respondent-Driven Sampling , 2011 .

[33]  Charlene Tan,et al.  Creativity and Confucius , 2016 .

[34]  Carmen Neghina,et al.  Ambidexterity of employees: the role of empowerment and knowledge sharing , 2017, J. Knowl. Manag..

[35]  Hai Guo,et al.  To be different, or to be the same? The interactive effect of organizational regulatory legitimacy and entrepreneurial orientation on new venture performance , 2014 .

[36]  Allan Lawrence,et al.  Customer knowledge management in international project: a case study , 2009 .

[37]  Yanling Duan,et al.  How perceived institutional pressures impact market orientation: An empirical study of Chinese manufacturing firms , 2015 .

[38]  Neelam Singh,et al.  Outward FDI and Knowledge Flows: A Study of the Indian Automotive Sector , 2008 .

[39]  Xiaomi An,et al.  An integrated model for effective knowledge management in Chinese organizations , 2013, Program.

[40]  Ikujiro Nonaka,et al.  The knowledge-creating theory revisited: knowledge creation as a synthesizing process , 2003 .

[41]  Hsiu-Fen Lin,et al.  Antecedents of the stage-based knowledge management evolution , 2011, J. Knowl. Manag..

[42]  Vincenzo Cavaliere,et al.  Exploring different cultural configurations: how do they affect subsidiaries' knowledge sharing behaviors? , 2015, J. Knowl. Manag..

[43]  Antonio Carlos de Francisco,et al.  Primary knowledge management practices applied in Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) industries from 2001-2010 , 2016, J. Knowl. Manag..

[44]  Jin Tong,et al.  Chinese cultural influences on knowledge management practice , 2009, J. Knowl. Manag..

[45]  Sabrina Inez Weller The Influence of the Use of the more prevalent Technology on the Wages of Older Employees in Germany , 2013 .

[46]  Christina Ling-Hsing Chang,et al.  The role of organizational culture in the knowledge management process , 2015, J. Knowl. Manag..

[47]  Bingyuan Hsiung,et al.  Guanxi: Personal connections in Chinese society , 2013 .

[48]  Andreia Gabriela Andrei,et al.  Harnessing network-based intellectual capital in online academic networks. From the organizational policies and practices towards competitiveness , 2016, J. Knowl. Manag..

[49]  Robert M. Davison,et al.  Strategic knowledge management failures in small professional service firms in China , 2017, Int. J. Inf. Manag..

[50]  D. Hislop Knowledge Management in Organizations: A critical introduction , 2005 .

[51]  Cecil A. L. Pearson,et al.  Cross-cultural value sets of Asian managers: The comparative cases of Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore: , 2001 .

[52]  W. Powell,et al.  The New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis , 1992 .

[53]  David J. Pauleen,et al.  Looking beyond knowledge sharing: an integrative approach to knowledge management culture , 2017, J. Knowl. Manag..

[54]  Kavoos Mohannak Diversity in Knowledge Management : A Cultural Approach , 2011 .

[55]  Bruce T. Lamont,et al.  Knowledge management systems and developing sustainable competitive advantage , 2003, J. Knowl. Manag..

[56]  Sandra Moffett,et al.  Trend of knowledge management in China: challenges and opportunities , 2007 .

[57]  Dai Senoo,et al.  Organizational characteristics as prescriptive factors of knowledge management initiatives , 2008, J. Knowl. Manag..

[58]  Kyung Hee Kim,et al.  Exploring the Interactions between Asian Culture (Confucianism) and Creativity , 2007 .

[59]  John Sutton,et al.  Doing business in China ‐ the art of war? , 1998 .

[60]  Yvette Taminiau,et al.  Innovation in management consulting firms through informal knowledge sharing , 2009, J. Knowl. Manag..

[61]  Hamid R. Nemati,et al.  Impact of Culture on Knowledge Management: A Meta-Analysis and Framework , 2012 .

[62]  John L. Campbell Institutional Change and Globalization , 2020 .

[63]  Lin Cui,et al.  State ownership effect on firms' FDI ownership decisions under institutional pressure: a study of Chinese outward-investing firms , 2012 .

[64]  Diana Bilimoria,et al.  How Does Culture Matter? The Xin (Heart-Mind)-based Social Competence of Chinese Executives , 2017, Management and Organization Review.

[65]  Xiaoying Dong,et al.  Evolution and Coevolution: Dynamic Knowledge Capability Building for Catching-up in Emerging Economies , 2016, Management and Organization Review.

[66]  Paavo Ritala,et al.  Assessing the universality of knowledge management practices , 2017, J. Knowl. Manag..

[67]  Kuok Kei Law,et al.  How Hierarchal Positions Affect Employees Knowledge Sharing Behaviors? An Exploratory Study , 2017 .

[68]  Jie Wu,et al.  What matters for knowledge sharing in collectivistic cultures? Empirical evidence from China , 2014, J. Knowl. Manag..

[69]  Nan Li,et al.  Knowledge management in Chinese organizations: collectivist values for open-minded discussions , 2011 .

[70]  Xiao Zhang,et al.  With whom shall I share my knowledge? A recipient perspective of knowledge sharing , 2015, J. Knowl. Manag..

[71]  Alper Ertürk,et al.  Comparing Innovation Capability of Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises: Examining the Effects of Organizational Culture and Empowerment , 2010 .

[72]  Deepak Chawla,et al.  Knowledge management initiatives in Indian public and private sector organizations , 2010, J. Knowl. Manag..

[73]  Julían Andrés,et al.  La gestión del conocimiento y su influencia en las capacidades dinámicas: Contrastación empírica en Empresas Colombianas Intensivas en uso de conocimiento , 2020 .

[74]  J. Hartley,et al.  Organizational Learning and Knowledge in Public Service Organizations: A Systematic Review of the Literature , 2009 .

[75]  Samit Chakravorti,et al.  Managing organizational culture change and knowledge to enhance customer experiences: analysis and framework , 2011 .

[76]  Sandra Moffett,et al.  Knowledge management in China: a review , 2010 .

[77]  Ruslan Khudobin Influence of National Culture on the Implementation of Knowledge Management System: Creation of model for the implementation of KM System , 2015 .

[78]  R. Prusak,et al.  Influence of selected strategic variables on the development of the intellectual capital of an enterprise , 2014 .

[79]  Leonard Shihlien Hsü The political philosophy of Confucianism: An interpretation of the social and political ideas of Confucius, his forerunners, and his early disciples , 1975 .

[80]  Jon-Arild Johannessen,et al.  Knowledge management and sustainable competitive advantages: The impact of dynamic contextual training , 2003, Int. J. Inf. Manag..

[81]  Xufei Ma,et al.  Business group affiliation as institutional linkages in China’s emerging economy: A focus on organizational traits and institutional conditions , 2017, Asia Pacific Journal of Management.

[82]  George Stonehouse,et al.  Knowledge management in the Chinese public sector: empirical investigation , 2007 .

[83]  Zhi-hong Song Organizational learning, absorptive capacity, imitation and innovation: Empirical analyses of 115 firms across China , 2015 .

[84]  Allan Lawrence,et al.  Knowledge Management from China Perspective: Theory and Practice , 2008 .

[85]  I. Nonaka,et al.  How Japanese Companies Create the Dynamics of Innovation , 1995 .

[86]  Morten T. Hansen,et al.  What's your strategy for managing knowledge? , 1999, Harvard business review.

[87]  楊國樞,et al.  Chinese Values and the Search for Culture-Free Dimensions of Culture , 1987 .

[88]  Carl F. Fey,et al.  Institutional theory and MNC subsidiary HRM practices: evidence from a three-country study , 2007 .

[89]  Yuanqiong He,et al.  Effects of positive incentive and negative incentive in knowledge transfer: carrot and stick , 2016 .

[90]  W. Powell,et al.  The iron cage revisited institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields , 1983 .

[91]  K. Zhou Innovation, imitation, and new product performance: The case of China , 2006 .

[92]  Kyung Hee Kim,et al.  Cultural Influence on Creativity: The Relationship between Asian Culture (Confucianism) and Creativity among Korean Educators , 2009 .

[93]  Dorothy E. Leidner,et al.  An Empirical Examination of the Influence of Organizational Culture on Knowledge Management Practices , 2005, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[94]  Qian Huang,et al.  Moderating effects of guanxi and face on the relationship between psychological motivation and knowledge-sharing in China , 2017, J. Knowl. Manag..

[95]  Mike W. Peng,et al.  Towards an Institution-Based View of Business Strategy , 2002 .

[96]  Mahrane Hofaidhllaoui,et al.  Talent retention: evidence from a multinational firm in France , 2017 .

[97]  Robert M. Davison,et al.  Using interactive systems for knowledge sharing: The impact of individual contextual preferences in China , 2016, Inf. Manag..

[98]  Liam Fahey,et al.  Diagnosing cultural barriers to knowledge management , 2000 .

[99]  Jung-Feng Tseng,et al.  How do institutional norms and trust influence knowledge sharing? An institutional theory , 2014 .

[100]  Tally Hatzakis,et al.  Investigating Knowledge Management Factors Affecting Chinese ICT Firms Performance: An Integrated KM Framework , 2011, Inf. Syst. Manag..

[101]  Mie Augier,et al.  The Needham Puzzle Reconsidered: Organizations, Organizing, and Innovation in China , 2016, Management and Organization Review.