Experiential and Informational Knowledge, Architectural Marketing Capabilities, and the Adaptive Performance of Export Ventures: A Cross-National Study

Second, our findings indicate that an important next step in knowledge management development requires the examination of how different components of a firm's knowledge base are transformed into organizational capabilities that enable an organization to adapt to its environment. This is consistent with recent calls in management theory for a greater focus on how organizations acquire resources and develop capabilities that match environmental conditions (e.g., Eisenhardt & Martin, 2000). In addressing this question, our findings indicate that the processes by which environmentally relevant informational and experiential knowledge within the firm are transferred and combined to create organizational capabilities should be an important focus for future research in developing KBV theory. While our study indicates that individual-level informational knowledge is easily and quickly shared and transferred in export ventures, this may not be true in other types of organizations. For example, studies of information dissemination in the marketing and new product development literature indicate that in more centralized and formalized organizations (e.g. Jaworski & Kohli, 1993; Moenaert & Souder, 1990), such individual-to-organization knowledge transfers may be less effective and efficient. A central question for future knowledge development therefore concerns the identification of management processes appropriate for different organizational, environmental, and strategic contingencies that enable the speedy and efficient transfer of experiential and informational knowledge between individuals and the organization. Such research would provide valuable theoretical and managerial insights in this important knowledge management domain.

CONCLUSION

Drawing on insights from the literature and fieldwork interviews, we contribute to knowledge management theory and practice by providing the first assessment of a number of key KBV theory propositions, and extending knowledge management theory into the increasingly important context of export ventures. Our results provide empirical support for KBV theory predictions and qualitative fieldwork insights concerning the importance in the knowledge base of export ventures of international experiential knowledge, informational export market knowledge, and the experiential knowledge of individual export venture personnel. Our findings indicate that such knowledge bases are valuable because they allow export ventures to develop and utilize marketing planning and marketing implementation capabilities that enable the venture to adapt to the requirements of its export market. [Received: March 27, 2002. Accepted: February 3, 2003.]

REFERENCES

Albaum, G., Strandskov, J., & Duerr, E. (1998). International marketing and export management. Harlow, Essex England: Addison-Wesley.

Albaum, G., & Tse, D. K. (2001). Adaptation of international marketing strategy components, competitive advantage, and firm performance: A study of Hong Kong exporters. Journal of International Marketing, 9(4), 59-81.