Knowledge management for sustainability in operations

Citlalli L�pez-Torres, Gabriela; Garza-Reyes, Jose Arturo; Maldonado-Guzm�n, Gonzalo; Kumar, Vikas

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of Knowledge Management (KM) as a platform to enable sustainability in firms’ operations and to provide recommendations for managers to integrate sustainable operations into their business strategies. The urgency to create and implement sustainable operations in local and global firms is also argued. The conceptual framework underlying the prevalent effect of KM on sustainable practices is based on the hypothesis that KM contributes to the achievement of more suitable operations. To test this hypothesis, a model of structural equation was developed with data collected from 345 small and medium size enterprises (SMEs). Generally, the empirical evidence supported the hypothesis, indicating that KM represents an important alternative to the challenge of implementing sustainability in firms’ operations. Thus, the results of this study suggest that managers need to improve their firms’ practices, by implementing KM, as they will enable a better understanding and awareness regarding the global dangerous impacts from unsustainable operations mainly focused on sales and cost reduction. For this reason, the paper provides evidence that KM offers an alternative impulse on the quest for more sustainable operations.

Citation

Citlalli López-Torres, G., Garza-Reyes, J. A., Maldonado-Guzmán, G., & Kumar, V. (2019). Knowledge management for sustainability in operations. Production Planning and Control, 30(10-12), 813-826

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 6, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Jun 30, 2019
• Publication Date: Jun 30, 2019
• Deposit Date: Aug 14, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 1, 2020
• Journal: Production Planning & Control
• Print ISSN: 0953-7287
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 30
• Issue: 10-12
• Pages: 813-826
• Keywords: knowledge management, sustainability, sustainable operations, innovation
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/882964
• Publisher URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tppc20/current
• Additional Information: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Production Planning & Control on 30 Jun 2019, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09537287.2019.1582091