This paper presents the results of a survey of 241 Brazilian companies, which sought to investigate whether effective knowledge management contributes to strategic orientation, innovativeness and business results. Data collection was undertaken via self-reporting electronic questionnaires with 54 questions, using 10-point rating scales to measure agreement with the variables that composed the four constructs under study. The Structural Equation Modeling technique was used for data analysis. The research approach is based on the Resource Based View of the Firm, and it presupposes that knowledge is one of the main resources of the organization, and that it is used to leverage the other resources. The results support the conclusion that effective knowledge management contributes positively to strategic orientation. However, it was not possible to verify the positive contribution of these constructs upon the others when only direct relations were analyzed. When mediated by strategic orientation, knowledge management presented statistically significant direct and indirect effects on business results. The impacts of knowledge management and organizational innovativeness were found to be robust and significant when aligned with a strategic orientation that allows the company to anticipate and respond to market conditions. The evidences show that knowledge management permeates the relationships among the other constructs, corroborating the argument that knowledge is a resource that leverages the diverse value-generating activities in organizations. Even though numerous studies explore the constructs presented here, the originality of this study lies on the simultaneous analysis of all of them, oriented by a methodology that allows its replication in other cultures and conditions. In addition, the managerial implications of the study point out that the strategic nature of knowledge management and its practices must be considered before the application of isolated practices to achieve specific objectives.
Knowledge management; Innovativeness; Strategic orientation; Business performance; Innovation
