Knowledge management strategies, intellectual capital, and innovation performance: a comparison between high- and low-tech firms

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to analyse the complementary role of structural and relational capital (as the outcomes of codification and personalisation knowledge management strategies) in renewal capital and innovation in high- and low-tech companies.

Design/methodology/approach

The primary data, which were collected through a structured questionnaire from 180 Spanish companies, are analysed using structural equation modelling based on partial least squares.

Findings

Overall, the study offers three fundamental findings. First, it demonstrates the outstanding role of renewal capital as an intellectual capital (IC) component; second, it provides a conceptual analysis of the connection between knowledge management strategies and IC; and third, it highlights the necessity of considering the technological level of the firm as a contingency variable affecting the IC–innovation relationship.

Research limitations/implications

The study has three apparent limitations: The sample of firms is restricted to Spanish companies, data concerning the main study variables were collected from only one person at each firm, and not all of the possible components of IC were included in the research model.

Practical implications

Business practitioners can find useful guidelines for making efficient use of knowledge resources when boosting innovation performance, depending on the technological level of their firms.

Originality/value

Although many studies have tried to disentangle the IC–innovation connection, this study is unique, as it considers knowledge management strategies, a novel combination of IC components and the level of technological sophistication in the same analysis.

Citation

Buenechea-Elberdin, M., Sáenz, J. and Kianto, A. (2018), "Knowledge management strategies, intellectual capital, and innovation performance: a comparison between high- and low-tech firms", Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 22 No. 8, pp. 1757-1781. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-04-2017-0150