Overcoming Environmental Barriers Through KM Practices

There is a lack, particularly in relation to SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises), of managerial mechanisms to overcome environmental knowledge barriers. Some of these barriers are related to resource shortages or outdated knowledge, which can impede the utilization of Knowledge. In the following paper, we consider that if environmental knowledge barriers are present then specific knowledge management practices are required to stimulate the utilization of knowledge and, hence, provide for the assimilation of knowledge. Thus, in this paper, we focus on socializations practices as a method to counteract the problem of environmental knowledge barriers. We have analysed the relationships between environmental knowledge barriers and the SECI model using an empirical study of 87 Spanish SMEs in order to identify whether the impact of environmental knowledge barriers on knowledge utilization can be mitigated through socializations practices. Our results confirm that when environmental knowledge barriers take place, the relationship between socializations practices and the utilization of Knowledge is weaker than it otherwise would be.