Knowledge enablers and strategies of survival and development used to increase competitiveness: a case study in a multinational company of the food sector

Resumen

The main objective of this paper is to present the results of a research carried out to identify and analyze the contributions of the knowledge enablers and strategies of survival and development to the competitiveness of a multinational company of the food sector. For this purpose it was conducted a descriptive case study. Data collection was done through a questionnaire answered by 219 workers and an interview with a senior management officer. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed based on the theoretical model of Von Krogh, Ichijo and Nonaka (1998). The results showed the presence of the five knowledge enablers and strategies of survival and development indicating their contributions to the competitiveness of the company. The knowledge enablers "promotion of a knowledge vision," "managing conversations" and "identifying the knowledge activists" showed important contributions to company competitiveness. The knowledge enablers "creation the right context" and "globalizing local knowledge" were considered points for improvement. The research results indicate that the company is aware of the competitive environment and creates strategies to ensure its survival and development.