| To survive and prosper in a rapidly changing business environment, firms have an interest in integrating knowledge to reinforce effectiveness, diffusing knowledge to increase problem-solving capability, and creating knowledge to enhance innovation. The success of knowledge management hinges on people's cognition and behavior because knowledge resides in people and people create knowledge. Knowledge management that supports distributed cognition and behavior enables organizational members to effectively coordinate expertise, quickly respond to market changes, and continually create knowledge. This study employs a research framework that explains knowledge management to support distributed cognition and behavior. Specifically, the research framework examines the relationship among a knowledge-sharing climate, knowledge quality, information systems quality, cognitive empowerment, perspective taking, perspective making, and innovation. Drawing upon a sample of 208 firms, this study tests the proposed research framework by applying structural equation modeling. Results indicate that a knowledge-sharing climate and information systems quality have a direct, positive impact on knowledge quality. A knowledge-sharing climate and knowledge quality influence cognitive empowerment. Cognitive empowerment affects knowledge transfer (i.e., perspective taking and perspective making). Perspective taking appears to enhance perspective making. Finally, perspective making has a direct, positive influence on innovation. The results provide a basis for understanding the critical aspects as firms create cross-functional teams to produce innovation. Knowledge repository systems are static. However, knowledge management should respond to changes in a timely manner. This study provides managerial insights to dealing with changes and fostering innovation in the dynamics of knowledge management. |
