Integrating Knowledge Management and E-Learning to Enhance Knowledge Creation and Conversion for Competitive Advantage in Small- and Medium-Sized Businesses

The global business economy has established knowledge as the most important asset of an organization and a major factor in competitive advantage. A review of literature and research has established that small-and medium-sized businesses are rich in tacit knowledge, an essential piece of the knowledge creation and conversion process that supports organizational learning and knowledge---a factor in attaining and sustaining competitive advantage. Small- and medium sized businesses are inherently well-suited to informal learning, a collaborative function of sharing knowledge through conversations, dialogue, etc. However, this informal exchange may or may not naturally occur in SMBs. A more structured approach to the process that fosters informal knowledge sharing is needed to ensure knowledge creation occurs within the organization. Traditional attempts at KM and e-learning, which focused on knowledge as a static object rather than a dynamic process were unsuccessful in helping SMBs achieve competitive advantage. There is growing body of research that advocates for the integration of KM and e-learning to address past short-comings of each and create an environment that supports knowledge creation, sharing and dissemination. A framework to align the knowledge creation process and e-learning web tools was proposed to encourage knowledge sharing and build a learning organization to establish sustainable competitive advantage.