THE EFFECT OF GREEN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES ON SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE OF INDONESIAN SMEs

This research was carried out in Malang, Indonesia, focusing on Small and Medium- sized Enterprises (SMEs) and involving a sample of 100 participants. It explores the complex relationships between competitive advantage, green innovation, knowledge management, green supply chain management, and sustainable performance. The direct impact of competitive advantage and knowledge management on sustainable performance is revealed. Nonetheless, it seems that green supply chain management has little impact as a link between green innovation and sustainable performance, suggesting that environmentally friendly practices may not be widely or efficiently implemented in the supply chain management of small and medium-sized enterprises in Malang. The study points out that green innovation may not have a direct impact on sustainable performance, possibly because of difficulties in implementing innovative environmentally friendly solutions throughout the entire supply chain. Tailored strategies are crucial for overcoming barriers to the adoption of sustainable supply chain practices in Malang, in order to strengthen the long-term sustainability of small and medium-sized enterprises. This involves enhancing the spread and integration of knowledge related to sustainability and stressing the significance of incorporating sustainability goals alongside considerations of competitive advantage

Knowledge management, absorptive capacity and organisational culture: A case study from Chinese SMEs

Copyright © 2008 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below.Based on the analysis of an innovative medium sized enterprise from mainland China, this paper investigated the Knowledge Management (KM) issues by focusing on its KM enablers and process. This paper attempts to investigate how Chinese enterprises absorb knowledge from external sources; how they developed culture to facilitate Knowledge Management Processes (KMPs) and what major challenges they raise for the future by looking at the case study of a Chinese Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The case study indicates that Chinese enterprises emphasised knowledge acquisition and the capacities of knowledge absorption, application, creation, sharing and integration as vital to sustaining competitive advantage for these firms. Corporative organisational culture also has significant impact on the KM in those enterprises

Providing value to a business using a lightweight design system to support knowledge reuse by designers

This paper describes an alternative approach to knowledge based systems in engineering than traditional geometry or explicit knowledge focused systems. Past systems have supported product optimisation rather than creative solutions and provide little benefit to businesses for bespoke and low volume products or products which do not benefit from optimisation. The approach here addresses this by supporting the creativity of designers through codified tacit knowledge and encouraging knowledge reuse for bespoke product development, in particular for small to medium sized enterprises. The implementation and evaluation of the approach is described within a company producing bespoke fixtures and tooling in shorter than average lead times. The active support of knowledge management in the company is intended to add value to the business by further reducing the lead times of the designs and creating a positive impact to business processes. The evaluation demonstrates a viable alternative framework to the traditional management of knowledge in engineering, which could be implemented by other small to medium enterprises

Knowledge Management System for Cluster Development in Small and Medium Enterprises

Many countries such as Canada, Japan, Korea and France gains their competitive advantage through the utilization of clusters development. A cluster contains many Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) operating in the same or similar industry strongly connected with each other to produce good and services.,In developing country , especially, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) take very important role to their economic. Most governments, as facilitator, support cluster through initiate help and encourage SMEs' linkage to reach the concept of industry cluster. Many literature reviewed claimed that the most difficult processes in creating a cluster is the development and sustain the collaboration to connect these SMEs together. After some investigation, the problem of creating SMEs connection is information sharing at micro-economic level.. Knowledge sharing is one of the most important key success factors of cluster management to gain collaboration among SMEs since there are abundant of explicit and tacit knowledge within each SMEs in a cluster. Naturally, most firms do not want to share their business information and knowledge. In reality, however they needs these information to successfully manage their business cluster. It is crucial and necessary we find out what kind of information or knowledge they want to know and shareable among them in order to manage cluster successfully. Many operation management techniques already existed in many firms. One of the ways to help knowledge sharing operate successfully using information technology as a tool is directed to Knowledge Management System (KMS). This methods can help facilitate the communication and information flow and needs to be investigated further to help maintain the cluster collaboration and knowledge sharing.. This paper propose framework and methodology for analyzing, industry cluster for the sustain the lifecycle of cluster.

Knowledge management as a key stone of sustainable welfare in the Italian rural areas

Sustainable well-being in the rural areas directly depends on their sustainable development. However, sustainable management in contemporary agriculture does not come easy for farmers due to different challenges and quality standards. To meet these challenges and to achieve sustainable development, the agricultural enterprises need an informational support. Therefore this article offers knowledge management as a tool for facilitating agricultural performance and enhancing quality of rural life.Practical application of knowledge management is quite complicated due to its intangible characteristics. Hence, the paper is targeted at developing sustainable organizational model of knowledge management affordable for small and medium enterprises. This model was created after content-analysis of the literature and was verified through an executed survey. The Italian agriculture was considered as a context for this study

Proposition of a method to design tailor-made knowledge management systems for small and medium enterprises

The aim of this paper is to propose a knowledge management system design method for small and medium enterprises that addresses the problems encountered on the existing ones. A literature review highlighted 5 main concepts that have a crucial role in knowledge management system design. To take these recommendations into account, a knowledge management system design method was designed. It uses the small and medium enterprises characteristics, needs and problems to select adapted knowledge management tools and practices, and offers a comprehensive and tailor-made knowledge management system. This method was used to design a knowledge management system for a high-tech small and medium enterprises from the navigation sector. It allowed to choose from the adapted knowledge management tools and practices and to write a set of requirements for the knowledge management system while taking the user into account, thus easing the knowledge management system implementation and ensuring its sustainability

Knowledge Management and Sustainable Agriculture:the Italian Case

The contemporary knowledge-based economy requires global usage of information in all aspects of modern society. Pertinent information is an important asset for successful business, therefore an application of knowledge management in organisational practice has become a crucial factor for the viability and sustainable development of enterprises. This is particularly relevant for the agricultural context, which needs modern practices for enhancement and development. However, information and knowledge, due to their intangible character, seem difficult to manage and organize. Therefore the paper targeted at developing sustainable organizational model of knowledge management for small and medium enterprises. Italian agriculture is considered as a context for this study, and knowledge management was offered as a tool for facilitating agricultural performance and increasing competitiveness of agricultural sector. A wide concept of knowledge management and specified agricultural context require a theory-based approach to research and a survey. Thus, the research methodology includes the next four parts. The first one contains literature review and examines definitions, strategies, approaches and models of sustainable knowledge management. The second part includes content analysis of 105 scientific publications. The third part of methodology is based on the results of the two previous parts and includes creating the model of knowledge management. Verification of this model is the last part of the research. Verification was executed through on-line questionnaire distributed to Italian agricultural enterprises throughout the country on their intentions and awareness towards knowledge management and developed model of knowledge management. The results of the survey have demonstrated farmer’s incentives to implement the developed knowledge management model with flexible approach in its organisation

USE OF ICT IN SMES MANAGEMENT WITHIN THE SECTOR OF SERVICES

This study investigates how the use of ICT could contribute to the success of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) within the sector of services. Within the knowledge-based economy, SMEs are facing both opportunities and challenges due to the information and communication technologies development. We consider that ICT should be used in small business management within the sector of services because ICT are key tools in management processes and could improve managerial practices. The study is based on evidence provided by articles and research reports. The research question was answered by analysing published sources and interpreting evidence. Another way of approaching this question could be collecting and analysing empirical data from the SMEs within the sector of services and comparing the results with the findings of this study.information and communication technologies, small and medium enterprises, management, services, knowledge-based economy

Fostering knowledge management in small and medium-sized enterprises

The submitted paper covers two topics which are essential for SMEs and their competitiveness: management control and knowledge management. On the basis of an empirical survey among producing SMEs in Central-Germany the authors investigated knowledge deficits concerning the domain of management control. German SMEs show numerous weaknesses especially when it comes to prediction-oriented instruments of management control, e.g. SWOT-, Scenario-Analysis or dynamic investment procedures. The authors developed a suitable computer-aided learning tool to overcome these knowledge deficits and designed a knowledge management concept to collectivize individually learned knowledge