Performance drivers in knowledge-intensive entrepreneurial firms: a multidimensional perspective

Journal of Knowledge Management. 2022. Vol. 26. No. 5. P. 1342–1367.

Fischer B., Salles-Filho S., Zeitoum C., Colugnati F.

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to offer a comprehensive perspective on different facets of knowledge management and their effects on the performance of knowledge-intensive entrepreneurial ventures.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical setting involves small and medium-sized enterprises located in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Primary data for 223 knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship (KIE) firms was obtained through questionnaires applied to ventures which applied to the innovative research in small business program, a small business innovation research-like initiative run by the São Paulo Research Foundation. Econometric results assessed the drivers of competitiveness in terms of firm growth, research and development intensification and technology transfer.

Findings

Results highlight the complexity involved in establishing effective knowledge management processes in terms of driving KIE performance. Notwithstanding, some interesting insights on the moderation effects of strategic knowledge management (SKM) systems over technical skills could be identified with particular emphasis for the case of academic spin-offs. Ecosystem drivers present a good explanation power for technology transfer practices but fall short in providing answers for firm-level growth dynamics. It is also noteworthy that public and private investments in KIE firms are similarly associated with positive impacts – contrary to the view that private investors perform better than governmental sources in picking promising small ventures.

Originality/value

The assessment has provided novel evidence for a sample of KIE ventures concerning the appraisal of performance drivers associated with three dimensions of knowledge management, namely, technical knowledge, SKM and ecosystem features. Firms’ outcomes were addressed from a multidimensional perspective, thus providing a comprehensive perspective of the events under scrutiny.

Keywords: innovation, knowledge management, small business, academic entrepreneurship, Knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship, entrepreneural ecosystems

Publication based on the results of: Study of factors determining the behavior of the innovation actors in the post-pandemic conditions (2022)