Knowledge Management in the Secretive Football Industry Which factors influence and predict the accumulation, sharing and application of CSR-related knowledge in Dutch professional football clubs?
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2017-10-23
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en
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Abstract
Over the past decades the attention for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been growing
(Chun & Bang, 2016; Porter & Kramer, 2006). Research has shown that there are several competitive
advantages that can be achieved through the implementation of CSR in the corporate strategy of an
organization. In order to achieve the earlier mentioned advantages, effective CSR related knowledge
management is required. This is in particular relevant for Dutch football clubs, which carry out several
successful social responsibility projects (Responsiball, 2016). Effective knowledge management can
result in product development and increasing team and firm performances (Arthur & Huntley, 2005;
Collins & Smith, 2006; Cummings; 2004). Also, social responsibility projects can actively influence
the behaviour of people (Smith & Westerbeek, 2007).
Research has been conducted on the antecedents that influence the process of knowledge sharing
(Wang & Noe, 2010). However, little is known about the influence of those variables on the complete
process of knowledge management. In this research the process of knowledge management is
constructed out of three variables: knowledge accumulation, knowledge sharing and knowledge
application. This research aimed to provide more insights on this specific topic by examining six
factors that are expected to influence the process of knowledge management. Those six factors are
organizational culture, management support, degree of decentralization, the tie strength in and outside
an organization and the combination of those two. This resulted in the examination of twelve
hypotheses. In order to test the variables, a survey (n=46) was distributed among all CSR employees
of professional football organizations in the Netherlands. The obtained data was analysed through a
stepwise regression analysis, in which the control variable are included first, followed by entering the
six independent variables.
The variable collectivistic organizational culture has a significant positive influence on the complete
process of knowledge management, consisting of knowledge accumulation (β = .50), knowledge
sharing (β = .42) and knowledge application (β = .41). The variable management support for CSR
engagement of the club has significant direct positive influence on the processes knowledge
accumulation (β = .49) and knowledge sharing (β = .55) and an indirect effect on the process of
knowledge application. The examination of the variables degree of decentralization and strong and
weak ties did not result in significant results. Finally, the three processes of knowledge management
are strongly interconnected, knowledge accumulation has a strong positive influence on knowledge
sharing (β = .70) knowledge sharing has a strong positive influence on the extent of CSR-related
knowledge accumulation (β = .60). Besides, knowledge sharing is acting as full mediation effect on the relation between knowledge accumulation and knowledge application.
Keywords: knowledge management, knowledge accumulation, knowledge sharing, knowledge application, organisational culture, management support, decentralization, tie strength, CSR, football
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen