Abstract
This research investigates by means of a qualitative research process, that the link between knowledge management and organisational effectiveness can generate a real competitive advantage in the modern business world. Much empirical research exists in the distinct areas of Knowledge Management (KM), Organisational Effectiveness (OE), and Competitive Advantage (CA). A review of the appropriate literature, however, would suggest that there appears to be limited research carried out on how these three distinct subjects fit interlink within an organisational context, and what intrinsic link exists between them.
The conducted research examines the management areas of a hypothesised model developed by Zheng, Yang, and McLean (2010) and then, in order to consider and question how these distinct areas are intrinsically linked, the study develops an adaption and extension of the Zheng et al model illustrating the progression through to generating sustained competitive advantage, and built upon the dominant emergent themes.
Results and findings are by means of a qualitative research process rooted in inductive grounded theory whereby emergent themes are analysed within the context of the research objective and discussed in terms of their veracity and relevance.
Much of the research in this area existing in the literature is of a quantitative nature and the purpose of this study is to investigate the emergent qualitative findings as a framework for future research by either quantitative or qualitative methods, or a pluralistic combination of both. Author keywords: Knowledge management
organisational effectiveness, competitive advantage
