Knowledge Management and Business Processes in SMEs: Insights from Southern Italy

This paper proposes a 3D fuzzy logic methodology to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of knowledge management systems (KMSs) adopted by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and identifies a taxonomy bringing together the behaviour of SMEs when adopting KMSs. The proposed methodology was previously tested on an individual SME and then implemented on a sample of 61 italian SMEs. In the case of the KMSs used by the SMEs surveyed, a previous analysis of the literature allowed us to divide KMSs into knowledge management tools (KM-Tools) and knowledge management practices (KM-Practices), and the subsequent desk analysis allowed us to select an initial list of KM-Tools and KM-Practices. The results of the investigation highlight that there is an ample variety of behaviours related to the nature of knowledge and the KMSs used by SMEs. Specifically, four typologies of behaviour are identified: the efficient and effective SME, the inefficient SMEs, the ineffective SMEs, and the inefficient and ineffective SME. The results show that only 18% of surveyed SMEs are efficient and effective for both KM-Tools and KM-Practices, the remaining 82% are inefficient or ineffective for KM-Tools and/or KM-Practices. Lastly, the paper shows how this methodology may be used by a SME as a managerial tool to suggest appropriate changes in order to improve the efficient and effective use of KMSs supporting supply firms in the knowledge management process.