قابلیت مدیریت دانش و شیوه های مدیریت زنجیره تامین در صنایع غذایی Knowledge management capability and supply chain management practices in the Saudi food industry

1. Introduction Organizations are operating in a global business environment characterized by rapid changes, technological advancements, changing customer needs and higher competition (Bolívar-Ramos et al., 2012; Patnaik et al., 2013). In order for organizations to survive in such a turbulent environment, they must promote their capacity to learn new practices and technologies and consistently improve their performance and long-term organizational success (Weldy and Gillis, 2010; Argote and Miron-Spektor, 2011). In addition, organizations attempt to introduce new business approaches including for example total quality management, just-in-time approach, business process reengineering and supply chain management to improve their performance and competitive advantage (Saad and Patel, 2006). The resource-based view theory, which originated from the strategic management literature, suggests that firms compete based on their resources and capabilities. A resource is referred to anything tangible or intangible possessed or acquired by a firm, while a capability is the ability to utilize resources to perform tasks or activities (Hall 1993; Yang et al., 2009). Organizations with valuable, rare, inimitable and nonsubstitutable resources would be able to accomplish value-creating strategies that are not easily duplicated by other competitors (Barney, 1991). In knowledge-based era, knowledge is viewed as the key strategic resource for organizational survival, stability, growth and improvement (Hassan and Al-Hakim, 2011). In addition, knowledge is considered the basis for the development of core competencies that will create competitive advantages as well as improve organizational performance (Halley and Beaulieu, 2005). Through knowledge organizations can enhance cooperation and information sharing among employees, decision making, productivity, and innovation (Bennet and Tomblin, 2006; King, 2009; Chang and Chuang, 2011; Gharakhani and Mousakhani, 2012). The aim of knowledge management is to develop approaches that facilitate getting the right knowledge at the right time to the right person and in the right format (Halawi et al., 2006). Also, knowledge management would assist organizations to remain competitive, through sharing information with the external partners and knowing their competitors’ products, services, strategies and best practices (Kyobe, 2010). In addition, knowledge management would help organizations in acquiring, interpreting and using knowledge related resources across functional boundaries to create new knowledge (Chuang, 2004; Ju et al, 2006).