Knowledge management practices in the internationalization of small firms: A four comparative case study in the coffee industry

Authors

  • Ricardo Vinícius Dias Jordão Programa de Pós-graduação em Administração da Fundação Pedro Leopoldo (Brasil), Center for Advanced Studies in Management and Economics (UE, Portugal) e Swiss Management Center (Suíça).

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a research that aimed at analysing the effect of the organization in international business networks on the knowledge and information management practices in micro and small enterprises (SMEs) of the Brazilian coffee industry. Through a comparative study of four cases, it was possible to conclude that: (i) the processes of creating, maintaining and sharing information and knowledge are influenced by the network as well as by cooperation, culture, relationships and interactions within and between enterprises, (ii) the sharing of information and experience brings benefits to SMEs, (iii) the network did not promote the systematization of knowledge, but facilitated its development, (iv) the establishment of an enabling environment (‘Ba’) can help individuals and enterprises to create and develop their abilities; in this sense, it was observed that the culture of cooperation can be considered essential to the process of organizational learning.

Keywords: knowledge management, international business networks, micro and small enterprises, internationalization strategy, coffee industry.

Author Biography

Ricardo Vinícius Dias Jordão, Programa de Pós-graduação em Administração da Fundação Pedro Leopoldo (Brasil), Center for Advanced Studies in Management and Economics (UE, Portugal) e Swiss Management Center (Suíça).

O professor Ricardo Vinícius Dias Jordão possui graduação em Ciências Contábeis pela Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Pós-graduação em Controladoria e Finanças também pela UFMG. Tendo feito MBA em Gestão Empresarial, Mestrado em Administração Estratégica na Fundação Dom Cabral, Mestrado em Contabilidade e Controladoria na UFMG e o European PhD in Management Sciences (Accounting and Finance) pelo Center for Advanced Studies in Management and Economics (UE) em associação com o Swiss Management Center, Switzerland. A experiência profissional acumulada é de mais de 18 anos em organizações públicas e privadas em cargos técnicos, consultivos, executivos e gerenciais. Atualmente, esteve exercendo atividades de Auditor e Consultor de Negócios nas áreas financeira, tributária e de controladoria; sendo professor títular do Mestrado Profissional em Administração da FPL e pesquisador da UFMG. Além disso, atuando também como professor associado da Fundação Dom Cabral e do IBMEC; tendo, ainda, ministrado cursos de graduação, pós-graduação, MBA's, tecnológicos e sequenciais nas maiores e melhores instituições de ensino do estado de Minas Gerais tais como PUC-Minas, UFOP e UFMG.

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Published

2016-03-17

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 2 (2016): Apr/Jun

Section

Articles

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