Research Article
How Do Quality Culture and Human Capital Influence Innovation Capability in SMEs? Examining the Mediating Role of Knowledge Management Capability
Abstract
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the main components of emerging economies. Their competitive powers directly influence the economy. One of the competition tools for SMEs is innovation capability. This paper investigates the effects of quality culture and human capital on innovation capability and the mediating role of knowledge management capability on these relationships in SMEs. Data were collected from 227 SMEs in Istanbul via an online survey form and analysed with structural equation modelling. Results revealed that quality culture and human capital positively affect innovation capability, and knowledge management capability mediates these associations.
References
- Aboelmaged, M. & G. Hashem (2019), “Absorptive capacity and green innovation adoption in SMEs: The mediating effects of sustainable organisational capabilities”, Journal of Cleaner Production, 220, 853-863.
- Alavi, M. & D.E. Leidner (2001), “Knowledge management and knowledge management systems: Conceptual foundations and research issues”, MIS Quarterly, 25(1), 107-136.
- Alkhatib, A.W. & M. Valeri (2024), “Can intellectual capital promote the competitive advantage? Service innovation and big data analytics capabilities in a moderated mediation model”, European Journal of Innovation Management, 27(1), 263-289.
- Alrowwad, A.A. et al. (2020), “Innovation and intellectual capital as intermediary variables among transformational leadership, transactional leadership, and organizational performance”, Journal of Management Development, 39(2), 196-222.
- Bahta, D. et al. (2021), “Corporate social responsibility, innovation capability and firm performance: Evidence from SME”, Social Responsibility Journal, 17(6), 840-860.
- Barkat, W. et al. (2018), “Impact of intellectual capital on innovation capability and organizational performance: An empirical investigation”, Serbian Journal of Management, 13(2), 365-379.
- Batista, L. et al. (2019), “Knowledge management for food supply chain synergies - a maturity level analysis of SME companies”, Production Planning & Control, 30(10-12), 995-1004.
- Brislin, R.W. (1980), “Translation and content analysis for oral and written materials”, in: H.C. Triandis & J.W. Berry (eds.), Handbook of Cross-Cultural Psychology 2 (389-444), Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
- Calantone, R.J. et al. (2002), “Learning orientation, firm innovation capability, and firm performance”, Industrial Marketing Management, 31(6), 515-524.
- Cameron, K.S. & R.E. Quinn (2011), Diagnosing and Changing Organizational Culture: Based on the Competing Values Framework (3rd Edition), San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
- Çakar, N.D. & A. Ertürk (2010), “Comparing innovation capability of small and medium‐sized enterprises: Examining the effects of organizational culture and empowerment”, Journal of Small Business Management, 48(3), 325-359.
- Dalkir, K. (2005), Knowledge Management in Theory and Practice (1st Edition), Oxford, UK: Elsevier.
- Demirel, O. & İ.H. Eraslan (2023), “Bilgi yönetimi süreci ile yenilikçilik ilişkisi: Örgütsel öğrenmenin aracılık rolü”, Manisa Celal Bayar Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 21(1), 155-172.
- Edvinsson, L. & P. Sullivan (1996), “Developing a model for managing intellectual capital”, European Management Journal, 14(4), 356-364.
- El Shoubaki, A. et al. (2020), “Human capital and SME growth: The mediating role of reasons to start a business”, Small Business Economics, 54, 1107-1121.
- Goodarzi, M.R. et al. (2016), “The role of human capital development and innovation in healthcare organizations of Markazi province in Iran”, Health Management & Information Science, 3(1), 20-25.
- Grant, R.M. (1996), “Toward a knowledge‐based theory of the firm”, Strategic Management Journal, 17(S2), 109-122.
- Gümüş, B. (2023), “Kalite kültürü alanında Türkiye’de 1990-2022 döneminde yayınlanan çalışmaların bibliyometrik analizi”, Elektronik Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 22(87), 849-870.
- Hashem, G. et al. (2024), “Proactiveness, knowledge management capability and innovation ambidexterity: an empirical examination of digital supply chain adoption”, Management Decision, 62(1), 129-162.
- Jalil, M.F. et al. (2022), “Does innovation capability improve SME performance in Malaysia? The mediating effect of technology adoption”, The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 23(4), 253-267.
- Jarrar, Y.F. (2002), “Knowledge management: Learning for organisational experience”, Managerial Auditing Journal, 17(6), 322-328.
- Jiménez-Jiménez, D. et al. (2020), “Implications of TQM in firm’s innovation capability”, International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 37(2), 279-304.
- Kannan, G. & W.G. Aulbur (2004), “Intellectual capital: Measurement effectiveness”, Journal of Intellectual Capital, 5(3), 389-413.
- Karadag, H. et al. (2023), “When does intellectual capital enhance innovation capability? A three-way interaction test”, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 31(2/3), 563-586.
- King, W.R. (2007), “A research agenda for the relationships between culture and knowledge management”, Knowledge and Process Management, 14(3), 226-236.
- Konsti‐Laakso, S. et al. (2012), “Facilitating SME innovation capability through business networking”, Creativity and Innovation Management, 21(1), 93-105.
- Kureshi, N. et al. (2010), “Current health of quality management practices in service sector SME: A case study of Pakistan”, The TQM Journal, 22(3), 317-329.
- Malá, D. et al. (2023), “Quality culture: A behavioral inspired way of quality in Slovak small and medium enterprises”, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, 11(1), 220-232.
- Malhi, R.S. (2013), “Creating and sustaining: A quality culture”, Journal of Defense Management, S3, 1-4.
- Mata, M.N. et al. (2024), “Collaborative innovation, strategic agility, & absorptive capacity adoption in SMEs: the moderating effects of customer knowledge management capability”, Journal of Knowledge Management, 28(4), 1116-1140.
- Mendoza-Silva, A. (2021), “Innovation capability: a systematic literature review”, European Journal of Innovation Management, 24(3), 707-734.
- Muskat, B. et al. (2021), “Innovation capability and culture: How time-orientation shapes owner-managers’ perceptions”, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 47, 217-227.
- O’Cass, A. & P. Sok (2014), “The role of intellectual resources, product innovation capability, reputational resources and marketing capability combinations in firm growth”, International Small Business Journal, 32(8), 996-1018.
- Onkelinx, J. et al. (2016), “The human factor: Investments in employee human capital, productivity, and SME internationalization”, Journal of International Management, 22(4), 351-364.
- Pedrini, M. (2007), “Human capital convergences in intellectual capital and sustainability reports”, Journal of Intellectual Capital, 8(2), 346-366.
- Rajapathirana, R.J. & Y. Hui (2018), “Relationship between innovation capability, innovation type, and firm performance”, Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 3(1), 44-55.
- Rehman, S.U. et al. (2022), “Intellectual capital, knowledge management and competitive advantage: a resource orchestration perspective”, Journal of Knowledge Management, 26(7), 1705-1731.
- Ruzzier, M. et al. (2007), “Human capital and SME internationalization: A structural equation modeling study”, Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences/Revue Canadienne des Sciences de I'Administration, 24(1), 15-29.
- Sahoo, S. (2019), “Quality management, innovation capability and firm performance: Empirical insights from Indian manufacturing SMEs”, The TQM Journal, 31(6), 1003-1027.
- Saunila, M. (2014), “Innovation capability for SME success: Perspectives of financial and operational performance”, Journal of Advances in Management Research, 11(2), 163-175.
- Saunila, M. (2020), “Innovation capability in SMEs: A systematic review of the literature”, Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 5(4), 260-265.
- Schein, E.H. (1992), Organizational Culture and Leadership (2nd Edition), San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
- Seleim, A.A. & O.E. Khalil (2011), “Understanding the knowledge management‐intellectual capital relationship: a two‐way analysis”, Journal of Intellectual Capital, 12(4), 586-614.
- Stock, G.N. et al. (2010), “Organizational culture, knowledge management, and patient safety in US hospitals”, Quality Management Journal, 17(2), 7-26.
- Subramaniam, M. & M.A. Youndt (2005), “The influence of intellectual capital on the types of innovative capabilities”, Academy of Management Journal, 48(3), 450-463.
- Sullivan, P.H. (1999), “Profiting from intellectual capital”, Journal of Knowledge Management, 3(2), 132-143.
- Sun, Y. et al. (2020), “Analysis of the relationship between open innovation, knowledge management capability and dual innovation”, Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 32(1), 15-28.
- Tejaningrum, A. (2016), “Quality culture and capabilities process supply chain of SMEs”, International Journal of Organizational Innovation, 9(2), 214-225.
- Trivedi, K. & K.B. Srivastava (2024), “The impact of intellectual capital-enhancing HR practices and culture on innovativeness - mediating role of knowledge management processes”, Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 11(3), 573-593.
- Truong, B.T.T. & P.V. Nguyen (2024), “Driving business performance through intellectual capital, absorptive capacity, and innovation: The mediating influence of environmental compliance and innovation”, Asia Pacific Management Review, 29(1), 64-75.
- Wang, H.K. et al. (2008), “An empirical research on the relationship between human capital and innovative capability: A study on Taiwan's commercial banks”, Total Quality Management, 19(11), 1189-1205.
- Wu, S.J. (2015), “The impact of quality culture on quality management practices and performance in Chinese manufacturing firms”, International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 32(8), 799-814.
- Yusof, A.N.M. et al. (2024), “A study on the mediating effect of knowledge management capability between HRM practices and radical innovation capability in Malaysia SME-ICT”, Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 11(2.2), 513-520.
- Zhang, M. & H. Merchant (2020), “A causal analysis of the role of institutions and organizational proficiencies on the innovation capability of Chinese SMEs”, International Business Review, 29(2), 101638.
KOBİ’lerde Kalite Kültürü ve Beşerî Sermaye İnovasyon Yeteneğini Nasıl Etkiler? Bilgi Yönetimi Yeteneğinin Aracılık Rolünün İncelenmesi
Abstract
Küçük ve orta büyüklükteki işletmeler (KOBİ) gelişmekte olan ekonomilerin temel bileşenleridir. Onların rekabet güçleri ekonomiyi doğrudan etkilemektedir. KOBİ’lerin rekabet araçlarından biri de inovasyon yeteneğidir. Bu çalışma KOBİ’lerde kalite kültürü ve beşerî sermayenin inovasyon yeteneği üzerindeki etkilerini ve bilgi yönetimi yeteneğinin bu ilişkilerdeki aracılık rolünü araştırmayı amaçlamaktadır. Çalışmanın verileri İstanbul’da yer alan 227 KOBİ’den çevrimiçi anket yoluyla toplanmış ve yapısal eşitlik modellemesi kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Yürütülen Analiz bulguları kalite kültürü ve beşerî sermayenin inovasyon yeteneğini olumlu etkilediğini ve bilgi yönetimi yeteneğinin bu ilişkiler üzerinde aracılık rolü olduğunu ortaya çıkarmıştır.
References
- Aboelmaged, M. & G. Hashem (2019), “Absorptive capacity and green innovation adoption in SMEs: The mediating effects of sustainable organisational capabilities”, Journal of Cleaner Production, 220, 853-863.
- Alavi, M. & D.E. Leidner (2001), “Knowledge management and knowledge management systems: Conceptual foundations and research issues”, MIS Quarterly, 25(1), 107-136.
- Alkhatib, A.W. & M. Valeri (2024), “Can intellectual capital promote the competitive advantage? Service innovation and big data analytics capabilities in a moderated mediation model”, European Journal of Innovation Management, 27(1), 263-289.
- Alrowwad, A.A. et al. (2020), “Innovation and intellectual capital as intermediary variables among transformational leadership, transactional leadership, and organizational performance”, Journal of Management Development, 39(2), 196-222.
- Bahta, D. et al. (2021), “Corporate social responsibility, innovation capability and firm performance: Evidence from SME”, Social Responsibility Journal, 17(6), 840-860.
- Barkat, W. et al. (2018), “Impact of intellectual capital on innovation capability and organizational performance: An empirical investigation”, Serbian Journal of Management, 13(2), 365-379.
- Batista, L. et al. (2019), “Knowledge management for food supply chain synergies - a maturity level analysis of SME companies”, Production Planning & Control, 30(10-12), 995-1004.
- Brislin, R.W. (1980), “Translation and content analysis for oral and written materials”, in: H.C. Triandis & J.W. Berry (eds.), Handbook of Cross-Cultural Psychology 2 (389-444), Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
- Calantone, R.J. et al. (2002), “Learning orientation, firm innovation capability, and firm performance”, Industrial Marketing Management, 31(6), 515-524.
- Cameron, K.S. & R.E. Quinn (2011), Diagnosing and Changing Organizational Culture: Based on the Competing Values Framework (3rd Edition), San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
- Çakar, N.D. & A. Ertürk (2010), “Comparing innovation capability of small and medium‐sized enterprises: Examining the effects of organizational culture and empowerment”, Journal of Small Business Management, 48(3), 325-359.
- Dalkir, K. (2005), Knowledge Management in Theory and Practice (1st Edition), Oxford, UK: Elsevier.
- Demirel, O. & İ.H. Eraslan (2023), “Bilgi yönetimi süreci ile yenilikçilik ilişkisi: Örgütsel öğrenmenin aracılık rolü”, Manisa Celal Bayar Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 21(1), 155-172.
- Edvinsson, L. & P. Sullivan (1996), “Developing a model for managing intellectual capital”, European Management Journal, 14(4), 356-364.
- El Shoubaki, A. et al. (2020), “Human capital and SME growth: The mediating role of reasons to start a business”, Small Business Economics, 54, 1107-1121.
- Goodarzi, M.R. et al. (2016), “The role of human capital development and innovation in healthcare organizations of Markazi province in Iran”, Health Management & Information Science, 3(1), 20-25.
- Grant, R.M. (1996), “Toward a knowledge‐based theory of the firm”, Strategic Management Journal, 17(S2), 109-122.
- Gümüş, B. (2023), “Kalite kültürü alanında Türkiye’de 1990-2022 döneminde yayınlanan çalışmaların bibliyometrik analizi”, Elektronik Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 22(87), 849-870.
- Hashem, G. et al. (2024), “Proactiveness, knowledge management capability and innovation ambidexterity: an empirical examination of digital supply chain adoption”, Management Decision, 62(1), 129-162.
- Jalil, M.F. et al. (2022), “Does innovation capability improve SME performance in Malaysia? The mediating effect of technology adoption”, The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 23(4), 253-267.
- Jarrar, Y.F. (2002), “Knowledge management: Learning for organisational experience”, Managerial Auditing Journal, 17(6), 322-328.
- Jiménez-Jiménez, D. et al. (2020), “Implications of TQM in firm’s innovation capability”, International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 37(2), 279-304.
- Kannan, G. & W.G. Aulbur (2004), “Intellectual capital: Measurement effectiveness”, Journal of Intellectual Capital, 5(3), 389-413.
- Karadag, H. et al. (2023), “When does intellectual capital enhance innovation capability? A three-way interaction test”, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 31(2/3), 563-586.
- King, W.R. (2007), “A research agenda for the relationships between culture and knowledge management”, Knowledge and Process Management, 14(3), 226-236.
- Konsti‐Laakso, S. et al. (2012), “Facilitating SME innovation capability through business networking”, Creativity and Innovation Management, 21(1), 93-105.
- Kureshi, N. et al. (2010), “Current health of quality management practices in service sector SME: A case study of Pakistan”, The TQM Journal, 22(3), 317-329.
- Malá, D. et al. (2023), “Quality culture: A behavioral inspired way of quality in Slovak small and medium enterprises”, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, 11(1), 220-232.
- Malhi, R.S. (2013), “Creating and sustaining: A quality culture”, Journal of Defense Management, S3, 1-4.
- Mata, M.N. et al. (2024), “Collaborative innovation, strategic agility, & absorptive capacity adoption in SMEs: the moderating effects of customer knowledge management capability”, Journal of Knowledge Management, 28(4), 1116-1140.
- Mendoza-Silva, A. (2021), “Innovation capability: a systematic literature review”, European Journal of Innovation Management, 24(3), 707-734.
- Muskat, B. et al. (2021), “Innovation capability and culture: How time-orientation shapes owner-managers’ perceptions”, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 47, 217-227.
- O’Cass, A. & P. Sok (2014), “The role of intellectual resources, product innovation capability, reputational resources and marketing capability combinations in firm growth”, International Small Business Journal, 32(8), 996-1018.
- Onkelinx, J. et al. (2016), “The human factor: Investments in employee human capital, productivity, and SME internationalization”, Journal of International Management, 22(4), 351-364.
- Pedrini, M. (2007), “Human capital convergences in intellectual capital and sustainability reports”, Journal of Intellectual Capital, 8(2), 346-366.
- Rajapathirana, R.J. & Y. Hui (2018), “Relationship between innovation capability, innovation type, and firm performance”, Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 3(1), 44-55.
- Rehman, S.U. et al. (2022), “Intellectual capital, knowledge management and competitive advantage: a resource orchestration perspective”, Journal of Knowledge Management, 26(7), 1705-1731.
- Ruzzier, M. et al. (2007), “Human capital and SME internationalization: A structural equation modeling study”, Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences/Revue Canadienne des Sciences de I'Administration, 24(1), 15-29.
- Sahoo, S. (2019), “Quality management, innovation capability and firm performance: Empirical insights from Indian manufacturing SMEs”, The TQM Journal, 31(6), 1003-1027.
- Saunila, M. (2014), “Innovation capability for SME success: Perspectives of financial and operational performance”, Journal of Advances in Management Research, 11(2), 163-175.
- Saunila, M. (2020), “Innovation capability in SMEs: A systematic review of the literature”, Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 5(4), 260-265.
- Schein, E.H. (1992), Organizational Culture and Leadership (2nd Edition), San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
- Seleim, A.A. & O.E. Khalil (2011), “Understanding the knowledge management‐intellectual capital relationship: a two‐way analysis”, Journal of Intellectual Capital, 12(4), 586-614.
- Stock, G.N. et al. (2010), “Organizational culture, knowledge management, and patient safety in US hospitals”, Quality Management Journal, 17(2), 7-26.
- Subramaniam, M. & M.A. Youndt (2005), “The influence of intellectual capital on the types of innovative capabilities”, Academy of Management Journal, 48(3), 450-463.
- Sullivan, P.H. (1999), “Profiting from intellectual capital”, Journal of Knowledge Management, 3(2), 132-143.
- Sun, Y. et al. (2020), “Analysis of the relationship between open innovation, knowledge management capability and dual innovation”, Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 32(1), 15-28.
- Tejaningrum, A. (2016), “Quality culture and capabilities process supply chain of SMEs”, International Journal of Organizational Innovation, 9(2), 214-225.
- Trivedi, K. & K.B. Srivastava (2024), “The impact of intellectual capital-enhancing HR practices and culture on innovativeness - mediating role of knowledge management processes”, Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 11(3), 573-593.
- Truong, B.T.T. & P.V. Nguyen (2024), “Driving business performance through intellectual capital, absorptive capacity, and innovation: The mediating influence of environmental compliance and innovation”, Asia Pacific Management Review, 29(1), 64-75.
- Wang, H.K. et al. (2008), “An empirical research on the relationship between human capital and innovative capability: A study on Taiwan's commercial banks”, Total Quality Management, 19(11), 1189-1205.
- Wu, S.J. (2015), “The impact of quality culture on quality management practices and performance in Chinese manufacturing firms”, International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 32(8), 799-814.
- Yusof, A.N.M. et al. (2024), “A study on the mediating effect of knowledge management capability between HRM practices and radical innovation capability in Malaysia SME-ICT”, Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 11(2.2), 513-520.
- Zhang, M. & H. Merchant (2020), “A causal analysis of the role of institutions and organizational proficiencies on the innovation capability of Chinese SMEs”, International Business Review, 29(2), 101638.
There are 54 citations in total.
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Organisation Economy, Applied Economics (Other) |
| Journal Section | Articles |
| Authors | |
| Early Pub Date | July 8, 2025 |
| Publication Date | July 17, 2025 |
| Submission Date | August 20, 2024 |
| Acceptance Date | May 22, 2025 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2025 Volume: 33 Issue: 65 |
