Using Knowledge Management to gain Competitive Advantage in the Textile and Apparel Value Chain: A Comparison Small and Large Firms

The ability to store, capture, and disseminate knowledge within and across organizational boundaries has challenged managers for many years. However, as product lifecycles have decreased and environmental complexity and volatility have increased, the need to manage knowledge is intensifying, particularly across the value chain. Firms view knowledge and knowledge management as part of their strategic orientation. The difficulties of managing knowledge of are faced by firms of all sizes. Low-cost strategies may emphasize knowledge that can be used to cut costs, lower prices, and shorten cycle times whereas differentiation strategies may emphasize knowledge that adds value to a product giving it unique characteristics that serve to differentiate it from the competition. This research examines the process of acquisition, retention, maintenance, and retrieval of knowledge both within the firm through organizational memory and across the value chain through knowledge management and compares these practices for small and large firms.