How knowledge management impacts performance: An empirical study in Chinese knowledge-intensive enterprises

Developing an understanding of relationship between knowledge management and organizational performance is of central important to management scholars. In this paper, based on a sample of Chinese knowledge-intensive enterprises engaged in aviation and aerospace sectors, we test our hypotheses through a combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis, as well as the composed method of normative analysis and empirical research. More specifically, we consider how knowledge management impacts organizational performance in enterprise by two routes, the knowledge management process and the environmental impact factors. We find that the knowledge management process and the environmental impact factors positively affect organizational performance, respectively. This paper is one of the empirical supports for the role of environmental impact factors as a mediator between knowledge management and organizational performance. We further outline the implications of these findings for practice and future research.