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Social media as tool for facilitating knowledge creation and innovation in small and medium enterprises

Armando Papa (Department of Informatics, University of Turin, Turin, Italy)
Gabriele Santoro (Department of Management, University of Turin, Turin, Italy)
Lia Tirabeni (Department of Cultures, Politics and Society, University of Turin, Turin, Italy)
Filippo Monge (Department of Economics and Statistics “Cognetti de Martiis”, University of Turin, Turin, Italy)

Baltic Journal of Management

ISSN: 1746-5265

Article publication date: 8 March 2018

Issue publication date: 25 June 2018

3342

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of social media usage on four knowledge creation processes, namely socialisation, externalisation, combination and internalisation, and innovation in small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 96 SMEs has been used to gather data through a standardised questionnaire and test the hypotheses through OLS regression models.

Findings

The results indicate that social media influence positively three out of four knowledge creation processes and that they help to foster the innovation process.

Originality/value

From a theoretical perspective, the study contributes to literature considering a specific digital tool and its effect on knowledge creation and innovation. In fact, a few studies have considered the impact of social media usage on other variables, such as ROI and productivity, but never on knowledge creation and innovation through a quantitative study. From a managerial perspective, the research suggests managers to implement and involve social media within business and innovation processes.

Keywords

Citation

Papa, A., Santoro, G., Tirabeni, L. and Monge, F. (2018), "Social media as tool for facilitating knowledge creation and innovation in small and medium enterprises", Baltic Journal of Management, Vol. 13 No. 3, pp. 329-344. https://doi.org/10.1108/BJM-04-2017-0125

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

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