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Received: 15 February 2019 Accepted: 11 March 2019

DOI: 10.1002/kpm.1602

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Showcasing knowledge: The promotion of knowledge


management in a technology‐based organization

Micheline Guerreiro Krause | Cristiano José Castro de Almeida Cunha |

Édis Mafra Lapolli | Gertrudes Aparecida Dandolini

Graduate Program of Engineering and


Knowledge Management, Universidade This paper aims to investigate how knowledge management is promoted in the prac-
Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil
tices of a technology‐based organization with the support of the tools and resources
Correspondence of internal marketing and internal communication. We conducted a basic qualitative
Micheline Guerreiro Krause, PhD student,
research with empirical data collected in a large organization in Brazil and analyzed
Graduate Program of Engineering and
Knowledge Management, Universidade it through the general analytic strategy. The main findings reveal that knowledge
Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Santa
management can be promoted and showcased internally by the techniques and
Catarina, Brazil.
Email: michelinekrause@gmail.com approaches of internal marketing and internal communication, in a similar way to an
internal advertising agency. However, some key features are not being used system-
Funding information
Capes Foundation (Coordenação de atically, suggesting a lack of vision in its applicability to the internal audience. The
Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior)
results also reveal the lack of functional attribution and of intentional awareness
about the promotion of knowledge management targeted to the second generation
of knowledge management, more oriented to the creation of knowledge in a
technology‐based organization.

1 | I N T RO D U CT I O N learning, and the organizational capacity to create knowledge. He also


states that the current stage seeks to integrate the two phases.
The maturity phase of the knowledge society places the processes of Therefore, we can consider the analogy of placing the knowledge on
knowledge management (KM) in the showcase of organizations, con- display (Krause, Lapolli, Dandolini, & Cunha, 2015) in order to promote
textualizing a daily life in which people consume and create new visibility as well as generating identification and consumption. It is man-
knowledge as a spontaneous and balanced cycle of their needs, datory to consider cultivating culture, understood as the process of pre-
desires, and practices. The promotion of KM in the daily life of organi- paring and improving the land (Morgan, 2010). In turn, a knowledge
zations can favor its balance between the supply and demand of culture puts forward the entire dynamics of the KM process because
knowledge (McElroy, 2011), with appropriate techniques and tools. it facilitates the creation of a new knowledge, which must be coded,
According to McElroy (2011: XXIV), starting from the end of last validated, and represented when stored (Travica, 2013).
century, the knowledge society witnessed the advance of what he A review of the literature on KM suggests that the implementation
called “the new knowledge management” or “second‐generation of its practices and processes requires strategic alignment, focus on
knowledge management.” McElroy characterizes the first generation people, favorable culture, incorporation of “knowledge into the fabric”
as “the supply side of KM” whereas the second generation is charac- of companies (DALKIR, 2005: 79), as well as behavior modification
terized by the author as the “demand side of KM,” focusing on people, (Dubois & Wilkerson, 2008). Reinforcing this understanding, Nair and
Prakash (2009) recommend a communication material that generates
agreements and engagements.
Micheline Guerreiro Krause was sponsored by CAPES Foundation.
These issues, considered from an interdisciplinary point of view,
NOTE: This article is an expanded version of a paper presented at a conference in Brazil and suggest a task force bringing together professionals with different pro-
published in Portuguese in the proceedings. The research giving rise to this article composes a
files, as defended in the corresponding literature. The present study
master dissertation developed in Brazil by the first author under the guidance of the
coauthors. focuses on the contribution of internal communication (IC) and

Knowl Process Manag. 2019;26:299–307. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/kpm © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 299
300 KRAUSE ET AL.

internal marketing (IM), with the use of appropriate tools, in order to 2.2 | Guiding concepts on internal marketing and
place knowledge in the showcase of organizational daily life and pos- communication
sibly contribute to the promotion of a balance between knowledge
supply and demand. According to Rafiq and Ahmed (1993: 222), IM can be defined as the
In agreement with Dalkir's (2005) view that many recognize the “planned effort to overcome organizational resistance to change and
value of knowledge but few know how to manage it as an organiza- to align, motivate, and integrate employees towards the effective
tional asset, the motivating question of this research was: How can implementation of corporate and functional strategies.” IM's founda-
KM be promoted in the daily life of a technology‐based organization tions lie in the very broad definition offered by the American Marketing
(TBO) through techniques and resources of IM and IC? In order to Association (AMA), for whom “Marketing is the activity, set of institu-
answer to this question, an exploratory and empirical research was tions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and
developed in a large TBO in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners,
and society at large” (AMA, 2013), with the proviso that IM directs its
actions to people within the organization, especially employees.
In external campaigns marketing often uses the “marketing mix”—a

2 | T HE O R E T I CA L B A CK GR O U N D term coined by Neil Borden in 1953 in an AMA speech—also known as


four Ps, 4Ps, or marketing mix, which involves planned actions in rela-
The “how” question poses the challenge of exploring a vast field of tion to the product, price, place, and promotion. Some authors in the
domains. Thus, this study proposes the interdisciplinary dialog area believe that the 4Ps can be tailored to the internal target audi-
between different fields of knowledge. ence. Based on a literature review, Krause (2014) presents an under-
standing of this adaptation, as shown in Table 1.
Ahmed and Rafiq (2002) argue that the 4Ps should be carefully
planned in the internal environment, particularly in relation to the
2.1 | Interdisciplinary perspective product because in many cases the internal customer must necessarily
buy it, unlike the external customer. IM efforts involve large‐scale
This research was conducted with an interdisciplinary perspective, communication. It is addressed as a resource or practice that can be
characterized by the “process of answering a question, solving a prob- used strategically by IM (Ahmed & Rafiq, 2003; Ferdous, 2008; Varey,
lem or approaching a topic that is too broad or complex to be ade- 1995) in the implementation of internal campaigns.
quately addressed by a single discipline” (Repko, 2008: 344). For Griffin (2009: 6), “communication is the relational process of
According to Jantsch (1972) the configuration of this study is repre- creating and interpreting messages that trigger a response.” Despite
sented as a two‐tier, multi‐objective system with coordination from the simplicity of this definition, it is possible to contemplate the key
the higher level, as shown in Figure 1. words that suggest procedural, relational, transactional, meaningful,
Figure 1 shows that the promotion of KM is a challenge that can and responsive action. According to Krause, Lapolli, Dandolini, and
be articulated through the coordination of the multiple objectives of Willerding (2014), communication is an inherent part of the chain of
the three disciplines that can be related to postulate the new intention knowledge and maintains a close relationship with KM. IC means
of showcasing knowledge. Having this vision as a driver, we will be “every form of communication within the organization” (Vercic, Vercic,
presenting a chart of convergence between some of the relevant & Sriramesh, 2012: 225), which comprises formal and informal com-
assumptions of KM, IC, and IM, which can be combined to solve daily munication at all levels (Kalla, 2005).
challenges within an organization. We substantiate this view on the It is also important to clarify that the showcase is not understood
basis of Etges (1995), to whom interdisciplinarity generates a new in this research in its concrete form but rather figuratively in order
common language, shared between researchers with different disci- to put a product on display and in high visibility to encourage its con-
plinary backgrounds. sumption. Among other objectives, the showcase can reinforce intrin-

FIGURE 1 Representation of the interdisciplinary perspective in this research. Source: The authors (2019), based on Jantsch's interdisciplinary
configuration (1972: 109)
KRAUSE ET AL. 301

TABLE 1 The 4Ps adaptable to the internal market the mission is to enable the organization to meet the demand for
new knowledge, integrating both existing knowledge supply and the
Values, attitudes, necessary behaviors, programs, the
Product work itself, processes, or activity. demand for new, procedural, cyclical, holistic, collective, and inte-
grated ones. According to McElroy, the second generation of KM
Price Psychological cost of change, opportunity cost, adjustment,
the form of work, status, and adoption of new values.
focuses on people, human initiatives, social systems, knowledge crea-
tion, and organizational learning, which create an appropriate context
Place Environment, meetings, trainings, and the management of
people. for innovations in an economic phase of accelerated behavioral and
technological change. He argues that organizational knowledge is
Promotion Internal communication and advertising, motivational
incentives, and media (the most tangible aspects). expressed in behavior by simply observing practices in their context
in order to get an idea of what the “organization knows.”
Source: Krause (2014: 78), based on Piercy and Morgan (1991); Ahmed
and Rafiq (2002).
In this sense, Dubois and Wilkerson (2008) consider people to be the
nucleus of KM activities. They claim that modification of behavior is one
sic values of what is exhibited and may encourage viewers to “see in a of the main challenges of KM, considering that people shape the culture,
disciplined way, ordered by those who control the exhibition” execute the process, manage knowledge, and use technology. The focus
(Welchman, 2013: 2). The author makes relations with the crystalliza- is therefore put on people as real knowledge assets with the intention of
tion, enlightenment, spatial evidence, contemplation, and visual inter- incorporating knowledge into the “fabric” of organizations, in order for
action with the content placed in a vitrine. This view is considered in knowledge to become part of the daily life of employees (Dalkir,
this study. 2005). The culture of the organization may be seen as an influencer of
behaviors and beliefs (Oliveira, Oliveira, & Lima, 2016). In this sense,
organizational culture is constituted of a set of beliefs, values, and
2.3 | Pillars of knowledge and development of KM norms shared among members, as well as material artifacts, behaviors,
and practices commonly performed (Travica, 2013). He clarifies that
This study assumes KM as “the process of continuously creating new knowledge‐based companies can foster the construction of a culture
knowledge, disseminating it widely throughout the organization and of knowledge. This knowledge culture combines cultural elements at
rapidly incorporating it into new products/services, technologies and individual, group and macroorganizational levels to facilitate the entire
systems” (Takeuchi & Nonaka, 2008: ix). This definition makes explicit process of KM (Travica, 2013).
the belief in the following related assumptions: KM is a process, which This perspective emphasizes the management of people and by
demands constancy and continuity; KM fosters the creation of new extension the redefinition of roles of leadership. Bukowitz and Wil-
knowledge as a result of its development; KM drives the speed of liams (2002) argue that, from the point of view of knowledge, organi-
events; KM requires wide dissemination at all levels of the organization, zational leaders have the challenge not only of establishing strategies
and KM should be harmoniously integrated into people's daily lives. but also communicating them to employees in an “irresistible way”
Knowledge can be defined from different perspectives, seeking an as well as capturing and developing the creative potential of organiza-
interdisciplinary meaning, which does not claim universality but pro- tional knowledge. Likewise, Sveiby (1998) mentions that leaders in
motes the convergence of epistemological viewpoints. This research knowledge organizations use their communication skills for the mis-
assumes that knowledge is a “value generating factor” and allows as sion of persuading followers to adopt group orientations.
definition: “Knowledge is content or process made effective by human The pillars of KM, like other constructs, vary according to the
or artificial agents in the generation of scientific, economic, social or researchers' world views. In this research, it is assumed that the main
cultural value” (Pacheco, 2016: 37). pillars of KM architecture must be integrated in a way that is aligned
KM processes are understood as being composed of five steps with the processes, culture, people, leadership, technologies, and com-
defined by the Asian Productivity Organization as identification, crea- munication in the organization. In the architecture proposed by
tion, storage, sharing, and use of knowledge (Young, 2010). Heisig's Stankosky, Calabrese and Baldanza (1999, as cited in Stankosky,
(2009) studies corroborate this setup having verified that the 166 2005), communication is a common element in the four pillars—leader-
terms used in the 117 KM models analyzed could be grouped into ship, organization, technologies, and learning, which corroborates the
these five stages. interdisciplinary assumptions of the present study.
KM practices in turn can be defined as “observable organizational
activities related to knowledge management” (Zack, Mckeen, & Singh, 2.4 | Promotion of knowledge management
2009: 394). Within this perspective, the implementation of KM internally
practices, at any stage, is focused on the need to promote these initia-
tives with all employees and to consider them as strategic issues Literature review done with the combined terms IC and KM shows
(Dalkir, 2005). that communication is portrayed both as a resource used for the diffu-
About the development of KM, the first phase of KM prioritized sion and establishment of knowledge flow and as an integral element
technologies and the sharing of existing knowledge, focusing on its of the value chain of knowledge, as well as the developer of new per-
offer (McElroy, 2011). In the second phase, according to this author, ceptions and behaviors (Krause, 2014).
302 KRAUSE ET AL.

According to O'Sullivan (2007), the proper IC planning can be an TABLE 2 Theoretical propositions identified in the researched
important ally in KM deployments as it can promote understanding, literature
help overcome resistance, emphasize values, utilize available technol- The promotion of internal knowledge management
ogies, and support IM strategies. Studies by Moresi and Mendes
Theoretical propositions of
(2010) corroborate this view, pointing to IC as one of the critical fac- Theoretical propositions of internal marketing (IM) and
tors for the success of KM in organizations, especially when used in knowledge management (KM) internal communication (IC)
a coordinated way with IM. “Selling” KM internally. Marketing approach (Rafiq &
Nair and Prakash (2009) defend the need to develop communica- Communication material that Ahmed, 1993). IM as an internal
tion material that promotes the benefits related to knowledge, predis- generates agreements and advertising agency (Brum, 2010);
posing adherence and commitment on the part of employees. These accessions and sells the benefits employees are clients (Sasser &
of knowledge (Nair & Prakash, Arbeit, 1976; Varey, 1995; Wu
authors recommend considering that among the collaborators there
2009; Zhao et al., 2012). & Lee, 2011); communication
are both the committed ones—who adhere and promote the idea to and persuasion (Martino, 2008);
the others—as well as the spectators, the hesitant people, and the sales to the top management
ones who only comply with the obligations and need to be more (Piercy & Morgan, 1991).

impacted by promotional material. It is a strategic and planned effort Ample dissemination of processes IM campaigns to publicize and
and new knowledge (Takeuchi & engage employees (Prasad &
to highlight KM initiatives and promote visibility. The literature ana-
Nonaka, 2008). Steffes, 2002); internal 4Ps
lyzed also identifies the possibility of changing perceptions, acces- (Ahmed & Rafiq, 2002; Piercy &
sions, and the formation of new attitudes and behaviors (Dubois & Morgan, 1991).
Wilkerson, 2008; Rastogi, 2000; Wang & Noe, 2010). Creating receptivity; predisposition IM is a set of practices and
In this sense, Dixon (2012) defends the posture of convocation, to the creation, use, and sharing “processes for creating,
transparency, and the inclusion and involvement of people in an envi- of knowledge (Nair & Prakash, communicating, delivering, and
2009; Young, 2010); turning exchanging offers” (AMA, 2013)
ronment of articulation of ideas and perception of the value of knowl-
knowledge into a real‐life of value to internal customers.
edge. Hoof and Huysman (2009) focus on the need to promote product, creating value for all
identification and reciprocity regarding KM initiatives as well as to clients (Lee & Ram, 2018)
clearly define their purposes and applications. These issues may find Knowledge culture combines Implementation of “corporative
support in promotional material that “sells” the benefits of knowledge cultural elements at the and functional strategies” (Rafiq
(Nair & Prakash, 2009; Zhao, Pablos, & Qi, 2012). individual, group and & Ahmed, 1993).
macroorganizational levels
If a knowledge culture is created, nurtured, and developed inter-
(Travica, 2013).
nally, all members of the organization feel potentially motivated to
Clearly define the scope of the Information; IM campaigns should
actively support KM initiatives. They incorporate KM as part of their
initiative (Hoof & Huysman, clarify how the changes affect
work and tasks. The natural step, then, is the desire to communicate 2009). the users (Leonard‐Barton,
this culture to the public at large, to the stakeholders and the prospec- 1987).
tive employees (Miklosik, Evans, Hasprova, & Lipianska, 2018). In the Generate identification, reciprocity How to implement affects
end, knowledge that is nurtured internally must be used to turn knowl- (Hoof & Huysman, 2009). perceptions (Leonard‐Barton,
1987).
edge into a real‐life product, create value for clients, and lead to orga-
nizational growth (Lee & Ram, 2018). This is corroborated by Quartey Source: Adapted from Krause (2014: 102), based on literature review.
(2019), to whom most of the interviewees stated that knowledge is
applied to transform techniques, practices, and behaviors, which affect adhesion and commitment. The actions begin with sales to the top man-
the sustained competitiveness of the sector. agement, aiming at obtaining broad support, investments, and incen-
tives from leadership. Based on another example cited, it is
interpreted that the challenge of generating identification and reciproc-
2.5 | Theoretical contributions ity is supported by the literature on IC and IM, which understands that
the way initiatives are implemented can affect perceptions, requiring
Based on the review of the literature on KM, IC, and IM, it was possi- appropriate planning. It is worth verifying these theoretical assumptions
ble to substantiate the theoretical propositions that can be reconciled in the empirical organizational context.
for the promotion of KM in the internal environment of organizations.
Table 2 summarizes the main assumptions identified in the literature.
Table 2 shows the challenges related to KM listed in the left column 3 | M E TH OD O LO GY
whereas the references to IC and IM are listed in the right column. In the
interpretation of the first line, for example, it is verified that to sell KM This study is characterized as basic qualitative research with exploratory
internally implementers of the initiatives can count on IM. This can act investigations. The data collection procedure occurred in two moments.
as an internal advertising agency, considering employees as clients to The theoretical data were gathered through the literature review, and
whom are directed communication and persuasion techniques for the empirical data were collected in a large TBO of Santa Catarina State
KRAUSE ET AL. 303

with the application of a research instrument and semistructured inter- 4 | EMPIRICAL FINDINGS
view. Data were analyzed based on the case study technique. The
research was conducted during the first author's master's degree, and TecMark uses 19 of the 21 KM practices presented to the interviewee
the empirical data analyzed here are parts of the research published in in the first part of the research instrument, as shown in Table 3.
full in the dissertation repository of the university in Brazil. Analyzing what was filled out, it can be seen that TecMark has the
The basic qualitative research was guided by the “focus on mean- main objective of sharing knowledge, as can be seen through the 15
ing, understanding, process; intentional sample; data collection selected options. The use of knowledge was identified in six practices
through interviews, observations, documents” and conclusions pre- and the creation and storage of knowledge in five each. The practices
sented on the basis of categories (Merriam, 2009: 38). In the empirical serve four of the five stages of KM, leaving out the identification of
data collection phase, the semistructured interview technique was knowledge. Those identified as being employed with three different
used along with a form employing the complement technique objectives within the KM process were: mentor/mentee, taxonomy,
(Vergara, 2008) and the organizational communication auditing tech- document library, and physical collaborative workspaces. Those identi-
nique (Kunsch, 2012) to be completed by the respondent. fied with two purposes were communities of practice, knowledge por-
The data analysis was based on the identification of the “General tal, peer assist, and advanced search.
Analytic Strategy,” which offered the focus of analysis based on “the- Regarding the IM practices presented, the respondent selected all
oretical propositions” that were identified in the literature on the 22 options as being used. Most of them were being used systemati-
researched topic with conclusions supported by “explanation building” cally, with the exception of the 4Ps, knowledge marketing, database
as explained by Yin (2010). marketing, and informal communication, as in Table 4.
The decision to carry out research in a TBO is justified by the fact
they bring together professionals who use knowledge as one of the TABLE 3 Knowledge management practices at TecMark
main work resources. The organization was chosen intentionally bearing
1.1 Please identify the practices and tools used in this Organization,
in mind that it should be of technological base and great size in order to according to its goals and uses (creating knowledge, sharing, etc.)
demand marketing work and IC, have its headquarters in the city of
Knowledge:
Florianopolis/SC–Brazil, hold marketing or corporate communications Knowledge management
practices and tools Share Create Store Apply Identify
department, and be identified as relevant in its sector by market
research. According to Miklosik et al. (2018), the company size is a fac- Knowledge cafes ⊠ ◻ ◻ ◻ ◻

tor determining the implementation of KM. They state that this factor Communities of practice ⊠ ◻ ⊠ ◻ ◻
finds a favorable field of verification in large enterprises as they are Knowledge clusters ⊠ ◻ ◻ ◻ ◻
more likely to adopt and take advantage of the implementation of KM. Expert locator ◻ ◻ ⊠ ◻ ◻
The data collection instrument was developed so as to answer the Collaborative virtual ⊠ ◻ ◻ ◻ ◻
research question, having the theoretical propositions presented as workspaces
drivers, in order to verify how the theories were being used or not in Knowledge portal ⊠ ◻ ⊠ ◻
the researched context. The instrument was divided in three parts with Knowledge bases (Wikis, etc.) ⊠ ◻ ◻ ◻
distinct objectives: Part 1 identifies the practices, perceptions, and
Blogs ⊠ ◻ ◻ ◻
approaches of KM in the organization; Part 2 identifies IM practices
Learning reviews ⊠ ◻ ◻
and IC; Part 3 sees how IM and IC can promote KM among employees.
After action reviews ⊠ ◻ ◻
All criteria for the choice of organization were met, being the TBO
identified in this study with the pseudonym name of TecMark Tech- Mentor/mentee ⊠ ⊠ ⊠ ◻

nologies in order to preserve the anonymity. The organization is one Taxonomy ⊠ ⊠ ⊠


of the largest in the country in the segment of technological solutions, Document libraries ⊠ ⊠ ⊠
having more than 2,000 clients in Brazil and abroad, and more than Collaborative physical ⊠ ⊠ ⊠
1,500 employees at the time of the interview, held in August 2014. workspaces
The research participant was in charge of the organization's IM, Peer assist ⊠ ⊠
holding the position of marketing manager. The marketing department Social networking services ⊠
occupies the hierarchical position immediately below the board of Storytelling ◻
directors in the organization chart, having a consulting and advisory role,
Brainstorming ⊠
along with other departments. The interviewee had been working in the
Advanced search ⊠ ⊠
organization for 3 years and had an undergraduate degree in administra-
Learning and idea capture ⊠
tion as well as a specialization and a Masters in Human Resources.
Having the agreement of the interviewee to participate in the Knowledge mapping ◻

research, a face‐to‐face meeting was scheduled, at which time the par- Other: ◻ ◻ ◻ ◻ ◻
◻ ◻ ◻ ◻ ◻
ticipant signed the consent form. The interview was recorded with the
interviewee's permission and transcribed verbatim for analysis. Source: Krause (2014), based on Young (2010: 3–5).
304 KRAUSE ET AL.

TABLE 4 Internal marketing practices at TecMark needs marketing support, as is the case of noncorporate initiatives
that were born and developed within the business units.
2.1 Does your organization have internal marketing practices? Check
the options specifically associated with internal marketing activities:

Actions, resources,
Systematic
Actions, resources,
Systematic 4.1 | Convergence of theoretical and empirical data
objectives Yes No objectives Yes No
Based on the empirical data, it was possible to present, in addition to
□ Planning χ □ Creation of corporate χ
identity
the theoretical framework, how KM could potentially be promoted in
the daily life of the research organization through the techniques and
□ Satisfaction χ □ Database marketing χ
survey resources of IM and IC. We present a convergence between theoret-
ical propositions and the empirical findings in Table 5.
□ Awards and χ □ Disclose mission, vision, χ
Incentives goals Through Table 5, we can see how knowledge of distinct areas can

□ Promotion χ □ Creation of χ be intentionally coordinated for solving a problem, given the previ-
organizational culture ously explained assumption of interdisciplinary architecture to pro-
□ Information χ □ Strategic alignment χ moting KM.

□ Marketing mix χ □ Formal internal χ


(4Ps) communication
5 | DISCUSSION AND PRACTICAL
□ Advertising and χ □ Informal internal χ
Publicity communication IMPLICATIONS
□ Internal χ □ Stationery, promotional χ
Newspapers material The researched company was intentionally chosen and previously
identified as a company whose workers use knowledge as one of its
□ Digital Marketing χ □ Direct Marketing χ
main work resources. The choice reflects that the culture of knowl-
□ Knowledge χ □ (Follow up, as χ
Marketing requested)
edge transcends the internal environment and is communicated to
the general public, as pointed out in the literature. The organization
□ Training χ □ Blogs, social media χ
proved to be intense in implementing KM practices.
□ Other: □ Other:
It can be interpreted that the most used practices underline the
Source: Krause (2014: 110). knowledge sharing culture, which is corroborated by the multiple
objectives of three practices that involve face‐to‐face relationships,
Regarding the biggest internal “sales” effort, the interviewee stated which in turn show the sharing of tacit knowledge and a focus on peo-
that the first challenge is to obtain top management approval because ple. However, considering the need for innovation in a TBO, we
“if you do not have their ok, their endorsement, if they are not con- believe that the creation of knowledge could receive more attention
vinced that the project is worth it, it won't work out.” By filling out on the part of the organization in order to more significantly meet
the add‐on technique used in the form the respondent expressed the assumptions of the second generation of KM.
the vision that IM is “the process of ‘selling’ the company to The organization revealed widespread use of internal campaigns
employees.” for dissemination and “sale” of initiatives to both employees and top
On aspects directly related to the promotion of KM at TecMark, management—which gives the endorsement. The interviewee eluci-
the manager stated that about 70% of the activities developed by dated that his main performance is similar to an internal advertising
his department are used for the internal target audience. He further agency, which puts the employees in the place of clients. When men-
stated, “We have a house, an internal agency [...] it's like an advertising tioning promotional material to engage employees, it is interpreted as
agency.” He mentioned cases of successful internal campaigns in referring to the power of persuasion of communication and the power
which he used marketing approaches in a coordinated way throughout to create, communicate, deliver, and offer value to internal customers,
the national territory, counting on the support of local leaders and as professed in general marketing concepts. When mentioning cam-
with extensive use of promotional material to “involve employees.” paigns coordinated throughout the country, it is interpreted that the
The interviewee stated that he was not applying the 4Ps in IM. He organization is investing in the implementation of corporate strategies,
was presented with an expanded model of 7Ps, authored by Ahmed in dissemination and regimentation of local leadership, and in the cul-
and Rafiq (2002). He considered it to be applicable but he claimed: “I tivation of organizational culture.
would have to force the issue a bit. It's possible. There is a logic to it However, the tool coined as 4Ps is not used internally in the orga-
[...] but I don't know if I would be comfortable doing it,” he said. nization, which may suggest a lack of systematization in the way initia-
When asked to explain how his position in the organization could tives are promoted to the internal audience. We call attention to the
contribute to KM support, he stated, “in disseminating this knowledge theoretical concept that leads us to envision: The knowledge is the
[...] in the matter of culture, dissemination, and promotion.” However, product; the communication material that instigates the demand for
he stated that such support for KM does not appear in his attributions. knowledge is the promotion; the various department and levels are
He also demonstrated a clear understanding that not all KM initiative the place; and the efforts to be made by employees based on
KRAUSE ET AL. 305

TABLE 5 Convergence of the theoretical propositions with the empirical data

The promotion of internal knowledge management

Theoretical propositions of knowledge Theoretical propositions of internal marketing Empirical findings in the promotion of KM
management (KM) (IM) and internal communication (IC) through internal marketing and IC

“Selling” KM internally. Communication material Marketing approach (Rafiq & Ahmed, 1993). IM as Acting as an internal advertising agency; the
that generates agreements and accessions and an internal advertising agency (Brum, 2010); employees in the place of clients;
sells the benefits of knowledge (Nair & employees are clients (Sasser & Arbeit, 1976; communication and persuasion addressed to
Prakash, 2009; Zhao et al., 2012). Varey, 1995; Wu & Lee, 2011); communication employees; sales to the top management for
and persuasion (Martino, 2008); sales to the top endorsement.
management (Piercy & Morgan, 1991).
Ample dissemination of processes and new Internal marketing campaigns to publicize and IM campaigns and dissemination to engage
knowledge (Takeuchi & Nonaka, 2008). engage employees (Prasad & Steffes, 2002); employees; promotional material.
internal 4Ps (Ahmed & Rafiq, 2002; Piercy & ATTENTION: 4Ps not exploited internally.
Morgan, 1991).
Creating receptivity; predisposition to the IM is a set of practices and “processes for creating, On the set of practices to create value, 70% of
creation, use and sharing of knowledge (Nair & communicating, delivering, and exchanging the activities are directed to the internal target
Prakash, 2009; Young, 2010); turning offers” (AMA, 2013) of value to internal audience; coordinated action.
knowledge into a real‐life product, create customers.
value for clients (Lee & Ram, 2018).
Knowledge culture combines cultural elements at Implementation of “corporative and functional Coordinated campaigns with a marketing
the individual, group and macroorganizational strategies” (Rafiq & Ahmed, 1993). approach throughout the national territory in
levels (Travica, 2013). order to generate accessions.
Clearly define the scope of the initiative (Hoof & Information; IM campaigns should clarify how the Dissemination; coordinated attention to the
Huysman, 2009). changes affect the users (Leonard‐Barton, culture (It has not been verified how changes
1987). affect users).
Generate identification, reciprocity (Hoof & How to implement affects perceptions (Leonard‐ Support from local leaders and focus on
Huysman, 2009). Barton, 1987). implementation can affect perceptions,
identifications, and reciprocities.

Source: Adapted from Krause, Cunha, Lapolli and Dandolini (2016), relating theories and empirical data.

perceived benefits are the price. Considering that resources such as the results, as this research highlights how an organization can use IC
knowledge marketing and database marketing are not systematically and marketing capabilities in the implementations of KM tools and
used in the internal environment of the organization, we also interpret thereby consolidate the culture of knowledge.
the loss of mapping opportunities as well as directed communication, The theoretical–empirical convergence summarized in Table 5
group interactions, and low evidence of relational strategism oriented underlies Travica's (2013) view that experience can be influenced by
to the internal audience. theory as well as theory can be fed by experience. The relations
Although the interviewee had listed a remarkable set of KM prac- between the two domains offer a clear view of the applicability of the-
tices already used in the organization, he made statements such as fol- oretical propositions and how they can advance to a new level of
lows: “In the case of knowledge management, if we developed a knowledge. Our attention was motivated by Dalkir's (2005) view that
project in this sense, certainly some action would fit that too.” And many recognize the value of knowledge, but few know how to manage
again, “If we were to implement knowledge management here, we it as an organizational asset. This scenario can be observed in recent
would certainly use the tools we have already listed”—referring to years. According to Travica (2013), the study of KM still has the need
the IM resource listed to him, as in Table 4. to theorizing in a way that satisfies academic and practitioner, in order
Indeed, based on the empirical data, it is interpreted that the orga- to advance the understanding of knowledge culture.
nization has the main resources and capacities to support the
implementations of KM internally. They lack, however, the delegation
of roles in support of KM, as well as awareness of the practices 5.1 | Conclusions
already implemented.
The findings revealed interesting empirical aspects to be consid- This research was developed with the main objective of verifying how
ered in an interdisciplinary approach to contribute to both KM could be promoted internally in the daily life of a TBO, through IM
knowledge‐intensive organizations and academic community. The cat- and IC techniques and resources.
egorization of intentionality in this study may help practitioners to The theoretical research carried out through literature review
better address the tools for the purpose of knowledge creation in unfolds the need to promote KM internally, show it to employees, dis-
TBOs. Knowledge intensive organizations in general may benefit from seminate it at all levels of the organization, generate receptivity, and
306 KRAUSE ET AL.

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