Unlocking dynamic capabilities through knowledge management strategies in a start-up context : A case study on a knowledge-intensive start-up company

Sammanfattning: This research is a qualitative case study at the knowledge-intensive start-up company Magstrom. The purpose of the study is to investigate and thus understand how knowledge management processes can be utilized to facilitate dynamic capabilities within a knowledge-intensive start-up context. Therefore, the following research question has been formulated: How can knowledge management processes be utilized to facilitate dynamic capabilities within a knowledge-intensive start-up company? To answer the research question, data was collected through semi-structured interviews with the employees of Magstrom. The collected data was then analyzed using a thematic analysis. The findings correlate with the literature and connects knowledge management processes to dynamic capabilities in a start-up context. More specifically the knowledge management processes of absorptive capacity, knowledge transfer, and knowledge application to the micro-foundations of dynamic capabilities that are sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring respectively. The knowledge management processes are identified to create a foundation for dynamic capabilities to develop from. Furthermore, the empirical data identified many factors of importance for knowledge management processes in a start-up context. Most significant were increasing customer interactions, open formal and informal communication, enabling access to the stock of knowledge, a flat organizational structure, decision-making, continuous innovation, putting effort into recruitment, and interactions between departments creating inter-functional teams. An important challenge is managing the ambiguity, the tacit nature of the technical knowledge, and organizing the scattered knowledge within the organization. Also, being able to handle the uncertainty of the start-up context and having confidence to use knowledge to make informed decisions. To conclude, dynamic capabilities can, according to theory and the findings of this study, be facilitated by knowledge management processes in a start-up context. More specifically, by improving the absorptive capacity, knowledge transfer, and knowledge application by exploiting the important factors identified.