Knowledge Management in Brazilian, Portuguese and Polish Organizations: a Comparative Analysis

The knowledge emerges as a strategic factor that enables organizations to create wealth through the transformation of tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge. Knowledge Management (KM) activities are recognized as a critical issue for the development of innovation in the companies. However, KM is now a major challenge because, with the growth of available information, this task becomes increasingly complex. In addition, KM involves the management of organizational culture, based on principles of organizational learning. This paper presents the results of an exploratory study conducted among the decision makers of Portuguese, Brazilian and Polish companies and aims to determine the perception they have of the future needs of knowledge and information. We intended to identify future areas of research that can address the needs of knowledge that create conditions for a more sustainable business. Furthermore, this paper also aims to identify factors which could help to improve knowledge management practices in the three countries. The findings demonstrate that Portuguese and Polish managers are aware of the importance of KM as a determinant factor of business success, but KM is not frequently used in strategic decision making. Unlikely, the process of KM is a more common practice in Brazilian companies.