Knowledge management practices in the internationalization of small firms: A four comparative case study in the coffee industry

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a research that aimed at analysing the effect of the organization in international business networks on the knowledge and information management practices in micro and small enterprises (SMEs) of the Brazilian coffee industry. Through a comparative study of four cases, it was possible to conclude that: (i) the processes of creating, maintaining and sharing information and knowledge are influenced by the network as well as by cooperation, culture, relationships and interactions within and between enterprises, (ii) the sharing of information and experience brings benefits to SMEs, (iii) the network did not promote the systematization of knowledge, but facilitated its development, (iv) the establishment of an enabling environment (‘Ba’) can help individuals and enterprises to create and develop their abilities; in this sense, it was observed that the culture of cooperation can be considered essential to the process of organizational learning. Keywords: knowledge management, international business networks, micro and small enterprises, internationalization strategy, coffee industry.