Transactive memory system and TQM: exploring knowledge capacities

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to study how transactive memory systems (TMS) facilitate the transfer and absorption of knowledge in the presence of quality management (QM) within a university research and development (R&D) environment.Design methodology approach - The data come from a si...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Industrial management + data systems 2013-01, Vol.113 (2), p.294-318
Main Authors: Pulles, Dainelis Cabeza, Gutierrez, Leopoldo Gutierrez, Llorens-Montes, FJavier
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cognitive development
Credibility
Design engineering
Industrial management
Knowledge
Knowledge management
Laboratories
Literature reviews
Management
Memory
Perception
Quality management
R&D
Random sampling
Research & development
Specialization
Studies
Total quality
Total quality management
Work environment
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Summary:Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to study how transactive memory systems (TMS) facilitate the transfer and absorption of knowledge in the presence of quality management (QM) within a university research and development (R&D) environment.Design methodology approach - The data come from a simple random sampling of 257 Spanish university R&D groups in nine different areas of knowledge. To verify the hypotheses, the authors used multiple linear regression analysis with a moderating effect.Findings - The conclusions show that the relationship between knowledge transfer (KT) and TMS is significant when QM practices are included as a moderating variable but that this is not the case for knowledge absorption (KA), which does not show any effect.Research limitations implications - The effects described were found in a sample composed of various R&D sectors taken from a single country and not distributed equally. Further, the perception analyzed represents the judgment of a single manager.Practical implications - It is interesting to study this interaction in university R&D because of the important role R&D plays in the development of regions. Improving the internal processes of this research helps to make its results more competitive. This study contributes information on non-business management and introduces university R&D to the use of QM practices.Originality value - The authors found no studies that test empirically the moderating effect of QM practices on the relationships studied in university R&D. The paper's results contribute information to help fill this gap and demonstrate once again that QM practices can be applied to any environment.
ISSN:0263-5577
1758-5783
DOI:10.1108/02635571311303587