Impact of knowledge-based organizational support on organizational performance through project management

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate how knowledge-based organizational support (KOS) influences organizational performance through project management. Design/methodology/approach Data were obtained from a survey and from archival sources with a time lag for the dependent variable; structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. The sample was made up of 106 organizations in Colombia, considering two key respondents from each organization: general manager and project manager. Findings Results show that KOS is an antecedent of project management and project performance. Furthermore, project management and project performance play a mediating role between KOS and organizational performance. Research limitations/implications Research limitations are the following: use of cross-sectional data with a time lag, one single unit of analysis, organizational performance analyzed only from a financial perspective. Despite these limitations, the paper puts forward relevant implications that bridge knowledge management and project management literature by clarifying the conditions under which knowledge organizational support generates a significant impact on organizational performance. Intellectual capital and knowledge management dynamic capabilities play a relevant role in this connection. Practical implications The findings have important practical implications: decision-makers are to allocate effectively hard and soft resources to configure a knowledge-based infrastructure, through the development of intellectual capital and knowledge management dynamic capabilities. Social implications The findings are generalizable to projects management in the context of non-government organizations or other social-oriented initiatives. Originality/value This study assumes and operationalizes organizational support from a knowledge-based perspective, represented by intellectual capital and knowledge management dynamic capabilities, providing empirical evidence of the way KOS influences organizational performance through project management and project performance.