Development and validation of knowledge management performance measurement constructs for small and medium enterprises

Purpose – This paper aims to address the lack of previous studies and to propose a reliable and valid knowledge management performance measurement (KMPM) model for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach – A survey instrument containing 13 constructs and 49 items was initially developed and posted to small and medium-sized consultancy firms in Malaysia. Reliability and validity analysis was performed to ensure the quality of the instrument. Findings – The developed survey instrument was shown to be reliable, valid and suitable to be applied in SMEs to evaluate their knowledge management (KM) performance. Research limitations/implications – The present study is limited to SMEs in the service sector. The results are not suitable to be generalized to the manufacturing sector or larger organizations without further research. Practical implications – This study would provide SMEs with a better understanding on KMPM and also a guideline to refer to when measuring their KM performance. Academics can use this study as a basic model to explore KMPM in SMEs and develop new measurement models. Originality/value – This study is believed to be the first that has scientifically developed and empirically tested the constructs that represent a comprehensive KMPM model tailored for SMEs.