Knowledge management in small supplying firms

Knowledge Management (KM) is considered an important ingredient of innovative efforts of modern companies. Nevertheless, the benefits of KM have not been fully exploited by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and small suppliers particularly. The main aim of this paper is to explore KM practices through a questionnaire survey in a network of small supplier firms operating in high-tech industries and located in the Naples city area. The results of the survey indicate that majority of surveyed firms use a KM system producing benefits mainly in the area of operational management, while the most critical barrier concerns the protection of company's information.