Knowledge Management: application in vocational training organizations: case study

- Knowledge Management has proven to be a key element in how organizations can innovate and, therefore, enhance the skills of their employees, especially through the acquisition, creation, storage and dissemination of knowledge, acting to facilitate the integration of human resources while contributing to the creation of competitive advantages. Among these organizations, the entities that have their own knowledge as a product assume a key role in society, as they are responsible for knowledge transfer and skills development with a view in a better performance of citizens. The objectives of this investigation are the analysis of the knowledge Management process, and the understanding of the influence of this process on the success of the vocational education practiced and, consequently, on the valorisation and reinforcement of the organization’s competitiveness. To achieve these objectives, a multiple case study was developed and structured by a quantitative and qualitative analysis using interviews, questionnaire, and document analysis in two vocational education organizations in the Automotive Technology area, one in Portugal and other in Spain. The result pointed out that the knowledge Management practices are known to the management and employees of the entities and, although in a not well-structured way, there are activities aimed to improve the knowledge of human resources and there is a concern to reflect this improvement on success of the professional training developed.