The influence of knowledge management on the competitive ability of Lithuanian enterprises

Senge, (1990); Nonaka & Takeushi, (1995); Hitt, (1995); Hale, (1996), Ortenblad, (2001); Stewart, (2001); Kucza, (2001); Kikoski & Kikoski, (2004); Devenport, (2005); Sedziuviene & Vveinhardt, (2009); Svagzdiene, Jasinskas, Fominiene, & Mikalauskas, (2013) claim that knowledge management is the basic source creating the competitive ability of an enterprise. The significant influence of not only traditional resources – human, financial, but also immaterial resources such as available employees’ knowledge is noticeable more often on the results of an organization. Only appropriately controlling all resources, and in particular, educating the employees and enhancing knowledge resources the competitive ability may be retained. The results of research (questionnaire) revealed the positive influence of knowledge management on competitive ability of an enterprise. According to respondents, knowledge the most significantly influencing the competitive ability is the employees’ skills and knowledge about the manufactured products and services. The research results showed that without proper skills of the employees to perform their usual work the activity of none enterprise would be successful. It is important to note that none of the respondents mentioned that knowledge is a completely insignificant property of the enterprise which has no absolute effect on the competitive ability