Market-oriented knowledge management program in production cooperatives; Identifying critical success factors and consequences of implementation with FCM method (Case Study: production cooperatives)

Successful integration of knowledge management and market orientation in production cooperatives can provide a basis for improving the performance and growth of these enterprises. Therefore, knowledge management and market orientation are two practical approaches in management that can help improve organizational activities. Thus, the present study aimed to identify the critical success factors and consequences of implementing market-oriented knowledge management.

The present study is exploratory research in terms of its purpose and data collection, which was conducted with a case study approach in the context of the study. This research is also a mixed qualitative and quantitative research based on the inductive deductive philosophy. The study's statistical population in both the qualitative and quantitative sections is experts with university education and experience in the administration and management of the cooperative sector, 12 of whom were selected as sample members by purposive sampling and based on the principle of theoretical adequacy. The data collection tool in the qualitative section is an interview; the validity and reliability were confirmed using content and theoretical validity and the intra-coder and inter-coder reliability methods. The data collection tool in the quantitative section is a questionnaire, the validity and reliability of which were confirmed using content validity and test-retest reliability. The coding approach was used to analyze the data in the qualitative section, and the fuzzy cognitive map method was used in the quantitative section.

The research findings showed that institutionalizing a knowledge-based culture and encouraging knowledge distribution, synergistic combination of knowledge management and customer relationship management, and utilizing coherent mechanisms to promote organizational exchange are the essential key factors for successfully implementing market-oriented knowledge management in production cooperatives. Also, increasing the ability to govern a culture of customer orientation, service orientation, modernity, and innovation, facilitating decision-making capabilities in strategic situations, and developing and promoting competitiveness and entrepreneurship patterns were identified as the most critical outcomes of successfully implementing market-oriented knowledge management in production cooperatives. In addition, the quantitative part of the research results includes measuring the importance and prioritizing the critical success factors and consequences of implementing market-oriented knowledge management in production cooperatives. Accordingly, the essential critical factors for successfully implementing market-oriented knowledge management are institutionalizing a knowledge-oriented culture and encouraging knowledge distribution, synergistic combination of knowledge management and customer relationship management, and utilizing coherent mechanisms to promote organizational exchange. Also, increasing the ability to govern a culture of customer orientation, service orientation, modernity, and innovation, facilitating decision-making capabilities in strategic situations, and developing and promoting competitiveness and entrepreneurship patterns were identified as the most critical consequences of implementing market-oriented knowledge management.

Research limitations: 

Despite its theoretical and applied findings that make a valuable contribution to the existing literature, the present study also has limitations, including the lack of specific research in the field of market-oriented knowledge management in domestic and foreign research, which faced researchers with theoretical limitations. Also, the present study sample was selected from among experts in the cooperative sector; experts' participation in market-oriented knowledge management may limit the generalizations.

Originality/value:

 Knowledge management and market orientation significantly affect competitive advantage and competitiveness enhancement, and prioritization of critical success factors and consequences of implementing market-oriented knowledge management in production cooperatives was identified.