Applications ok knowledge management in business and the contribution to competitive advantage: Example of Siemens Business Services (SBS) Turkey

Ill ABSTRACT APPLICATIONS OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN BUSINESS AND THE CONTRUBUTION TO COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: EXAMPLE OF SIEMENS BUSINESS SERVICES (SBS) TURKEY Mustafa KURT Department of Business Administration Afyon Kocatepe University, The Institute of Social Sciences 2004 Advisor: Doç. Dr. Bellas ÖZKARA Nowadays, knowledge and knowledge management have been frequently discussed in management theory. In recent years, knowledge's importance in organization has been continuously increased and knowledge has been called as a strategic resource. Knowledge management which include obtaining, categorizing, storing and sharing of knowledge and create value through knowledge focuses on organization's tacit and explicit knowledge. Knowledge management applications in organizations aim to create value for products and process by using internal and external environment's information and kowledge. What makes knowledge management more important are innovation and creativeness in organization' competitive efforts. However, rapid developments in information and communication technologies have facilitated knowledge management applications. Thus, it enables obtaining, categorizing and sharing of knowledge more rapidly than in the past. Knowledge management both support business' competitive efforts and contribute to gain competitive advantage. In this study, knowledge management, establishing of knowledge management system and the contributions of knowledge management to competitive advantage was examined. At the research phase, case study method used at Siemens Business Services (SBS) Turkey and the contributions of knowlege management to competitive advantage was analysed.