How Does Knowledge Management Matter in Enterprise Strategic Flexibility? Multiple Case Study Approach Based on SMEs in Malaysia

SMEs domestically and globally are encountering tough competition. Globalization, liberalization, information revolution and ICT phenomena have brought about many challenges for all organizations more seriously for SMEs. The only way to cope with these impediments is to be strategically flexible and adaptable to environmental changes and emergent circumstances. Strategic Flexibility requires a comprehensive set of abilities to acquire, interpret, share and utilize knowledge by scanning internal and external environments carefully and profoundly in order to take immediate and proper actions. Therefore managing knowledge is an inseparable component of strategic flexibility. An integrated system has to be executed to strategize all enterprise activities based on knowledge toward becoming flexible strategically. But in enterprise's management literature a dearth of an intensive study in the context of SMEs is vividly felt. Therefore, addressing this gap seems worthwhile for SME's competitiveness; hence, the main objective of this study is to fill the gap empirically based on case-study of some service provider and manufacturing SMEs in Malaysia. Research is concluded with discussion and expressing limitations.