The Practice of Knowledge Management in a Rentail Familiar Company in Minas Gerais (MG): A Case Study

Abstract

The Family Companies have an important role in national economies and, specially in the Brazilian one. However its importance and feasibility are questioned. Good part of such questionings has a focus on the managerial limitations often observed in the management of Family Organizations. As a consequence the search for solutions under the managerial scope is an urgent issue for the survival of Family Companies. Within the myriad of current organizational strategies, knowledge management has emerged as an important competitive differential. Following this track, the objective of this article was to verify how knowledge management (KM) in a rentail Family Company in Minas Gerais (Brazil) occurs. A qualitative case study was carried through, based on data obtained from observations and interviews with managers. The results led to KM’s practices (JÓIA and OLIVEIRA, 2007): exchange of knowledge in meetings, study groups, incentive to innovation and dissemination of knowledge by personal contact. The conclusion highlighted how much the company’s environment favored KM’s practices due to the a favorable field for the development of innovation, creativity and sharing of implicit knowledge.