The impact of knowledge management on the quality of logistics operations in Panama

Abstract

This research analyzes the quality of logistics operations in terms of the impact exerted by knowledge management variables; explicitly, knowledge generation, knowledge dissemination, knowledge interpretation and knowledge responsiveness. Our research hypotheses are that the quality of logistics operations depends directly on knowledge responsiveness, and that knowledge generation influences knowledge dissemination, which influences interpretation of knowledge. This last variable impacts knowledge responsiveness. A questionnaire survey is designed to collect data among companies conducting logistics operations in Panama, Central America. In order to test the hypotheses, we first validate the measurement instruments through content analysis, reliability and validity tests. The statistical data analysis includes t-test of the means, factor analysis, and regression. The results should provide useful information regarding the quality of logistics operations and its dependence on knowledge management. This is important for academia as wells as industry; on one side the research hopes to offer a contribution to the existing logistics operations literature regarding the relationship between the variables under study, and on the other side companies will have useful information for decision making.