The nexus between innovativeness and knowledge management : a focus on firm performance in the hospitality sector

While the importance of knowledge management is increasingly acknowledged, many firms do not fully understand the significance of innovativeness in relation to knowledge management and firm performance. Consequently, the objective of this article is to investigate innovativeness and its relationship with knowledge management and organizational performance in an under-examined industry sector and country context. The study methodology was survey-based and took place in the hospitality industry sector in Lesotho, Africa. Findings highlight the importance of knowledge management practices as an important driver of firm performance, where the results emphasize the positive mediating effect of innovativeness on the relationship between knowledge management and firm performance. The study has important practitioner and policy implications, where it is recommended that knowledge management be utilized in conjunction with innovativeness so as to positively influence firm performance. The article delivers a novel contribution to the literature in terms of establishing empirical associations between knowledge management, innovativeness and firm performance in an emerging country context.