The Influence of Knowledge Management Factors on Food Exports in Iran

The present study aims to investigate the effective variables of knowledge management in food exports in Iran. A new model was designed in this research on the basis of achieved statistical data from production associations and export firms. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to assess the impact of effective variables of knowledge management in food exports. Suggested model of the research is comprised of eight dimensions which are as follows: specialized relations, coordinated knowledge, knowledge tools, organizational knowledge, knowledge process, knowledge chain, knowledge hardware, and knowledge feasibility. Target population of the study was consisting of 57 production associations which export food from Iran. The sales staffs and business departments formed the target population, and 317 questionnaires were validly obtained to test the research model. Exploratory factor analysis and Amos software were utilized for modeling. This study indicates that knowledge management is positively effective in the process of food exports in Iran, and all effective factors of knowledge management significantly affect the efficiency and performance of exporting. Eightdimensional model which is suggested in this research introduces a practical strategy of evaluating the effective factors of knowledge management in food exports.

Key Words: Knowledge management, food exports, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), Iran