Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse how changes in a set of structural design variables
(i.e. liaison position, networked design, innovation teams and work teams) affect the creation of new
knowledge within organizations. The enablers intention, autonomy, fluctuation and creative chaos,
redundancy, variety, and trust and commitment, taken from Nonakas framework, are used as
intermediate variables.
Design/methodology/approach A sample of 167 large Spanish companies was used to empirically
test a general relational model.
Findings The analysis yielded two main conclusions. First, the relationship between structural
variables and enablers, and, second, the relationship of enablers with knowledge creation emerged as
highly relevant for knowledge creation in organizations.
Research limitations/implications A major limitation of this study was the relatively small
number of variables used to define organizational structure. In reality, a large number of variables
combine to create organizational structure, yet this study only included four: liaison position, networked
design, innovation teams and work teams. A further limitation is the importance of the organizational
context itself, which was not addressed in this study.
Practical implications This research has yielded findings that can help firms to understand and
appreciate the changes that may occur in certain organizational design variables that affect knowledge
creation. Equally, this research shows that knowledge creation has the potential to act as a catalyst for
innovation, and may consequently drive change within the firm.
Originality/value Despite a long tradition of research into organizations and the ways in which
these entities create knowledge, the literature requires enhancing through the publication of articles
that provide a deeper knowledge of the context and tools that aid knowledge creation. The novel
approach adopted in the current study verified whether certain variables related to organization design
(i.e. liaison positions, networked design, innovation teams and work teams) exert a relevant influence
on knowledge creation.
