Knowledge Management in Railway Industry: A Conceptual Model Based on Open Innovation and online Communities

Organizations need to be capable of attracting external knowledge. This activity is extremely related to innovation process and particularly to open innovation approach. Therefore, this qualitative research is designed to identify the dimensions and components for providing a conceptual model of KM architecture by open innovation approach based on online communities in the grounded theory framework. The initial factors are extracted from the literature and research background. Data are gathered through semi-structured interviews with eight experts of railway transport. The meanings and characteristics of KM architecture with the approach of open innovation based on online communities are presented in three stages of coding, identification and categorization and modeling. The reliability and validity of the interviews are confirmed by the reliability testing methods and the intra-thematic agreement. The results of the data analysis indicate that the various aspects of open innovation and knowledge management are complementary subjects. Organizations can take advantage of existing and global knowledge by incorporating internal and external knowledge and by the knowledge integrity. The internal mechanisms can affect the processes by integrating knowledge via the usage of online communities. Online communities can act as a link between knowledge management and open innovation through public sharing, providing clear and timely information.