Knowledge Management in Value Creation Networks: Establishing a New Business Model through the Role of a Knowledge-Intermediary

The spatial distribution and growing granularity of value chains within manufacturing networks increase the complexity of inter-organizational value creation processes and pose new challenges for their coordination and a common innovation development. “Knowledge” is the essential resource to cope with this complexity. However, in an inter-organizational context conflicts between knowledge management objectives and general management objectives can arise, which have to be compensated. The presented article describes the role of a knowledge intermediary, which represents a support function within value creation networks. The intermediary supports value creation structures, processes and the artifact, which ensure an appropriate symbiosis between knowledge management objectives and general management objectives.