Towards a knowledge management framework to preserve creativity in small and medium enterprises

Abstract

To support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in preserving their knowledge models and creativity is an important research topic and a challenge in the Knowledge Management field. SMEs are companies whose headcount or turnover falls below certain limits: they are typically characterized by high levels of creativity, which allow them to design and manufacture innovative products. However, SMEs are often characterized by significant technological gaps with respect to wider organizations and may suffer significantly due to the loss of key personnel and company experiential knowledge and competences. This paper introduces a methodological and computational framework for supporting SMEs in managing their creativity and overcome the problems above, based on storytelling and Case Based Reasoning (CBR) paradigms. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.