Harnessing knowledge management for enhanced performance: the mediating roles of market orientation and customer relationship capability in e-commerce

Purpose The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of knowledge management on financial and market performance in e-commerce companies, and the mediation variable effects of market orientation and customer relations ability. Design/methodology/approach In the research, data were collected from 667 middle and senior managers working in e-commerce (online shopping) companies via an online survey. Although the necessary explanations were made, sufficient time was given, and the number of questions was kept reasonable, the surveys of 17 participants were excluded from the analysis because they showed zero standard deviation. Random sampling method was used in sample selection. The survey was uploaded to an online system and filled out only by people with certain qualifications (working in the mentioned e-commerce companies, working at the mentioned level). Jamaovi 2.3.28 software was used in the research to determine confirmatory factor analysis and descriptive statistics. Findings The results show that knowledge management positively affects both market orientation and customer relations ability. Additionally, both mediation variables have a positive impact on financial and market performance. Therefore, knowledge management indirectly increases performance by increasing mediation factors. Research limitations/implications The fact that the research is limited to a specific sample of middle and senior level managers working in e-commerce companies may affect the generalizability of the findings. Future research could extend the model to other industries and include different organizational levels to verify and extend the applicability of the results. Practical implications E-commerce companies can improve their financial and market performance by investing in knowledge management practices that improve market orientation and customer relationship capability. Additionally, the importance of integrating knowledge management strategies to improve overall business performance is emphasized. Originality/value The research is one of the studies investigating the mediation roles of market orientation and customer relations ability in the relationship between knowledge management and business performance in the e-commerce sector. The research provides valuable information to both academic researchers and practitioners.