Distributed knowledge execution and entrepreneurial adaptability: extending knowledge management into autonomous digital ecosystems
Liuchen Lv, Shivani Agarwal, Varun Chotia, Rsha Alghafes, Gabriella ImrePurpose
This study aims to examine how distributed intelligence capabilities function as knowledge management mechanisms that support entrepreneurial innovation and strategic scalability in distributed digital ecosystems. Specifically, the study investigates how augmented intelligence-driven distributed decision capability, distributed data sovereignty and adaptive knowledge personalization contribute to autonomous process trust maturity and entrepreneurial adaptability.
Design/methodology/approach
The study develops a multi-path socio-technical framework grounded in knowledge management and socio-technical systems theory. Survey data were collected from 278 professionals working in digitally intensive information and communications technology environments. The proposed relationships were tested using SmartPLS 4.
Findings
The findings demonstrate that distributed intelligence capabilities significantly enhance an autonomous process trust maturity, which subsequently strengthens entrepreneurial adaptability in distributed digital environments. The results further reveal that autonomous process trust maturity and entrepreneurial adaptability serially mediate the relationship between distributed intelligence capabilities and distributed business model innovation, as well as strategic startup scalability. The findings position distributed technological infrastructures as distributed knowledge execution mechanisms that facilitate adaptive entrepreneurial outcomes.
Originality/value
This study contributes to knowledge management literature by conceptualizing distributed intelligence capabilities as distributed knowledge management capabilities. It further introduces autonomous process trust maturity as an organizational knowledge execution capability that institutionalizes autonomous, verifiable and distributed operational processes. The study extends socio-technical and knowledge management perspectives into emerging distributed entrepreneurial ecosystems.