This paper aims to advance the understanding and practice of knowledge-based management in Vietnam by studying two Vietnamese agricultural companies. It provides illustrative examples of how knowledge-based management, pursuing a vision that fosters creativity and innovation by employees, could ultimately fulfil the profitability objective of the business and at the same time add value to the community’s quality of life. | Asian Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 18, No. 2, 129–151, 2013 KNOWLEDGE CREATION AND GREEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP: A STUDY OF TWO VIETNAMESE GREEN FIRMS Nguyen Ngoc Thang1*, Truong Quang2 and Nguyen Hong Son3 1, 3 University of Economics and Business Vietnam National University, 144 Xuan Thuy, Hanoi, Vietnam 2 Maastricht School of Management . Box 1203, 6201 BE Maastricht, the Netherlands *Corresponding author: thangnn@ ABSTRACT This paper aims to advance the understanding and practice of knowledge-based management in Vietnam by studying two Vietnamese agricultural companies. It provides illustrative examples of how knowledge-based management, pursuing a vision that fosters creativity and innovation by employees, could ultimately fulfil the profitability objective of the business and at the same time add value to the community’s quality of life. Using the SECI model as the parameter for analysis, we found that knowledge creation processes were affected by a combination of leadership, teamwork and Ba, corporate culture, and human resource management. Our conclusion emphasises the need for future research to further examine the practice of knowledge-based management in cross-industry segments in Vietnam and in other countries with similar conditions. Keywords: Knowledge creation, knowledge-based management, knowledge-creating companies, green entrepreneurship, Vietnam INTRODUCTION The success of a company in the 21st century will be determined by the extent to which it creates and utilises knowledge, which is considered to be the most important source of a firm’s sustainable competitive advantage (Drucker, 1993; Barney, 1991; Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1995; Grant, 1996; Sveiby, 1997). However, this view still seems far from fully comprehending the process of knowledge creation and knowledge utilisation in organisations. According to Nonaka and Toyama (2002), knowledge creation occurs physically, mentally and/or virtually in interaction and/or in place, which
