Leveraging knowledge and competence management for international expansion in railway vehicle maintenance : a case study

Abstract

PURPOSE: The aim of the article is, on the basis of a case study, to present the specificity of the German and Polish market regulations through the prism of a company that has been successfully implementing the strategy of expanding the provision of services in the field of maintenance, servicing and repairs of rolling stock in Germany for several years.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A case study which explores specific phenomena in-depth within their real-life contexts. By focusing on a single case it provides rich, contextualized insights that may not be captured through quantitative methods.

FINDINGS: The analysed case indicates that also in such traditional sectors as rail transport and maintenance of rail vehicles, knowledge and competence management, which is often related to modern sectors of the economy, may be an important element of building a business model as an element of a development strategy.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The development strategy of the company in question assumes the configuration of external and internal resources with particular emphasis on the development of intellectual capital as a knowledge component that determines the competitiveness not only on the Polish market but also on the European Union (EU) market.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The presented case study confirms that the railway vehicle maintenance sector absorbs innovations not only in the area of technique and technology but also in the area of business models, which have now become a tool for building business strategies.