Strengthening Competitive Advantages to Improve Sales Performance: The Effect of Organizational Strategy and Knowledge Management
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37641/jimkes.v14i1.5025Keywords:
Competitive Advantage, Knowledge Management, Multilevel Marketing, Organizational Strategy, Sales PerformanceAbstract
The multilevel marketing industry in Indonesia has shown dynamic growth in line with increased direct sales activities. However, this development has not always been accompanied by stable sales performance, companies face competitive pressures and changing consumer preferences. This situation requires companies to strengthen their internal capabilities in order to improve competitiveness and sales performance. This study aims to analyze the influence of organizational strategy and knowledge management on sales performance through competitive advantage in MLM companies in Surakarta. The study uses a quantitative approach with a census technique on 193 leaders. Data analysis was performed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that organizational strategy and knowledge management have a positive and significant effect on competitive advantage, and competitive advantage has a positive and significant effect on sales performance. In addition, competitive advantage is proven to mediate the effect of organizational strategy and knowledge management on sales performance. This study contributes to strengthening the knowledge-based view and strategic management perspectives in explaining sales performance achievement through competitive capabilities and provides practical implications for MLM companies in formulating strategies to improve sales performance.
Downloads
References
Abdulwase, R., Ahmed, F., Nasr, F., Abdulwase, A., Alyousofi, A., & Yan, S. (2020). The role of business strategy to create a competitive advantage in the organization. Open Access J Sci, 4(4), 135-138.
Agustia, D., Muhammad, N. P. A., & Permatasari, Y. (2020). Earnings management, business strategy, and bankruptcy risk: evidence from Indonesia. Heliyon, 6(2), 423-435.
Ahmed, W., Najmi, A., & Ikram, M. (2020). Steering firm performance through innovative capabilities: A contingency approach to innovation management. Technology in Society, 63(1), 101-113.
Barney, J. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99–120.
Bush, M., Lederer, A. L., Li, X., Palmisano, J., & Rao, S. (2009). The alignment of information systems with organizational objectives and strategies in health care. International journal of medical informatics, 78(7), 446-456.
Chaerunnisa, C., Hurriyati, R., Hendrayati, H., & Dirgantari, P. D. (2025). Effect of Strategic Planning, Business Innovation, Digital Transformation, and Organisational Agility on Competitive Advantage of Modern Service Companies in West Java. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen Kesatuan, 13(5), 4121–4128.
Chen, C. J., & Huang, J. W. (2009). Strategic human resource practices and innovation performance: The mediating role of knowledge management capacity. Journal of Business Research, 62(1), 104–114.
Davis, D. F., & Mentzer, J. T. (2007). Organizational factors in sales forecasting management. International Journal of Forecasting, 23(3), 475-495.
Day, G. S., & Wensley, R. (1988). Assessing advantage: A framework for diagnosing competitive superiority. Journal of Marketing, 52(2), 1–20.
Direct Selling Association. (2022). World Federation of Direct Selling Associations Annual Report 2022. WFDSA. Retrieved on November 1, 2025 from https://share.google/a2msJ5s5Ji6g0wxQJ
Farida, I., & Setiawan, D. (2022). Business strategies and competitive advantage: the role of performance and innovation. Journal of open innovation: Technology, market, and complexity, 8(3), 163-175.
Friesenbichler, K., & Reinstaller, A. (2022). Do firms facing competitors from emerging markets behave differently? Evidence from Austrian manufacturing firms. European Business Review, 34(2), 153-170.
Fu, Q., Abdul Rahman, A. A., Jiang, H., Abbas, J., & Comite, U. (2022). Sustainable supply chain and business performance: The impact of strategy, network design, information systems, and organizational structure. Sustainability, 14(3), 1080-1092.
Ganesan, S., George, M., Jap, S., Palmatier, R. W., & Weitz, B. (2009). Supply chain management and retailer performance: emerging trends, issues, and implications for research and practice. Journal of retailing, 85(1), 84-94.
Gibbert, M., Leibold, M., & Probst, G. (2002). Five styles of customer knowledge management, and how smart companies use them to create value. European management journal, 20(5), 459-469.
Grant, R. M. (1996). Toward a knowledge-based theory of the firm. Strategic Management Journal, 17(S2), 109–122.
Henaulu, A. K., Ardian, S., & Ely, A. J. (2021, July). Combination of canvas business model and blue ocean strategy in developing SMEs Jus Pala Morella. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 807, No. 2, p. 022059). Bristol: IOP Publishing.
Kenyon, G. N., & Sen, K. C. (2014). Creating a competitive advantage. In The Perception of Quality: Mapping Product and Service Quality to Consumer Perceptions (pp. 5-12). London: Springer London.
Ko, W. W., & Liu, G. (2017). Environmental strategy and competitive advantage: The role of small‐and medium‐sized enterprises’ dynamic capabilities. Business Strategy and the Environment, 26(5), 584-596.
Mahdi, O. R., Almsafir, M. K., & Yao, L. (2011). The role of knowledge and knowledge management in sustaining competitive advantage within organizations: A review. African Journal of Business Management, 5(23), 9912-9925.
Mohammed, R. K., Ahmed, N. E., Aziz, E. M., & Dewi, A. (2023). Knowledge management plays a crucial role in attaining a competitive advantage. Al-Idarah: Jurnal Kependidikan Islam, 13(2), 113-123.
Munte, E. D., Sinaga, S., Tarigan, L. L., Surbakti, A. Y., & Waruwu, O. L. (2025). The influence of knowledge management and innovation capability on small business performance through competitive advantage mechanism. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen Kesatuan, 13(2), 1273–1280.
Nguyen, P. V., Huynh, H. T. N., Lam, L. N. H., Le, T. B., & Nguyen, N. H. X. (2021). The impact of entrepreneurial leadership on SMEs’ performance: the mediating effects of organizational factors. Heliyon, 7(6), 124-237.
Nonaka, I., & Takeuchi, H. (1995). The knowledge-creating company: How Japanese companies create the dynamics of innovation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Porter, M. E. (1980). Competitive strategy: Techniques for analyzing industries and competitors. New York: Free Press.
Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive advantage: Creating and sustaining superior performance. New York: Free Press.
Rehman, S. U., Bresciani, S., Ashfaq, K., & Alam, G. M. (2022). Intellectual capital, knowledge management and competitive advantage: a resource orchestration perspective. Journal of Knowledge Management, 26(7), 1705-1731.
Roscoe, S., Subramanian, N., & Jabbour, C. J. C. (2019). Green human resource management and the enablers of green organisational culture: Enhancing a firm’s environmental performance for sustainable development. Business Strategy and the Environment, 28(5), 737–749.
Rose, R. C., Abdullah, H., & Ismad, A. I. (2010). A review on the relationship between organizational resources, competitive advantage and performance. Journal of International Social Research, 3(11), 253-265.
Saeed, M. A., Afsar, B., Hafeez, S., Khan, I., Tahir, M., & Afridi, M. A. (2020). Promoting employee’s proenvironmental behavior through green human resource management practices. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 26(2), 424–438.
Sulaeman, M. M., Haryono, T., Sunaryo, S., & Hendarsjah, H. (2025). Knowledge oriented leadership and knowledge worker-performance: the mediating role of knowledge management practices, organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Journal of Ecohumanism, 4(2), 348-367.
Tsiu, S. V., Ngobeni, M., Mathabela, L., & Thango, B. (2025). Applications and competitive advantages of data mining and business intelligence in SMEs performance: A systematic review. Businesses, 5(2), 22-36.
Tukirin, T. (2023). Business strategy and competitive advantage of companies. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen Kesatuan, 11(3), 1495–1504.
Wahyono. (2020). The mediating effects of product innovation in relation between knowledge management and competitive advantage. Journal of Management Development, 39(1), 18-30.
Wahyudin, N., Herlissha, N., Christianingrum, C., & Aldiesi, D. R. (2022). The utilization of e-commerce and QRIS as digital payment tools to improve sales performance through competitive advantage in MSME. Journal of Consumer Sciences, 7(2), 135-148.
Wernerfelt, B. (1984). A resource-based view of the firm. Strategic Management Journal, 5(1), 13-25.
Wirati, T. W., Umayah, S., Putra, F. I., Febriyanti, F., Anggara, M. R. S., Al-Fathia Laksana, S., & Aziz, W. (2024). Analysis of business strategy development using the business model canvas approach. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen Kesatuan, 12(4), 1211–1218.
Zainuddin, Z., Chu, S. K. W., Shujahat, M., & Perera, C. J. (2020). The impact of gamification on learning and instruction: A systematic review of empirical evidence. Educational Research Review, 30(1), 23-25.
Zebua, Y. (2025). Transformation of hr development through performance evaluation to enhance competitive advantage in the digital era. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen Kesatuan, 13(5), 3541–3552.
Zhang, J., Jehangir, F. N., Yang, L., Tahir, M. A., & Tabasum, S. (2025). Competitive advantage and firm performance: The role of organizational culture, organizational innovation, and knowledge sharing. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 16(1), 3081-3107.





