Knowledge management implementation: A systematic literature review

Abstract

For many organizations, implementing knowledge management (KM) is a challenge. With the aim of deriving insights for guiding future research in KM implementation, this systematic literature review, conducted on October 28, 2023, using the Scopus and Web of Science databases, examined 174 articles from 108 journals. The search, employing the terms ((framework or “maturity model” or implementation) and “knowledge management”), disregarded time constraints. The information extracted included journal details, authors, authors' countries, number of authors, research method, objectives, dimensions of frameworks or maturity models, and suggestions for future research. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were applied to the collected data, revealing that the 174 articles involved 432 authors and were distributed across 108 journals. Key findings indicate: (a) a need for more research into strategies, practices, and technology for aiding KM implementation and evaluation; and (b) the potential for testing models and frameworks in diverse contexts (country, sector, and size). In response to the analysis, a KM implementation roadmap was formulated, encompassing five stages: diagnosis, design, implementation, implementation improvement, and evaluation. This study enhances academic understanding by highlighting pertinent topics in KM implementation and identifying avenues for further investigation.