Usage of social media in the knowledge management process: applications and practices in organizations

Abstract

Objective of the study: We aim to perform a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to clarify how Social Media (SM) are used to develop and strengthen Knowledge Management (KM) in organizations. Methodology/approach: We made a SLR supported by meta-analyses using the technique conceptualized by Kitchenham (2004). In this study, we selected all articles in the SciELO website that directly mentioned any of the names among the eight SM sites researched, then followed the steps described by Kitchenham (2004) from planning to execution and presentation of the results. Originality/Relevance: We made a review of all national researches published in Portuguese that addresses the use of SM in organizational environments, responsible for synthesizing the knowledge of the area. Main results: We observed an incipient presence of studies on SM associated with KM. However, there is a gradual increase in the number of publications over the years. We also found a concentration of published papers in the CAPES evaluation fields Interdisciplinary and Languages, with a predominance of qualitative research. Most of the studies found portray Facebook as the main SM used for KM, with the improvement of organizational communication, corporate education, and access to information as the major objective. Theoretical/methodological contributions: We present the empirical research on KM and SM already published in Portuguese in the journals of greatest national impact. We achieve a methodological application of the procedures suggested by Kitchenham (2004). Social/management contributions: We synthesize the KM practices used by organizations within the environment of SM, enabling the construction of a future research agenda.