Knowledge management in organisations: mapping the research literature

Abstract

Knowledge management in organisation (KMO) became an important part of our economy far before the actual term 'knowledge management' emerged. Many studies have been written about different aspects and viewpoints of knowledge management, however in this study we used a bibliometric mapping approach to determine the main research topics and the contexts in which they are employed. 10,599 information sources were retrieved from the Scopus and WoS bibliographical databases using the search string 'knowledge management' AND organisation. The most productive period was from 2007 till 2011. The USA, UK and China were the most productive countries. Four main research topics were education and healthcare, techniques and systems, knowledge management and knowledge sharing. Chronologically, five periods emerged, namely: infrastructural and organisational research, technical issues and knowledge management systems in organisations, enabling technologies, practical applications of KMOs, and evaluation and validation of knowledge management practices.