Knowledge management in local governments in developing countries: a systematic literature review
VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems
ISSN: 2059-5891
Article publication date: 14 May 2021
Issue publication date: 6 April 2023
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the state of research into knowledge management within local government in developing countries, to identify themes that have been studied and to identify important gaps in the literature that can inform a research agenda going forward.
Design/methodology/approach
A structured literature review method was used in this study. The authors reviewed academic literature published between 2009 and 2019. A total of 15 articles were identified and reviewed.
Findings
The findings reveal that, few authors have contributed to knowledge management within local government in developing countries and there is little international collaboration between authors. The authors found limited methodological and theoretical diversity and rigor in the reviewed work. The review identified themes that have been researched but evidenced a lack of guidelines and frameworks developed to promote knowledge management initiatives within local governments in developing countries. Overall, it was evident that this area was still little explored. As a result, there are many possibilities for future research.
Originality/value
This study provides a comprehensive systematic literature review of papers published on knowledge management in local governments in developing countries, identifying themes that have been studied and gaps for further research.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgement of funding: This paper is a result of a project supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (EFDR).
Citation
Ndiege, J.R.A. and Backhouse, J. (2023), "Knowledge management in local governments in developing countries: a systematic literature review", VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, Vol. 53 No. 3, pp. 450-466. https://doi.org/10.1108/VJIKMS-12-2020-0215
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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