This study examines elements of knowledge management (KM) applied during the treatment of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and proposes a KM framework that can be applied to respond quickly to a new virus outbreak. Following a content analysis of the press conferences held in China, this study found that various elements of KM, including strategic KM, the knowledge codification strategy vs. the knowledge personalization strategy, a knowledge-friendly culture, knowledge-based leadership, KM-based human resource management, and KM-related information technologies, were widely used by Chinese authorities and healthcare workers to improve treatment effectiveness for COVID-19 patients. This paper provides a unique case study on how KM helps the government and the healthcare workers to respond to an unexpected public hygiene crisis. i

PurposeThis meta-analytic study tries to synthesize the mixed relationships between knowledge management technologies (KMT) and organizational performance as well as aims to explore the impacts of contextual elements, such as national culture, economy and industries, on these relationships.Design/methodology/approachFindings on various subjects from 40 previous empirical studies were examined using meta-analysis.FindingsIt was found that KMT are positively related to overall organizational performance as well as financial and nonfinancial performance and that the relationship between KMT and financial performance is stronger in developing economies than in developed economies.Practical implicationsIt helps practitioners better understand the role of KMT in organizational performance in various contexts and provides practical suggestions for KMT implementation.Originality/valueAs the first meta-analytic study to address the generalizability of KMT–organizational performance relationships, this paper offers an improved understanding of the benefits of KMT. It also expands knowledge about how contextual issues related to national culture, economies and industries affect KMT payoffs.

This study aims to further examine organisational learning-organisational performance relationships, with particular emphasis on the moderating effects of contextual elements, such as national culture and economy, on these relationships. Following a seven-step meta-analysis approach, the aggregated findings from 45 previous studies were analysed. The research findings reveal that organisational learning is positively associated with the financial, non-financial and overall performance of organisations. National culture and economy are critical moderators that affect organisational learning-organisational performance relationships. Organisational learningnon-financial performance relationship is stronger in societies that are characterised by large power distance and collectivism. Organisational learning impacts financial performance more strongly in in long-term-oriented cultures, and overall performance in restrained cultures. The organisational learning-non-financial performance relationship is stronger in developing economies than in developed economies. This is one of the first meta-analytic studies to allow significant theoretical generalisability by clarifying ambiguous relationships between organisational learning and its outcomes as well as revealing the moderating impacts of contextual factors (national culture and economy) on the organisational learning-organisational performance relationships. This research enables practising managers to be aware of the importance of organisational learning and obtain knowledge on handling organisational learning issues in different contexts.