The role of cloud computing in knowledge management for small and medium enterprises: a systematic literature review

Abstract

Purpose Knowledge management (KM) is widely adopted by organisations to improve their performance and make informed decisions. Prior research has confirmed that Information Systems (IS) play a critical role in effective KM. The purpose of this study is to examine the existing literature on the role of cloud-based KM systems (C-KMS) in small- and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) by understanding its impact on the five KM processes: knowledge acquisition, creation, storage, sharing and usage. Design/methodology/approach This study conducted a systematic literature review by examining 133 journal articles and 24 conference papers from 2010 to 2021 on the role of cloud computing in KM for SMEs. Findings This study revealed that there are numerous empirical analyses on KM processes and tools in SMEs; however, only few studies demonstrate how the whole gamut of KM processes can adopt cloud computing in SMEs. Therefore, SMEs are ineffective at KM with limited IS intervention. This paper offers a proposition on how C-KMS can impact all five KM process, thereby increasing its effectiveness of KM in SMEs. This study analysed the benefits of C-KMS that brings to SMEs in terms of availability, scalability, reliability, security and cost. Research limitations/implications This systematic review is restricted to certain databases (ScienceDirect, Sage journals, Scopus and Emerald Insight) and specific IS conference proceedings to source articles. The selection of search criteria and time frame is based on this study’s assessment and choice. This study adds value to our understanding of the role of KM in SMEs, and it reinforces the role of cloud computing in effectively managing knowledge in SMEs. The proposal of C-KMS for the enhancement of KM has significant implications for SMEs to effectively use knowledge for their survival and superior performance. Practical implications This study suggests three practical implications. First, adopting and using C-KMS provide a strong foundation to manage knowledge for SMEs in a cost-effective way. Second, C-KMS improves the effectiveness of KM by increasing availability of knowledge artifacts, which in turn aids SMEs’ growth. Third, C-KMS is useful to codify SME’s knowledge, and accordingly supports employees to acquire and use knowledge based on their requirements. Social implications This study discussed C-KMS with contemporary social issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic challenges for SMEs and demonstrated how C-KMS can support SMEs to handle such crises by managing knowledge effectively. Originality/value This research highlights the importance of the implementation of a C-KMS for the enhancement of KM in SMEs. The review provides empirical evidence on the challenges faced by SMEs regarding KM, as they often only have enough resources to focus on a single KM process, predominantly knowledge sharing. Consequently, a holistic approach to KM cannot be realised by SMEs. In this context, the findings of this study offer theoretical and practical insights into the role of cloud computing by addressing the challenges of KM in SMEs.

Knowledge integration for resilience among multinational SMEs amid the COVID-19: from the view of global digital platforms

“…Nonetheless, these works only focus on how platform artifacts are created by digital platforms. They do not directly address the core idea of this study, which is whether or not the KI processes in digital platforms play an important role in crisis management (Saratchandra and Shrestha, 2022). The results of this study enrich our research perspectives through quantitative analysis but differ from those of other studies.…”

“…A relevant insight from this perspective is that cultural, linguistic, regulatory and spatial constraints, result in less interpretability of globalization impediments compared to localized impediments (Collings et al , 2019). Hence, due to knowledge gap in how cross-border businesses can best weather COVID-19, coupled with the generally ad hoc methods of addressing crises, multinational SMEs as global businesses may be more vulnerable to a crisis such as COVID-19 (Saratchandra and Shrestha, 2022). Support-seeking multinational SMEs will mainly focus on their knowledge gaps and, therefore, will likely seek to actively integrate knowledge that gives them a holistic understanding what is currently ambiguous – i.e.…”

“…At present, we only have a rudimentary understanding of how a multinational SME’s horizontal/vertical KI processes impact resilience (Saratchandra and Shrestha, 2022; Zahra et al , 2020), as there is little empirical literature on the topic (Ammirato et al , 2020). Further, we do not know how external knowledge is internalized in a digital environment, especially during COVID-19.…”

Knowledge management in SMEs: a follow-up literature review

“…The follow-up review, through the analysis of 180 articles, structures insights from the current literature categorised by themes that address different aspects of KM and thus takes into account not only the variety but also the complexity of KM in SMEs. The presented paper is not limited to very limited areas of KM in SMEs research, as it has been the case with several reviews that have been published recently, such as Cerchione et al (2016), Costa et al (2016), Anand et al (2021) or Saratchandra and Shrestha (2022); thus, the present review provides more holistic and recent insights into the diversity of the research field over a longer period (2012–2022).…”

“…Six papers were assigned to this category (see Table 16). Saratchandra and Shrestha (2022) been shown in the study by Kim and Ahn (2020), while Crupi et al (2020) showed how European digital innovation hubs could take the role of knowledge brokers to support digital transformation in SMEs. Finally, Scuotto et al (2021) showed the relevance of developing dynamic capabilities for improving marketing KM.…”