A literature review on Knowledge Management in SMEs

Purpose - The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive research review on knowledge management in small and medium enterprises in order to identify gaps in the body of literature. By connecting these gaps to business future trends we identify several future research avenues for each research area. Design/methodology/approach - The main objective of this literature review is to analyse the state-of-the-art of knowledge management in small and medium sized firms from the management perspective in order to identify relevant research gaps. The review has been carried out using Scopus and Web of Science Academic databases, and it has been conducted using the keyword "knowledge management" in combination with "SMEs" or "small firms" or "small business". Seventy papers in total were selected and studied in detail; they are all relevant scientific papers covering the topic of KM in SMEs from 2003 to 2013. Originality/value - This methodology puts in evidence the current situation in knowledge management in SMEs' research field. Practical implications - The outcomes of the application provide a valuable understanding of both knowledge management's best researched topic, which concerns the factors affecting knowledge management in SMEs and the knowledge management topics which are poorly investigated which concern KMSs adoption in SMEs, the barriers hindering their dissemination and the impact of KM on firm performance. From a practical perspective, the review concludes that the barriers connecting to KMSs implementation seem to belong more to cultural area rather than technological one and need to be exploited more in depth.