Institutionalization of knowledge management strategies in agricultural research organizations: a systematic literature review

Authors

  • Boniface Akuku University of Nairobi
  • Robert Oboko School of Computing and Informatics, University of Nairobi
  • Timothy Mwololo Waema School of Computing and Informatics, University of Nairobi,

Keywords:

Knowledge Management, Knowledge Management Strategy, Institutionalization, Adoption, Implementation, Entrenchment, process, practice, influencing factors

Abstract

In recent years Knowledge Management (KM) has emerged as a significant field for research and practitioners in Information Systems (IS) domain. Despite the rapid growth in literature, the concept of institutionalization of KM strategies in organizations is understudied. Consistent with a ?practice turn?? emphasis in recent literature in IS strategy-related studies, this study examines the body of knowledge on institutionalization of KM strategies in Agricultural Research organizations (AROs). A complimentary approach combining systematic and hermeneutics literature review methods is used to search, select, analyze extant literature and presentation of study results.  While studies have expanded neo-institutional theory and recommends linking process analysis to context with a specific focus on organizational level analysis, the concepts are not used in extant literature. Similarly, a comparative analysis studies or a framework to compare similar or different contexts with regard to institutionalization processes or practices of KM strategies is not found in extant literature. A conclusion is drawn that micro-processes analysis of institutionalization of KM strategies at organizational level in practice are not adequately explored. To date it is not known how KM strategies are adopted, implemented and entrenched in organizations including what processes takes place in day-to-day activities, yet literature continues to report that AROs are facing difficulties this area.

Author Biography

Timothy Mwololo Waema, School of Computing and Informatics, University of Nairobi,

Timothy Mwololo Waema is an information system academic and practitioner. He has worked for many years at the intersection of information technology, strategy, policy and innovation. He has extensive ICT consultancy experience that spans over 30 years in both private and public sector organizations in Kenya and the African region in many aspects of ICTs and development. He has also published widely in journals, conference proceedings and in books. He is Full Professor of Information Systems in the School of Computing and Informatics in the University of Nairobi, Kenya. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Strategic Management of Information Systems from the University of Cambridge (UK) and a Bachelors Honours Degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Bath (UK).

References

Aagaard, A. (2013). Effective Implementation of knowledge management strategies and the key roles of knowledge ambassadors in strategy integration: A longitudinal participative case study of cross-divisional strategy integration. International Journal of Knowledge Management (IJKM), 9(3), 31-46.
Abbas, K. D. (2015). Knowledge Management Strategies and Practices in Nigerian Agricultural Research Institutes (Doctoral dissertation, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg).
Alers-Tealdi, L. (2015). Institutionalization of knowledge management in the federal government: an exploration of the mechanisms (Doctoral dissertation, Rutgers University-Graduate School-Newark).
Barley, W. C., Treem, J. W., & Kuhn, T. (2018). Valuing multiple trajectories of knowledge: A critical review and agenda for knowledge management research. Academy of Management Annals, 12(1), 278-317.
Baskerville, R., & Dulipovici, A. (2006). The theoretical foundations of knowledge management. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 4(2), 83-105.
Bernaoui, R., & Hassoun, M. (2011, February). Knowledge Management (KM) in agricultural research in Algeria: Monitoring Tool to enhance the scientific productions. In 4th. International Conference on" Information Systems & Economic Intelligence" (pp. 260-265).
Boell, S. K., & Cecez-Kecmanovic, D. (2014). A hermeneutic approach for conducting literature reviews and literature searches. CAIS, 34, 12.
Booth, A., Sutton, A., & Papaioannou, D. (2016). Systematic approaches to a successful literature review. Sage.
Bratianu, C., Evangelista, P., & Durst, S. (2015). Knowledge management in environmental sustainability practices of third-party logistics service providers. Vine.
Ceptureanu, E., Ceptureanu, S., Popescu, D., & Vlad, L. (2017). Two stage analysis of successful change implementation of knowledge management strategies in energy companies from Romania. Energies, 10(12), 1965.
Choe, J. M. (2014). The product and process innovations through the strategic alignment of knowledge management. Asian Journal of Technology Innovation, 22(1), 1-15.
Choi, B., Poon, S. K., & Davis, J. G. (2008). Effects of knowledge management strategy on organizational performance: A complementarity theory-based approach. Omega, 36(2), 235-251.
Cram, W. A. (2019). (Re) considering the Concept of Reproducibility of Information Systems Literature Reviews.
Dalkir, K. (2013). Knowledge management in theory and practice. Oxford OX2 8DP, UK. Routledge.
Desouza, K. C., El Sawy, O. A., Galliers, R. D., Loebbecke, C., & Watson, R. T. (2006). Beyond rigor and relevance towards responsibility and reverberation: Information systems research that really matters. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 17(1), 16.
Dewah, P., & Mutula, S. M. (2016). Knowledge retention strategies in public sector organizations: Current status in sub-Saharan Africa. Information Development, 32(3), 362-376.
Dileepkumar, G. (2010). Micro-level Drought Preparedness with Information Management and Rural Knowledge Centres: A Framework to Support Rural Farm Families (Doctoral dissertation, Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology)
Durand, R., Grant, R. M., & Madsen, T. L. (2017). The expanding domain of strategic management research and the quest for integration. Strategic Management Journal, 38(1), 4-16.
Dwivedi, Y. K., Venkitachalam, K., Sharif, A. M., Al-Karaghouli, W., & Weerakkody, V. (2011). Research trends in knowledge management: Analyzing the past and predicting the future. Information Systems Management, 28(1), 43-56.
Fassehi, S. (2012). An exploratory investigation into knowledge management in Western Australian knowledge-intensive small businesses.
Forcadell, F. J., & Guadamillas, F. (2002). A case study on the implementation of a knowledge management strategy oriented to innovation. Knowledge and Process Management, 9(3), 162-171.
Geeling, S., Brown, I. & Weimann, P. (2016). ?Information systems and culture - a systematic hermeneutic literature review?. CONF-IRM 2016 Proceedings. https://aisel.aisnet.org/confirm2016/40. Paper 37, 1-12
Gourlay, S. (2006). Conceptualizing knowledge creation: A critique of Nonaka's theory*. Journal of management studies, 43(7), 1415-1436.
Gough, D., Thomas, J., & Oliver, S. (2012). Clarifying differences between review designs and methods. Systematic reviews, 1(1), 28.
Grant, K. (2011). Knowledge management, an enduring but confusing fashion. Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management, 9(2), 117-131.
Hendry, K. P., Kiel, G. C., & Nicholson, G. (2010). How boards strategise: A strategy as practice view. Long Range Planning, 43(1), 33-56.
Handzic, M. (2017). the KM times they are a-Changin?. Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation, 13(3), 7-28.
Heisig, P. (2009). Harmonisation of knowledge management-comparing 160 KM frameworks around the globe. Journal of knowledge management, 13(4), 4-31.
Hirschheim, R., & Klein, H. K. (2012). A glorious and not-so-short history of the information systems field. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 13(4), 188.
Hirst, C. A. (2010). A study of the intra-organisational processes of institutionalisation: establishing the practices of knowledge management.
Jakubik, M. (2011). Becoming to know. Shifting the knowledge creation paradigm. Journal of Knowledge Management, 15(3), 374-402.
Jalil, M. A. Knowledge Management Strategy of a Law Firm.
Jami Pour, M., Kouchak Zadeh, Z., & Ahmad Zadeh, N. (2018). Designing an integrated methodology for knowledge management strategic planning: The roadmap toward strategic alignment. VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, 48(3), 373-387.
Jennex, M. E. (2002). Knowledge management strategy: Critical issues. assessment, 2003, 2004.
Kamasak, R. (2012). Knowledge management practice assessment and the relationship between knowledge management practices and organizational strategy development: Empirical evidence from Turkey. New Research on Knowledge Management Applications and Lesson Learned,
Kushwaha, P., & Rao, M. K. (2015). Integrative role of KM infrastructure and KM strategy to enhance individual competence: Conceptualizing knowledge process enablement. Vine, 45(3), 376-396.
Kitsios, F. C., & Kamariotou, M. (2019). Information Systems Strategy and Strategy-as-Practice: Planning Evaluation in SMEs.
Kjærgaard, A., & Kautz, K. (2008). A process model of establishing knowledge management: Insights from a longitudinal field study. Omega, 36(2), 282-297.
Kim, T. H., Lee, J. N., Chun, J. U., & Benbasat, I. (2014). Understanding the effect of knowledge management strategies on knowledge management performance: A contingency perspective. Information & management, 51(4), 398-416.
Laghrabli, S., Benabbou, L., & Berrado, A. (2015, October). A new methodology for literature review analysis using association rules mining. In 2015 10th International Conference on Intelligent Systems: Theories and Applications (SITA) (pp. 1-6). IEEE.
Lee, E. S., & Song, D. W. (2010). Knowledge management for maritime logistics value: discussing conceptual issues. Marit. Pol. Mgmt., 37(6), 563-583.
Lee, A. S. H., & Lim, T. M. (2017). Strategies to improve knowledge sharing in trading construction organization. Information Technology in Industry, 5, 7-15.
Lwoga, E. (2010). Application of knowledge management approaches and information and communication technologies to manage indigenous knowledge in the agricultural sector in selected districts of Tanzania (Doctoral dissertation).
Ma, Z., & Yu, K. H. (2010). Research paradigms of contemporary knowledge management studies: 1998-2007. Journal of Knowledge Management, 14(2), 175-189.
Majuri, J., Koivisto, J., & Hamari, J. (2018). Gamification of education and learning: A review of empirical literature. In Proceedings of the 2nd International GamiFIN Conference, GamiFIN 2018. CEUR-WS.
Mangiarotti, G., & Mention, A. L. (2015). Investigating firm-level effects of knowledge management strategies on innovation performance. International Journal of Innovation Management, 19(01), 1550012.
Moeini, M., Rahrovani, Y., & Chan, Y. E. (2019). A review of the practical relevance of IS strategy scholarly research. The Journal of Strategic Information Systems.
Mohd Zin, I. N., & Egbu, C. O. (2010, September). Readiness of organisations to implement a knowledge management strategy: A construction industry overview. In Procs 26th Annual ARCOM Conference (pp. 789-798). Association of Researchers in Construction Management.
Moustaghfir, K. (2009). How knowledge assets lead to a sustainable competitive advantage: are organizational capabilities a missing link & quest. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 7(4), 339-355.
Mulinge, W. M. (2013). Knowledge management strategies and their contribution to small and medium enterprises sales growth: A case of hospitality industry in Nakuru Town (Doctoral dissertation, Egerton University).
Neto, F. S., Rafael, B., de Souza França, R., Ziviani, F., & Parreiras, F. S. Impact of Agile Practices Adoption on Organizational Learning: a Survey in Brazil.
Okoli, C., & Schabram, K. (2010). A guide to conducting a systematic literature review of information systems research.
Pate, J., Beaumont, P., & Pryce, G. (2009). Organisations and the issue of multiple identities: who loves you baby?. Vine, 39(4), 319-338.
Paré, G., Tate, M., Johnstone, D., & Kitsiou, S. (2016). Contextualizing the twin concepts of systematicity and transparency in information systems literature reviews. European Journal of Information Systems, 25(6), 493-508.
Peppard, J., Galliers, R. D., & Thorogood, A. (2014). Information systems strategy as practice: Micro strategy and strategizing for IS. J. Strategic Inf. Sys., 23(1), 1-10.
Perez-Soltero, A., Zavala-Guerrero, A. G., Barcelo-Valenzuela, M., Sanchez-Schmitz, G., & Meroño-Cerdan, A. L. (2015). A Methodology for the development and implementation of knowledge management strategy in a Mexican SME trading company. The IUP Journal of Knowledge Management, 13(2), 25-44.
Ramy, A., Floody, J., Ragab, M. A., & Arisha, A. (2018). A scientometric analysis of Knowledge Management Research and Practice literature: 2003?2015. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 16(1), 66-77.
Robinson, H. S., Carrillo, P. M., Anumba, C. J., & Al-Ghassani, A. M. (2004). Developing a business case for knowledge management: the IMPaKT approach. Construction Management & Economics, 22(7), 733-743.
Rowe, F. (2014). What literature review is not: diversity, boundaries and recommendations.
Rowley, J. (1999). What is knowledge management?. Library management, 20(8), 416-420.
Sasson, E., Ravid, G., & Pliskin, N. (2017). Creation of knowledge-added concept maps: time augmention via pairwise temporal analysis. Journal of Knowledge Management, 21(1), 132-155.
Schryen, G., Benlian, A., Rowe, F., Gregor, S., Larsen, K., Petter, S., ... & Yasasin, E. (2017). Literature reviews in IS research: What can be learnt from the past and other fields?. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 41(1), 30.
Schultze, U. (2015). Skirting SLR's language trap: reframing the ?systematic?vs ?traditional?literature review opposition as a continuum. Journal of Information Technology, 30(2), 180-184.
Selznick, P. (2011). Leadership in administration: A sociological interpretation. Quid Pro Books.
Serenko, A., Bontis, N., Booker, L., Sadeddin, K., & Hardie, T. (2010). A scientometric analysis of knowledge management and intellectual capital academic literature (1994-2008). Journal of Knowledge Management, 14(1), 3-23.
Staiger-Rivas, S., Alvarez, S., Arana, J. A., Howland, F. C., Cunha, F., Valencia, B., ... & Feijoo, K. (2014). Designing knowledge management interventions in agricultural research for development: methodology, experiences, and lessons learned.
Song, B., Li, Y., & Zhao, L. (2019). Complementary Effect of Knowledge Management Strategy on Firm Performance: Evidence from Chinese Firms. Sustainability, 11(13), 3616.
Rusu, L., & El Mekawy, M. (2011). Strategic role of information technology in a multinational company: The case of an organization with subsidiaries in Egypt and Sweden. In Cases on Business and Management in the MENA Region: New Trends and Opportunities (pp. 135-155). IGI Global.
Sun, P. (2010). Five critical knowledge management organizational themes. Journal of Knowledge Management, 14(4), 507-523.
Templier, M., & Paré, G. (2018). Transparency in literature reviews: an assessment of reporting practices across review types and genres in top IS journals. European Journal of Information Systems, 27(5), 503-550.
Tate, M., Furtmueller, E., Evermann, J., & Bandara, W. (2015). Introduction to the Special Issue: The Literature Review in Information Systems. CAIS, 37, 5.
Teubner, R. A., & Mocker, M. (2008). A literature overview on strategic information systems planning. European Research Center for Information Systems Working Paper, (6).
Toffel, M. W. (2016). Enhancing the practical relevance of research. Production and Operations Management, 25(9), 1493-1505.
Tolbert, P. S., & Zucker, L. G. (1999). The institutionalization of institutional theory. Studying Organization. Theory & Method. London, Thousand Oaks, New Delhi, 169-184.
Vom Brocke, J., Simons, A., Riemer, K., Niehaves, B., Plattfaut, R., & Cleven, A. (2015). Standing on the shoulders of giants: challenges and recommendations of literature search in information systems research. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 37(1), 9.
Webster, J., & Watson, R. T. (2002). Analyzing the past to prepare for the future: Writing a literature review. MIS quarterly, xiii-xxiii.
Wagner, G., Prester, J., Roche, M., Benlian, A., & Schryen, G. (2016). Factors affecting the scientific impact of literature reviews: A scientometric study.
Wagner, E. L., & Newell, S. (2007). Exploring the importance of participation in the post-implementation period of an ES project: a neglected area. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 8(10), 508.
Whittington, R. (2006). Completing the practice turn in strategy research. Organization studies, 27(5), 613-634.
Yang, J. (2010). The knowledge management strategy and its effect on firm performance: A contingency analysis. International Journal of Production Economics, 125(2), 215-223.
Yu, X., & Tang, S. (2010, August). Construction and Application of Performance Evaluation Matrix for Knowledge Management. In 2010 International Conference of Information Science and Management Engineering (Vol. 1, pp. 416-419). IEEE.
ZAHER, D. (2015). Servant Leadership and the Successful Implementation of Knowledge Management in Organizations. The JF Oberlin journal of business management studies, 5, 39-59.

Downloads

Published

2020-09-11