scholarly journals Effects of knowledge management on the management of health and social care: a systematic literature review

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
pp. 203-221
Author(s):  
Tuomas Hujala ◽  
Harri Laihonen

Purpose The purpose of this study is twofold. First, it suggests that knowledge management (KM), as an academic discipline and managerial practice, provides valuable perspectives and tools to help health and social care management cope with both existing and future challenges. Second, it reviews the existing evidence on the effects of KM on the management of health and social care. Based on the results of the review, an evaluation framework for the effects of KM is proposed. Design/methodology/approach The literature review was conducted using the guidance of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement to search the Web of Science and SCOPUS databases. The search terms included “knowledge management”, “healthcare” and “effect.” Academic articles published between 2010 and 2020 were included. Findings The study identifies six main categories among the effects of KM on the management of health and social care as follows: enhanced understanding of customer needs, improved organizational performance, better targeted decision-making, improved quality of service, behavioral or cultural change and improved risk management. Originality/value This study contributes by summarizing the literature on the effects of KM on the management of health and social care and proposing avenues for future research in this area.

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhavana Mathur ◽  
Sumit Gupta ◽  
Makhan Lal Meena ◽  
G.S. Dangayach

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the causal linkages among supply chain practices, effectiveness of supply chain performance (SCP) and organizational performance (OP) in Indian healthcare industries.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is helpful in developing a framework for linking a healthcare supply chain practice to its OP, and thus identifies how such a linkage can be connected to the effectiveness of SCP. Such effort also enables the authors to derive a set of recommended supply chain practices for SC performance.FindingsFrom the literature review, this paper finds that, in the context of Indian healthcare industries, efficient SC performance may play a critical role for overall OP improvement, as there is a close interrelationship between supply chain management (SCM) practices and SCP that may have a more significant effect on OP improvement.Research limitations/implicationsThe principle limitation of the paper is that it is performed only in a particular industry and with a questionnaire survey which could be extended in future for other industries also. Another limitation of the paper is that it is focused only on the SCP of medical device and equipment supply chain which is a small portion of the whole healthcare supply chain, and therefore requires further research covering various other domains of healthcare supply chain. Another limitation of the study is that the sample survey has been taken from only one respondent per company at one point of time which may create biasness in the results. Thus, future research should collect data through multiple members from the organization.Practical implicationsThis study contributes to know the effect of SCM practices on healthcare SCP and provides a practical and useful tool to evaluate the extent of effectiveness of SCP and finally their impact on the healthcare OP. Finally, this study provides conceptual and descriptive literature regarding SCM practices that leads to improvement in healthcare performance.Social implicationsThis study adds to the knowledge on healthcare SCM performance by exploring the relationship between supply chain practices, healthcare SCP and healthcare OP and by developing and testing a research framework thus help in improving patient satisfaction.Originality/valueThis study attempts to show how the potential benefits of supply chain practices can no longer be ignored in healthcare supply chain.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 1310-1331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vito Manfredi Latilla ◽  
Federico Frattini ◽  
Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli ◽  
Martina Berner

Purpose This paper aims to provide a comprehensive academic literature review on the relationship between knowledge management, knowledge transfer and organizational performance in a specific subset of the creative industry, i.e. arts and crafts organizations. Furthermore, this paper analyzes how knowledge management and transfer within arts and crafts organizations help increase performance and enhance the value of the activity of the so-called “knowledge workers” (i.e. craftsmen), who are the real knowledge owners in the process of value creation. Design/methodology/approach The literature review follows the model suggested by Vom Brocke et al. (2009). The review follows a five-phase approach so as to be systematic, transparent and replicable. Academic contributions published over two periods are taken into consideration. The first period covers the years 1990-2000, when the concepts of creative industry and knowledge-based economy were developed. The second period covers the years 2000-2016, when scholars started to investigate how to effectively transfer knowledge (very often in the form of “tacit knowledge”) retained by master craftsmen in arts and crafts organizations and the critical role played by craftsmen in the performance of such organizations. Findings Three main issues have emerged: how arts and crafts organizations manage and transfer knowledge internally; the effects of these activities on organizational performance; and the prominent role of craftsmen. The literature review shows how in arts and crafts organizations there is a considerable link between the concepts of “performance" and "tacit knowledge", even though addressing such link is somehow hard to realize, for several reasons discussed in the paper. The measurement of performance in arts and crafts organizations has become an area of academic investigation only when both the role of knowledge management and transfer and the role of knowledge workers (i.e., craftsmen) have become evident for obtaining a competitive advantage. Research limitations/implications This paper has been an attempt to organize existing studies on knowledge management and transfer and to investigate the relationship existing between knowledge and performance in arts and crafts organizations. Nevertheless, the relationship between knowledge and performance is yet to be explored, as well as the development of techniques for measuring arts and crafts organizations’ performance effectively. The present contribution calls for a systematic reflection on how the transfer of traditional craftsmen’s skills impacts organizational performances in the long run. The definition and implementation of new performance evaluations criteria tailored to enhance the tacit knowledge of craftsmen as a real source of differentiation and competitive advantage for the arts and crafts organizations is somehow still missing. Practical implications By pursuing its objectives, the present contribution aims to represent a step toward enabling arts and crafts organizations to play a vital role in the modern society in a more structured way. This would help to build awareness of the potential of arts and crafts organizations for promoting economic growth, proposing a value proposition different from the one dictated by the globalization and by the triumph of product standardization and mass production. Originality/value Analyzing the knowledge management and transfer within arts and crafts organizations with a historical perspective, it appears that the recognition in academic literature of the centrality of knowledge management and transfer within arts and crafts organizations is only recent (i.e. from 2011 onward). Indeed, for approximately 20 years (i.e. 1990-2010), knowledge has been constantly related to technological paradigms and standardized results, with very little research and debate on craftsmanship and the role of craftsmen. Nevertheless, the research shows that over the years, the focus on knowledge in arts and crafts organizations and knowledge transfer has become progressively more detailed and precise: some authors have studied the role of craftsmen in the knowledge economy according to a historical perspective, while some others have analyzed different types of knowledge more thoroughly. For example, Sveiby (1997, 1996), analyzing the concept of "knowing talent" and "tradition", outlines a more prominent role of craftsmen in the knowledge economy and explain how, in sectors with a strong traditional background, the transfer of tacit knowledge is a meaningful challenge for many organizations.


2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 140-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vishal Ashok Bhosale ◽  
Ravi Kant

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive and useful insight into the knowledge management (KM) in the supply chain (SC) research and provide gaps and future research implications. The literature review includes a metadata analysis of KM in SC research along a number of dimensions, the existing dimensions as well as dimensions which are previously not been presented within the current area to predict the future role of KM in SC. Design/methodology/approach – The study is to examine the status of KM in SC within academic and industrial research in the last 14 years. The systematic literature review of KM in SC is based on 176 peer reviewed articles selected through a multi-stage process, from 1,063 studies during January 2001-June 2014. Findings – An increase in the interest level of incorporating KM in SC is clearly visible while studying available literature. The statistics prove that research in the field of KM in SC is overwhelmingly empirically oriented. Another major finding shows that the survey model score highest among all the research method used in the discipline. In general, the research is more interpretive in nature and provides a frame for theoretical critique. The result indicates that there is a need to use of advanced data analysis techniques with traditional data analysis technique. Originality/value – The review simply provides statistical summary which is easy to understand for practitioner and provide increased insights on the current state of research for the KM in SC.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anil Kumar Goswami ◽  
Rakesh Kumar Agrawal ◽  
Meghna Goswami

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore, understand and investigate the relationship between national culture and knowledge management (KM) process.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on systematically and objectively capturing the contents of extant research papers published by researchers in this area by using the literature review methodology.FindingsThe study demonstrates significant relationship between national culture and KM process. Further, it also provides directions for future research.Practical implicationsThe study will help top management to understand and appreciate the impact of national culture on KM process in organization, where people from different nations are working together. The management may apply appropriate organizational interventions to manage people of different national cultures in effective manner and effective utilization of knowledge of the organization through KM process. This paper will be considered as a quick reference and resource for anyone interested in this area.Originality/valueThis study is a comprehensive literature review of influence of national culture on KM process. Further, it also sets the research agenda for future researchers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 1315-1342
Author(s):  
Peter Heisig ◽  
Selvi Kannan

Purpose This paper aims to review for the first time existing research literature about the role of gender in creating, sharing and using knowledge in organizations and proposes a conceptual framework to guide future research directions. Design/methodology/approach Based on the systematic literature review method this study collects, synthesizes and analyses articles related to knowledge management (KM) and gender published in online databases by following a pre-defined review protocol. The paper analyses 41 papers published in peer-reviewed journals. Findings The role of gender in KM has been rarely addressed in KM journals and journals with specific emphasis on gender. The existing literature is fragmented, but existing research suggests that knowledge sharing might be influenced by gender. Based on the analysis and synthesis, a conceptual framework is proposed to guide further research on determining if gender matters in KM. Research limitations/implications Academic researchers should aim to include gender-related variables into their KM research to further explore if gender matters in KM. Practical implications The practical implication suggests that managers and knowledge managers should raise awareness about how stereotypes and gendered expectations about role behaviour affect how knowledge and experiences are created and shared within the organization. Social implications The authors believe that a better understanding of knowledge handling and gendered role expectations at the workplace could also have an impact beyond organizational boundaries. Originality/value The paper presents the first comprehensive systematic literature review of the article published on knowledge creation, sharing and usage and gender and provides a conceptual framework for future research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 1445-1492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Massimiliano Matteo Pellegrini ◽  
Francesco Ciampi ◽  
Giacomo Marzi ◽  
Beatrice Orlando

Purpose Effectively handling knowledge is crucial for any organization to survive and prosper in the turbulent environments of the modern era. Leadership is a central element for knowledge creation, acquisition, utilization and integration processes. Based on these considerations, this study aims to offer an overview of the evolution of the literature regarding the knowledge management-leadership relationship published over the past 20 years. Design/methodology/approach A bibliometric analysis coupled with a systematic literature review were performed over a data set of 488 peer-reviewed articles published from 1990 to 2018. Findings The authors discovered the existence of four well-polarized clusters with the following thematic focusses: human and relational aspects, systematic and performance aspects, contextual and contingent aspects and cultural and learning aspects. The authors then investigated each thematic cluster by reviewing the most relevant contributions within them. Research limitations/implications Based on the bibliometric analysis and the systematic literature review, the authors developed an interpretative framework aimed at uncovering several promising and little explored research areas, thus suggesting an agenda for future knowledge management-leadership research. Some steps of the paper selection process may have been biased by the interpretation of the researcher. The authors addressed this concern by performing a multiple human subject reading process whose reliability was confirmed by a Krippendorf’s alpha coefficient value >0.80. Originality/value To the best knowledge, this is the first study to map, systematize and discuss the literature concerned to the topic of the knowledge management-leadership relationship.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Rumo Arongo ◽  
Judy Backhouse

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-13
Author(s):  
Edwin Jones

Purpose This paper aims to present a conceptual viewpoint highlighting the utility of active support in implementing capable environments and to extend this by presenting a three-tiered preventative model of positive behavioural support (PBS) in UK health and social care. Design/methodology/approach Provision of a commentary on “Building capable environments using practice leadership” by Linda Hume, Nadia Khan and Martin Reilly. Findings Capable environments and active support should be key, universal and essential PBS tier one supports in UK health and social care. Training staff in Active Support and developing practice leadership help implement capable environments. Originality/value The three-tiered PBS model was recently proposed by Leitch et al. (2020) and is worthy of further debate and refinement with the involvement of stakeholders. It has several practical implications including refocussing efforts on early intervention to get tier one supports implemented effectively in recognition that PBS is much wider than intense tier three supports. It could reinforce and motivate existing providers of quality support and indicate where and how other providers can commence the process of implementing PBS. Future research could consider the effectiveness of applying implementation science to the field of learning disabilities and PBS in particular.


2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu-Mei Tseng ◽  
Pei-Shan Lee

Purpose – The current conventional strategic management model is incapable of dealing with various questions on organizational management in a dynamically discontinuous environment. Hence, how an enterprise can effectively apply its knowledge management (KM) capability and develop a uniquely dynamic capability in order to provide quick response to a dynamic environment has become an urgent need. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the above-mentioned issues. Design/methodology/approach – In order to gain best exploration on KM capability, dynamic capability, and organizational performance, the questionnaire and statistical analytical techniques were used. Findings – The results indicate that dynamic capability is an important intermediate organizational mechanism through which the benefits of KM capability are converted into performance effects at the corporate level. That is, KM capability enhances the dynamic capability of organizations. While dynamic capability, in turn, increases organizational performance and provides competitive advantages. Research limitations/implications – This research applied a purposive sampling method and obtained a slightly inadequate number of respondents. Therefore, it is suggested that future research should apply a random sampling method to collect more responses and increase the generalizability. Practical implications – This research aims to investigate KM capability, dynamic capability, and organizational performance, as well as establish and verify the patterns of the aforementioned relationships based on how enterprises implement their KM capabilities and dynamic capabilities to enhance organizational performance. Originality/value – There is still little related literature investigating the relationships among KM capability, dynamic capability, and organizational performance. Hence, this study applies questionnaire methods as the main research tools in order to conduct an in-depth investigation into the influence of KM capability and dynamic capability on organizational performance. Furthermore, this research is expected to provide enterprises with valuable suggestions for management practices.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 1859-1880 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Obeso ◽  
Remedios Hernández-Linares ◽  
María Concepción López-Fernández ◽  
Ana María Serrano-Bedia

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it aims to analyze the individual influence of different knowledge management practises (KMP) on firm performance. Second, it aims to analyze the mediating role of organizational learning (OL) between each KMP and performance. Design/methodology/approach A telephone-survey was applied in 2018 to the managers of 400 Spanish firms. The data retrieved was analyzed by using multiple regression analysis. Findings Knowledge generation (KG) and knowledge flow (KF) promote firm performance, while there is not a direct association between knowledge storage and performance. OL mediates the relationship between KG and performance, as well as between KF and performance. Research limitations/implications First, this research confirms that not all the KMP have a direct effect on firm performance, thus, future research would need to differentiate between different KMP. Second, this paper is pioneering in providing empirical evidence that OL mediates the KMP – performance relationship. Third, the empirical study was performed in a context non-researched yet by the literature considering KMP individually: Spain. Practical implications First, besides the results managers should focus their efforts in practises related to KG and application. Second, OL mediating suggests that managers should invest in managerial commitment to promote a shared culture, shared vision, open-mind to new ideas and a lot of dialogue. Originality/value This is the first study that investigates how KMP contribute to firm performance by incorporating the mediating impact of OL. The results will help organizations to identify the KMP improving the performance.


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