Is organizational learning being absorbed by knowledge management? A systematic review

Abstract

Purpose: This paper aims to focus on research regarding organizational learning (OL) and knowledge management (KM), and to specifically investigate whether OL has been conceptually absorbed by KM. Design/methodology/approach: This study is based on 16,185 articles from the Scopus and ISI Web of Science databases, using VantagePoint 10.0 software. The method used in this study is a systematic literature review covering KM and OL publications from the 1970s, when the OL field started to grow, up to 2016. Findings: Nuclear processes of OL, creation and acquisition of knowledge, have been conceptually absorbed by KM literature in the past years. Research limitations/implications: Only two databases have been considered, Scopus and ISI Web of Science, because of their academic prestige. However, these databases include a large number of articles on KM and OL. Search terms used could exclude some relevant terms, although all major descriptive terms have been included. Practical implications: This paper identifies thematic clusters in KM and OL, evolution of both fields, most cited authors and representative journals by topic. Originality/value: This is the first paper to jointly analyse the evolution of KM and OL. This paper shows a conceptual absorption of OL into KM, which may enrich academic discussion and also provide some clarity to the conceptualization of these two fields.