Abstract
Knowledge management has received increasing attention from scholars. However, the understanding of this literature in the context of family firms remains fragmented. Different positions suggest that the inherent features of family businesses indicate the importance of considering the context. In this chapter, the authors aim to extend the understanding of knowledge management in the context of family firms. They achieve this by identifying the intellectual structure and evolution of the knowledge management corpus using bibliometric techniques applied to authors, universities, countries, and supranational regions. The analysis is complemented by the application of distance-based mapping techniques at the level of authors and publishers, enabling exploration of the historical dynamics and knowledge flows among management disciplines. The contribution of this chapter to the management literature lies in the provision of deep insights into this young and fertile stream of research, ultimately building bridges between both fields of research.
TopIntroduction
Knowledge is the linchpin for cultivating sustainable competitive advantages within family firms (Bamel & Bamel, 2018). In addition to individual entrepreneurial skills in establishing enduring competitive edges, knowledge management significantly contributes to these organizations in terms of profitability, survival, and growth (Carayannis, Ferreira, & Fernandes, 2021). This is why knowledge management has evolved into the most strategically vital capability for family firms (Hatak & Roessl, 2013). Understanding the intricacies of knowledge management, from its inception to diffusion and effective utilization, has become a cornerstone of business research (Zack, 1999; Shahzad, Qu, Zafar, Rehman & Islam, 2020; Edwards, 2022). Over the years, knowledge management research has burgeoned, with exponential growth since its early beginnings in the early 1990s (Gaviria-Marin, Merigó, & Baier-Fuentes, 2019), resulting in a vast body of academic work (Gaviria-Marin, Merigo, & Popa, 2018). A simple search in the Web of Science database for “knowledge management” within the business and management categories yields around 5,000 academic products.
Researchers across various fields have increasingly turned to bibliometric techniques to categorize and rank extensive volumes of scholarly material and academic knowledge, providing comprehensive insights into diverse subjects (Andrade-Valbuena, Baier-Fuentes, & Gaviria-Marin, 2022). These techniques have been particularly useful in exploring complex research topics where multiple streams of knowledge converge, offering deeper insights into their commonalities (Andrade-Valbuena, Valenzuela-Fernández, & Merigó, 2022b). For instance, Vallaster, Kraus, Lindahl, and Nielsen (2019) delved into the ethical considerations inherent in entrepreneurial decision-making, utilizing performance indicators and statistical patterns to identify influential publications in this area. Lamboglia, Lavorato, Scornavacca, and Za (2021) mapped the conceptual structure of the body of knowledge at the intersection of auditing and technological absorption by examining publications, countries, and authors.
However, a comprehensive study that connects knowledge management and family firms, shedding light on the multifaceted nature of both research streams and their interplay, is conspicuously missing from the literature. While previous bibliometric endeavors have either analyzed knowledge management research (Fares, Chung, & Abbasi, 2021) or delved into family firms (Casillas & Acedo, 2007; Casprini, Dabic, Kotlar, & Pucci, 2020; Cisneros, Ibanescu, Keen, Lobato-Calleros, & Niebla-Zatarain, 2018), none have simultaneously examined both research streams. This chapter seeks to fill this gap by providing an overview of three decades of scientific production (1990-2020) that explores the multifaceted nature of knowledge management in family firms, offering insights into their connections.
Our chapter aims to expand the understanding of Knowledge Management in Family Firms research by employing bibliometric techniques to identify the intellectual structure and evolution of this corpus. We conduct a thorough performance analysis of research production, examining authors, universities, and countries, and highlighting statistical patterns within the scientific material. We complement this evaluation with a network-based analysis of authors and publishers to explore the dynamics and knowledge flows among the management disciplines comprising this corpus and its evolution over the three decades under consideration.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Systematic Literature Review: A rigorous and structured approach to identifying, analyzing, and synthesizing existing research on a specific topic. It provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge in the field.
Corpus of Research: Refers to the collection of relevant academic papers, articles, and studies systematically gathered and analyzed to address a specific research question or topic.
VOS Network Analysis: A method that visualizes and analyzes relationships between research elements, such as authors, journals, or keywords. It uses network graphs to reveal patterns and connections in scholarly literature.
Co-Citation Analysis: An exploration that involves identifying and analyzing the frequency with which two or more documents are cited together by other scholarly works. This reveals connections and relationships between those documents.
Knowledge Management: The process of capturing, organizing, storing, and sharing an organization's knowledge and information to enhance decision-making, innovation, and overall performance.
Citation Patterns: Refer to the ways in which academic works, such as articles or papers, cite and reference other scholarly sources. They provide insights into the influence, connections, and impact of research.
Family Firms: Businesses where ownership and control are primarily held by one or more families. These companies are often managed and operated by family members across generations.