Trends in Research Methodological Procedures Used in Knowledge Management Studies

Abstract

Drawing on extant literature, this methodological study provides a content analysis of research procedures employed in knowledge management (KM) research between 2009 and 2013. A total of 303 articles published in the Journal of Knowledge Management were critically reviewed and subjected to a descriptive content analysis research approach. Non-empirical studies were on the decline. Positivist epistemologies and quantitative research approaches predominated research in knowledge management (KM). Surveys, case studies and content analysis were the most favoured research approaches. Other major research approaches such as field experiments, ethnography, grounded theory and phenomenology were conspicuous by their absence. Questionnaires and interviews were commonly used for data collection, but the use of more than one research method was not prevalent. Based on the findings, many implications emerge that improve our understanding of research procedures used in KM research. One research method was used in this study. The use of more than one research paradigm and research method may extend our understanding of research in KM. The findings revealed good practices and gaps in using research methods. The results from this article can be used to relook or reanalyse the research methodologies that are used in the KM field. Consequently, it will assist KM researchers in making informed decisions about method selection and deployment in their studies. The study used a broader and systematic multi-stage conceptual framework to comprehensively analyse the research procedures used in the KM field.