Purpose

Knowledge management (KM) is widely adopted by organisations to improve their performance and make informed decisions. Prior research has confirmed that Information Systems (IS) play a critical role in effective KM. The purpose of this study is to examine the existing literature on the role of cloud-based KM systems (C-KMS) in small- and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) by understanding its impact on the five KM processes: knowledge acquisition, creation, storage, sharing and usage.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducted a systematic literature review by examining 133 journal articles and 24 conference papers from 2010 to 2021 on the role of cloud computing in KM for SMEs.

Findings

This study revealed that there are numerous empirical analyses on KM processes and tools in SMEs; however, only few studies demonstrate how the whole gamut of KM processes can adopt cloud computing in SMEs. Therefore, SMEs are ineffective at KM with limited IS intervention. This paper offers a proposition on how C-KMS can impact all five KM process, thereby increasing its effectiveness of KM in SMEs. This study analysed the benefits of C-KMS that brings to SMEs in terms of availability, scalability, reliability, security and cost.

Research limitations/implications

This systematic review is restricted to certain databases (ScienceDirect, Sage journals, Scopus and Emerald Insight) and specific IS conference proceedings to source articles. The selection of search criteria and time frame is based on this study’s assessment and choice. This study adds value to our understanding of the role of KM in SMEs, and it reinforces the role of cloud computing in effectively managing knowledge in SMEs. The proposal of C-KMS for the enhancement of KM has significant implications for SMEs to effectively use knowledge for their survival and superior performance.

Practical implications

This study suggests three practical implications. First, adopting and using C-KMS provide a strong foundation to manage knowledge for SMEs in a cost-effective way. Second, C-KMS improves the effectiveness of KM by increasing availability of knowledge artifacts, which in turn aids SMEs’ growth. Third, C-KMS is useful to codify SME’s knowledge, and accordingly supports employees to acquire and use knowledge based on their requirements.

Social implications

This study discussed C-KMS with contemporary social issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic challenges for SMEs and demonstrated how C-KMS can support SMEs to handle such crises by managing knowledge effectively.

Originality/value

This research highlights the importance of the implementation of a C-KMS for the enhancement of KM in SMEs. The review provides empirical evidence on the challenges faced by SMEs regarding KM, as they often only have enough resources to focus on a single KM process, predominantly knowledge sharing. Consequently, a holistic approach to KM cannot be realised by SMEs. In this context, the findings of this study offer theoretical and practical insights into the role of cloud computing by addressing the challenges of KM in SMEs.

中文翻译：

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云计算在中小企业知识管理中的作用：系统文献综述

目的

知识管理 (KM) 被组织广泛采用，以提高其绩效并做出明智的决策。先前的研究已经证实，信息系统 (IS) 在有效的知识管理中发挥着关键作用。本研究的目的是通过了解云知识管理系统 (C-KMS) 对五个知识管理过程的影响：知识获取、创造、存储、共享和使用。

设计/方法/方法

本研究通过检查 2010 年至 2021 年的 133 篇期刊文章和 24 篇会议论文，对云计算在中小企业知识管理中的作用进行了系统的文献回顾。

发现

这项研究表明，对中小企业的知识管理流程和工具进行了大量的实证分析；然而，只有少数研究表明整个知识管理流程如何在中小企业中采用云计算。因此，在信息系统干预有限的情况下，中小企业在知识管理方面是无效的。本文提出了一个关于 C-KMS 如何影响所有五个 KM 流程的命题，从而提高 KM 在中小企业中的有效性。本研究分析了 C-KMS 在可用性、可扩展性、可靠性、安全性和成本方面为中小企业带来的好处。

研究限制/影响

该系统评价仅限于某些数据库（ScienceDirect、Sage 期刊、Scopus 和 Emerald Insight）和特定的 IS 会议论文集以获取文章。搜索标准和时间范围的选择基于本研究的评估和选择。这项研究增加了我们对知识管理在中小企业中的作用的理解，并强化了云计算在有效管理中小企业知识中的作用。C-KMS 对加强知识管理的提议对中小企业有效利用知识以求生存和提高绩效具有重要意义。

实际影响

这项研究提出了三个实际意义。首先，采用和使用 C-KMS 为以经济高效的方式管理中小企业的知识奠定了坚实的基础。其次，C-KMS 通过增加知识工件的可用性来提高知识管理的有效性，这反过来又有助于中小企业的成长。第三，C-KMS有助于将SME的知识编码化，从而支持员工根据自己的需求获取和使用知识。

社会影响

本研究讨论了 C-KMS 与当代社会问题，例如中小企业面临的 COVID-19 大流行挑战，并展示了 C-KMS 如何通过有效管理知识来支持中小企业处理此类危机。

原创性/价值

本研究强调了实施 C-KMS 对增强中小企业 KM 的重要性。该评论为中小企业在知识管理方面面临的挑战提供了经验证据，因为它们通常只有足够的资源来专注于单一的知识管理流程，主要是知识共享。因此，中小企业无法实现知识管理的整体方法。在这种情况下，本研究的结果通过解决知识管理在中小企业中的挑战，为云计算的作用提供了理论和实践见解。