The relationship between knowledge management and innovation in large companies: A structured literature review

This paper aims to review and critique the literature about knowledge management (KM) and innovation in large companies from a KM and intellectual capital perspectives, offering an overview of the state of the literature and outlining a future research agenda. Articles published in business journals are analyzed using a Structured Literature Review Methodology (SLR). The study analyses 33 papers published in 21 journals specialized in the field of KM, innovation and technology management, management development, R&D management and strategic management among others. Although empirical and theoretical studies have shown a positive relationship between KM and innovation in large companies, this is a research area of growing importance as a result of the "innovation imperative" and the importance of the theme for KM as a discipline. Findings show that no authors have an explicit specialization on the topic, while all but two authors contribute just once to the body of knowledge. Few practitioners are doing research on the field, and there is a limited international cooperation among writers. Also, several areas in the world seem underinvestigated while other are over-analyzed, and none but one firm elected among world's top innovative companies are not investigated. Literature has identified a positive relationship between organizational factors, KM practices, processes and strategies, intellectual capital and absorptive capacity and innovation capacity and innovation performance. However, the focus on the kind of innovation seems not clear in a significant number of papers; and there is a lack of interdisciplinary approach in the research.