Knowledge Management Practices in Sustainable Entrepreneurship: A Literature Review

In an era where sustainable entrepreneurship (SE) is increasingly paramount, the integration with knowledge management (KM) practices emerges as a critical, yet neglected area. Recent developments in SE have heightened the need for KM, and concurrently, KM is recognized as a crucial instrument for SE. Despite acknowledging this key role of KM practices in securing a competitive advantage in SE, the existing literature rarely bridges KM with the nuanced requirements of SE, which highlights significant research gaps. This study aims to illuminate the intersection of KM and SE, using a systematic literature review to dissect how KM practices enhance sustainable entrepreneurial initiatives. Through an extensive search across Scopus and Web of Science databases and employing rigorous selection criteria, a total of 80 papers were identified. A synthesis of key findings from the field of KM and SE was conducted, revealing a rising trend in research interest over the past two decades, with a notable concentration of researchers in Asian countries. The study highlighted the importance of knowledge sharing, creation, acquisition, and application as key KM practices in SE, identifying emerging trends and research interests in this field. The key contributions of this research are: (1) it illuminates the integral role of KM practices within the domain of SE, bridging a notable gap in existing literature; (2) it systematically identifies and synthesizes the prevailing trends and key themes at the intersection of KM and SE, revealing both the depth and breadth of research to date; (3) it highlights significant research gaps and suggests future directions, particularly advocating for the adoption of diverse methodologies, including qualitative and mixed-method approaches, to explore the multifaceted nature of KM in SE; and (4) it underscores the practical implications of leveraging KM practices to foster SE, aiming to inform future academic and practical applications in the field.