Critical success factors for implementing knowledge management in small and medium enterprises

Purpose – To date, critical success factors (CSFs) for implementing knowledge management (KM) in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have not been systematically investigated. Existing studies have derived their CSFs from large companies’ perspectives and have not considered the needs of smaller businesses. This paper is aimed to bridge this gap. Design/methodology/approach – Existing studies on CSFs were reviewed and their limitations were identified. By integrating insights drawn from these studies as well as adding some new factors, the author proposed a set of 11 CSFs which is believed to be more suitable for SMEs. The importance of the proposed CSFs was theoretically discussed and justified. In addition, an empirical assessment was conducted to evaluate the extent of success of this proposition. Findings – The overall results from the empirical assessment were positive, thus reflecting the appropriateness of the proposed CSFs. Practical implications – The set of CSFs can act as a list of items for SMEs to address when adopting KM. This helps to ensure that the essential issues and factors are covered during implementation. For academics, it provides a common language for them to discuss and study the factors crucial for the success of KM in SMEs. Originality/value – This study is probably the first to provide an integrative perspective of CSFs for implementing KM in the SME sector. It gives valuable information, which hopefully will help this business sector to accomplish KM.