Abstract

While it is a widely held view that cultural context significantly affects knowledge management (KM), the understanding of the differences in KM across various national cultures is still very limited. To provide a comprehensive understanding of how KM differs across national cultures, this chapter examines the existing research evidence based on a systematic literature review. The study demonstrates that notable differences in KM processes and practices manifest according to different national cultural conditions. It also specifies the impact that various cultural dispositions exert on different aspects of KM. To the best knowledge of the authors, this is the first review study that has comprehensively examined the impacts of national culture on KM. The findings of this study provide important insights into the role of national culture in KM by highlighting what is known about KM in cross-cultural research. It also paves the way for future research by demonstrating the gaps in the existing research knowledge.