Assessing drivers for managing knowledge in the context of smart cities

It is imperative for smart cities organisations to cultivate a nuanced understanding of the goals they aim to pursue and the value they need to add before embarking on a Knowledge Management (KM) journey. Building upon the theoretical frameworks of Institutional Theory and Knowledge-Based View, this study aims to explore the key drivers that have propelled the adoption of KM strategies in the context of smart cities. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach for data collection, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. Quantitative data was gathered from 97 participants through an online survey, in which respondents assessed the significance of various drivers for knowledge management in the context of smart cities. Qualitative data was obtained through semi-structured interviews with 15 professionals across seven different organisations. The quantitative data was analysed using SPSS, while content analysis was adopted for the qualitative data. The findings of this study identified the five most significant drivers for managing knowledge in the context of smart cities. Therefore: to improve sharing of knowledge related to smart cities agenda, to protect loss of smart cities related knowledge due to key workers' departures, to help integrate knowledge assets related to smart cities agenda, to improve the capture of knowledge related to smart cities agenda, and to improve employee's productivity in implementing smart cities agenda. Using a mixed-methods research methodology, this empirical study explores the key drivers for managing knowledge in the context of smart cities. This study expands the theoretical application of KM initiatives, and further provides practical implications for the organisations implementing smart cities projects looking to implement KM strategies. The study r drew “7 K” recommendations for the government, industry, and organisations to evaluate and act upon. • Smart city strategies aim to address urban challenges, strengthen resilience, drive sustainability, and improve citizens' quality of life. • Smart cities must define clear goals and the value they seek to add before starting Knowledge Management strategies. • This study applies Institutional Theory and the Knowledge-Based View to examine drivers of KM adoption in smart city contexts. • The study identified five key KM drivers in smart cities: sharing, retention, integration, capture, and productivity. • This research advances KM in smart cities and offers '7K' recommendations for governments, industry, and organisations.