Barriers and enablers in knowledge transfer in projects: a systematic literature review

Purpose This paper aims to identify the barriers and enablers for knowledge transfer (KT) in projects. Design/methodology/approach Systematic literature review was carried out, using the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The analysis of the research corpus, composed of 372 articles, was selected with the help of Rayyan platform. The reading and categorisation of the content of the articles was carried out with the support of spreadsheets and text editors. Findings The findings indicate that organisations should design and implement KT strategies that holistically integrate barriers and enablers within project environments. These factors can be classified into organisational, behavioural and technological dimensions, which should not be treated as isolated categories but as interconnected elements requiring careful consideration to support effective strategies for KT both within and across projects. Originality/value This paper identifies behavioural, organisational and technological dimensions as integrated categories for analysing both the barriers and enablers of KT within project environments. Integrating these dimensions fosters innovation, learning and effective problem-solving. Framing KT as a strategic organisational capability contrast with perspectives that view it solely as an individual or organisational behaviour, or as a purely operational process.