INTEGRATING KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT TO DRIVE ORGANIZATIONAL ADAPTABILITY: A CONCEPTUAL REVIEW

Abstract

In a volatile and fast-evolving business environment, the ability to adapt continuously is paramount for organizational survival and sustained competitive advantage. Although transformation programs frequently highlight agility, the roles of continuous innovation and knowledge management as critical drivers of organizational adaptability are often underappreciated. This review synthesizes existing knowledge management and continuous improvement literature to clarify their roles in fostering organizational transformation. This article examines key knowledge management and continuous improvement overlaps, including shared foundations in organizational learning theory. It offers a model showing how knowledge management and continuous improvement work together through adaptive behavior. The paper also outlines a future research agenda, emphasizing the need for empirical studies on integration mechanisms, digital augmentation, maturity models and contextual influences.