Table 1 Overview of papers in this... | Emerald Publishing

Table 1

Overview of papers in this special issue

Authors	Objectives	Theory/framework	Findings	Contributions
Lim and Hwang (2026)	To identify digital KM innovations enabling collaborative knowledge practices that advance organizational sustainability while countering technology-induced employee stress	-Technostress –Knowledge collaboration framework	–Diverse knowledge management technology landscape –Knowledge management’s expansion from traditional knowledge bases into finance, multimedia, and technical infrastructure –Technologies strategically matched to practical domains enabling immediate sustainability implementation	–Advanced analysis uncovers knowledge management’s wide reach – Identified expertise platforms and shared laboratory systems as immediate innovations for cross-organizational knowledge sharing –Advanced analysis connects technologies to practical uses
Bagnato et al. (2026)	To identify and prioritize major sustainable innovation obstacles for family wineries within the wine ecosystem, examining changes in their importance before and after COVID-19	-Triple bottom line theory	–Limited financial resources remained the top sustainable innovation challenge for family wineries both pre- and post-COVID-19 –Knowledge sharing ranked as the least critical challenge in both periods despite its strategic importance –Overall challenge rankings showed stability across time, with no major shifts in criticality post-pandemic	–Pioneering triple bottom line application to family winery ecosystems –Combine systematic literature review with best-worst method to create a validated decision framework that guides family winery managers in targeting the most critical sustainable innovation barriers first –Sustainable innovation challenges stayed stable pre/post-COVID-19, enabling confident medium/long-term planning despite global disruption
Liu and Yan (2026)	How team members use epistemic objects and relational networks (guanxi) to enhance meta-knowledge about expertise distribution (“who knows what”) during sustainable innovation processes	–Theory of epistemic objects –Structural hole theory –Guanxi network theory –Transactive memory system –Process view of knowledge management	–Epistemic objects promote knowledge integration of “who knows what” by eliciting expertise and fostering trust among coworkers –Structural holes in networks impede this integration through communication barriers and heightened heterogeneity –Guanxi moderates structural holes, turning them into facilitators via collectivism, renqing, and mianzi	–Pistemic objects elicit knowledge and create employee identity while coordinating heterogeneity, complementing knowledge management studies by showing how they trigger affective/cognitive trust for “who knows what” integration –Coworkers fill structural holes in collaborative innovation, revealing resource-need connections for social capital integration; brokers shift from controllers to fillers under guanxi influence, advancing structural hole and culture management theories –Provide a full picture of leveraging “who knows what” knowledge in sustainable innovation, identifying key stimulants; emphasizes object-control interplay with human-control in innovation work
Shalik et al. (2026)	To explore how the combination of knowledge management practices, intellectual property protection, and management innovation shapes entrepreneurial leadership, enabling small and medium-sized enterprises to reach sustainable growth	-Knowledge-based view theory –Transformational leadership theory	-Knowledge management practices, intellectual property protection, and management innovation positively impact entrepreneurial leadership, driving SME sustainable growth –Management innovation, knowledge management practices and intellectual property protection act as mediators in the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and sustainable growth –Absorptive capacity moderates management innovation and knowledge practices’ effects on sustainable growth	-Combine knowledge-based view theory and transformational leadership theory to explain how knowledge, leadership and innovation drive sustainable growth in SMEs –The critical role of absorptive capacity in enhancing the impact of management innovation and knowledge management practices on sustainable growth –Provide actionable strategies for SMEs and policymakers to invest in knowledge management, intellectual property protection and management innovation to foster entrepreneurial leadership and achieve long-term growth

Authors	Objectives	Theory/framework	Findings	Contributions
Lim and Hwang (2026)	To identify digital KM innovations enabling collaborative knowledge practices that advance organizational sustainability while countering technology-induced employee stress	-Technostress –Knowledge collaboration framework	–Diverse knowledge management technology landscape –Knowledge management’s expansion from traditional knowledge bases into finance, multimedia, and technical infrastructure –Technologies strategically matched to practical domains enabling immediate sustainability implementation	–Advanced analysis uncovers knowledge management’s wide reach – Identified expertise platforms and shared laboratory systems as immediate innovations for cross-organizational knowledge sharing –Advanced analysis connects technologies to practical uses
Bagnato et al. (2026)	To identify and prioritize major sustainable innovation obstacles for family wineries within the wine ecosystem, examining changes in their importance before and after COVID-19	-Triple bottom line theory	–Limited financial resources remained the top sustainable innovation challenge for family wineries both pre- and post-COVID-19 –Knowledge sharing ranked as the least critical challenge in both periods despite its strategic importance –Overall challenge rankings showed stability across time, with no major shifts in criticality post-pandemic	–Pioneering triple bottom line application to family winery ecosystems –Combine systematic literature review with best-worst method to create a validated decision framework that guides family winery managers in targeting the most critical sustainable innovation barriers first –Sustainable innovation challenges stayed stable pre/post-COVID-19, enabling confident medium/long-term planning despite global disruption
Liu and Yan (2026)	How team members use epistemic objects and relational networks (guanxi) to enhance meta-knowledge about expertise distribution (“who knows what”) during sustainable innovation processes	–Theory of epistemic objects –Structural hole theory –Guanxi network theory –Transactive memory system –Process view of knowledge management	–Epistemic objects promote knowledge integration of “who knows what” by eliciting expertise and fostering trust among coworkers –Structural holes in networks impede this integration through communication barriers and heightened heterogeneity –Guanxi moderates structural holes, turning them into facilitators via collectivism, renqing, and mianzi	–Pistemic objects elicit knowledge and create employee identity while coordinating heterogeneity, complementing knowledge management studies by showing how they trigger affective/cognitive trust for “who knows what” integration –Coworkers fill structural holes in collaborative innovation, revealing resource-need connections for social capital integration; brokers shift from controllers to fillers under guanxi influence, advancing structural hole and culture management theories –Provide a full picture of leveraging “who knows what” knowledge in sustainable innovation, identifying key stimulants; emphasizes object-control interplay with human-control in innovation work
Shalik et al. (2026)	To explore how the combination of knowledge management practices, intellectual property protection, and management innovation shapes entrepreneurial leadership, enabling small and medium-sized enterprises to reach sustainable growth	-Knowledge-based view theory –Transformational leadership theory	-Knowledge management practices, intellectual property protection, and management innovation positively impact entrepreneurial leadership, driving SME sustainable growth –Management innovation, knowledge management practices and intellectual property protection act as mediators in the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and sustainable growth –Absorptive capacity moderates management innovation and knowledge practices’ effects on sustainable growth	-Combine knowledge-based view theory and transformational leadership theory to explain how knowledge, leadership and innovation drive sustainable growth in SMEs –The critical role of absorptive capacity in enhancing the impact of management innovation and knowledge management practices on sustainable growth –Provide actionable strategies for SMEs and policymakers to invest in knowledge management, intellectual property protection and management innovation to foster entrepreneurial leadership and achieve long-term growth