The knowledge-based view in international business: A systematic review of the literature and future research directions

Abstract

The knowledge-based view (KBV) has been particularly influential for developing and shaping the international business (IB) field. IB scholars have used the KBV to explain a wide range of IB phenomena. However, to date, there has been no systematic review of the literature on the KBV in IB. This study aims to fill this gap. To this purpose, we identified and analyzed 124 articles published at the intersection of the KBV and the IB field in 40 academic journals from 1999 to 2021. Drawing on our findings, we reveal the current state of the KBV in IB and identify the knowledge types and processes required for firms to navigate the global environment, as portrayed by the studies included in our review. We then highlight promising future research directions to advance the KBV and the IB field.