KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND ORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the evolution of scientific production related to knowledge management practices, organizational sustainability, and the public sector, identifying trends, patterns, conceptual relationships, and research gaps. A bibliometric analysis was conducted using data retrieved from the Scopus, Web of Science, and SciELO databases. The constructs were examined individually, in pairwise combinations, and through the simultaneous combination of all three themes. The analysis included the temporal evolution of publications, the most cited articles, the most productive authors, the geographical distribution of scientific output, and the frequency and co-occurrence of keywords. The results revealed that the three constructs have a well-established body of literature when analyzed separately. However, a significant decline in the number of publications was observed when the constructs were combined, particularly in the simultaneous analysis of all three themes, for which only 25 articles were identified in the Scopus and Web of Science databases and no records were found in SciELO. The co-occurrence analysis identified knowledge management as the central element of the bibliometric network, connecting themes related to knowledge sharing, organizational effectiveness, innovation, sustainability, and the public sector. The findings highlight a significant gap in the literature and point to opportunities for advancing research on the integration of knowledge management practices, organizational sustainability, and the public sector.