What do we know about KIBS? Results of a systematic literature review

Purpose – Since its introduction, the notion of Knowledge-Intensive Business Services (KIBS) has raised the interest of scholars from different disciplines. Currently, a substantial body of research on KIBS is available, and we need to take stock of what has been done until now. This paper illustrates the findings of a systematic literature review aiming at: a) assessing the interest in the topic; b) analysing what disciplines have used the concept, and what research approaches and methods have been employed; c) identifying what topic areas have been investigated; d) ascertaining what are the main findings achieved so far, the open issues, and the possible future research directions. Design/methodology/approach – This study make use of a systematic review of the literature. Three criteria were followed to select the databases where to look for the papers: they had to cover up a comprehensive range of business and economic-related peer-reviewed journals; their coverage had to extend through the timeframe of the investigated topic; their search function had to provide reliable results. Accordingly, three widely known databases were chosen: Scopus, Business Source Premier and EconLit. The relevant papers were found by searching the terms KIBS and “knowledge intensive business service” either the title of the paper, in the abstract, and in the keywords. In total 190 papers were examined, published from 1999 to 2013. Originality/value – The paper offers an updated picture of the state of the art of the research about KIBS. Particularly, it classifies the examined articles according to the main discipline they belong to, their research approach and research method, the countries involved and the investigated sub-sectors. They are also categorised in some topic areas, and the main results achieved by the research in each area are discussed. Practical implications – The findings of the review are particularly significant for scholars who can find indications about some open questions as well as suggestions on crucial issues that could be the object of future research.