Published Online:January 2026
Product Name:The IUP Journal of Knowledge Management
Product Type:Article
Product Code:IJKM010126
DOI:10.71329/IUPJKM/2026.24.1.42-61
Author Name:Malla Praveen Bhasa
Availability:YES
Subject/Domain:Strategic
Download Format:PDF
Pages:42-61
Universities are increasingly reliant on digital platforms such as information technology (IT) infrastructure, institutional repositories and learning management systems (LMS) to support teaching and research. However, evidence remains limited on how these technologies translate into academic value, particularly in emerging higher education systems. Drawing on knowledge management (KM) theory, this study examines how digital platforms jointly influence academic outcomes through KM effectiveness in universities across Central Asia. Using survey data collected from 412 respondents across 124 public and private universities in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, the study employs Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test a mediation-oriented model. The findings demonstrate that IT infrastructure quality functions as a foundational enabler shaping the maturity of digital repositories and the quality of LMS platforms. Both repositories and LMS platforms significantly enhance KM effectiveness, which in turn exerts a strong positive effect on academic outcomes, including teaching effectiveness, student engagement and research visibility. Mediation analysis confirms that KM effectiveness is the primary mechanism through which digital platforms create academic value. The results highlight that digital technologies do not yield performance improvements through adoption alone but require integration into institutional knowledge processes. By providing comparative evidence from an under-researched regional context, this study contributes to KM and information systems literature by empirically positioning KM effectiveness at the center of digital transformation in higher education. The findings offer actionable implications for university leaders and policymakers seeking to design integrated digital knowledge ecosystems rather than fragmented technology initiatives.
Over the last decade, higher education institutions (HEIs) in Central Asia have experienced rapid digital transformation. In this context, digital systems such as campus information technology infrastructure, institutional repositories and learning management systems (LMS)