Effect Of Knowledge Management Practices Research Articles

Effect of Knowledge Management Practices on Organizational Performance in African SMEs

Abstract
 Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate Effect of Knowledge Management Practices on Organizational Performance in African SMEs
 Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries.
 Findings: Knowledge Management (KM) practices have a positive impact on the performance of African Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) by enhancing innovation, improving decision-making, and increasing customer satisfaction. However, challenges related to knowledge transfer and limited resources can hinder the full realization of KM benefits in these organizations. Cultivating a strong learning culture is crucial for continuous improvement. KM strategies must be adapted to the local context and cultural nuances of African countries to maximize their effectiveness.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Resource-Based View (RBV) theory, social capital theory & dynamic capabilities theory may be used to anchor future studies on effect of knowledge management practices on organizational performance in African SMEs. SMEs in Africa should tailor their knowledge management practices to align with their unique organizational cultures, structures, and resource constraints. Governments in African countries should consider implementing policies that provide incentives, subsidies, or tax breaks to SMEs that adopt effective knowledge management practices.

Application of SmartPLS in Analyzing Critical Success Factors for Implementing Knowledge Management in the Education Sector

This research explores the critical success factors influencing the implementation of knowledge management in the education sector, employing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS as the analytical tool. The study addresses the intricate challenges inherent in knowledge management within educational environments, aiming to provide a nuanced understanding of the factors contributing to successful implementation The conceptual framework identifies key factors, including HRM-Driven Knowledge Sharing, IT Integration in Teaching Practices, Organizational Culture Alignment, Perceived Effectiveness of Teacher Training, and Perceived Top Management Support. The chosen methodology, utilizing SmartPLS, is justified for its suitability in handling challenges associated with small sample sizes and non-normal data distributions. The data analysis reveals the generally robust reliability of constructs but also underscores potential concerns related to discriminant validity among certain variables. The research contributes significantly to the understanding of critical success factors for knowledge management in education. However, the conclusion suggests the need for refinement in the conceptual model to enhance the validity and applicability of the findings. In conclusion, this research offers a comprehensive perspective on the complexities of implementing knowledge management in the education sector. The findings pave the way for potential enhancements to the conceptual model, aiming to elevate the effectiveness of knowledge management practices within educational contexts.

Categorizing the effects of knowledge management practices on SMES: a literature review

Large firms have managed to design robust knowledge management (KM) systems that help to create more effective responses to turbulent environments. On contrary, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which often suffer from the liability of smallness, usually carry out KM practices in a more informal and less planned manner. The objective of this research is to characterize the effects of KM practices in SMEs. The designed documentary review systematically analyzed 276 publications in journals indexed in Scopus in 2022. The main results suggest a tendency to study the dimensions of KM, such as dynamic technological capability, human capital, and their effects on financial and innovative performance, among others. The findings contribute to the literature by reordering information provided by scientific publications and revealing the dependent, mediating, and moderating variables linkedto KM that are currently used by SMEs.

Knowledge Management Practices and Skill Acquisition Among Academic Staff in Selected Federal Universities in Southwest, Nigeria

In achieving sustainable organisational goals, efficient Knowledge Management Practices (KMP) are crucial to managing businesses and educational institutions as KMPs focus on bridging the skill gaps among the employees. However, the challenge of Poor knowledge management which has consistently plagued the workforce at public universities, leading to a lack of required skills has necessitated research into the core area of educational development in Nigeria. This study investigated the effect of Knowledge Management Practices (KMPs) on the skill acquisition of academic staff of selected Federal Universities in South‐West, Nigeria. The study adopted a survey research design and data were collected using a structured questionnaire from 884 respondents out of the total population of 5720 academic staff of the Federal University in South West Nigeria. The stratified sampling technique was employed in the selection of the sample size. The study objectives were analyzed using both descriptive (Mean and Standard Deviation) and inferential statistics Partial Least Square in Structural (PLS) Equation Modelling. The result of the first objective showed a significant and positive relationship between academic knowledge management practices and skill acquisition in higher institutions in South West, Nigeria. The path coefficient revealed (β =0.461, t = 14.589, P < 0.05). The study concludes that KMPs are a strong predictor of skill acquisition. Therefore, the study recommends that University management should endeavour to improve their knowledge management practices to improve the skill acquisition among their academic staff. They should provide support for developing their academic staff through training which can improve their knowledge base.

Examining employee performance through knowledge management practices, organisational commitment and capacity building in the Malaysian hotel industry

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the role of knowledge management practices, organisational commitment and capacity building on employee performance in the hotel industry. This study also investigated the mediating role of organisational commitment and capacity building between knowledge management practices and employee performance. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative approach and questionnaire survey were used to collect data from hotel employees from Malaysia. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to collect data from 291 participants, and partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to analyse the hypotheses. Findings The results of this study confirm that knowledge management practices positively and significantly affect knowledge-employee performance. Employees achieve this performance through the mediating influence of organisational commitment and capacity building culture. Practical implications This study offers several implications for Malaysian practitioners and policymakers regarding learning and knowledge management practices in the hospitality industry. The results suggest that organisations can manage knowledge assets and key processes of the organisational environment to create and use knowledge to improve sustainable employee performance through knowledge management practices. Originality/value This study sheds light on the knowledge management literature by examining the effect of knowledge management practices on organisational commitment, particularly in the hospitality industry in Malaysia.

Boosting the impact of knowledge management on innovation performance through industry 4.0 adoption

ABSTRACT This paper aims at examining the role played by Industry 4.0 (I4.0) on the relationship between knowledge management (KM) practices (i.e., knowledge acquisition, knowledge dissemination, and responsiveness to knowledge) and innovation performance (represented by process and product innovation). For that, 153 practitioners from manufacturing firms in India and Brazil were surveyed. The data were analysed through multivariate data techniques. This study was grounded on the concepts from the socio-technical systems theory. Our findings indicated that I4.0 design principles positively moderate the relationship between KM practices and innovation performance. In particular, this moderation seems to be more prominent for product innovation performance, although it was also found for process innovation performance. I4.0 design principles determine the expected mindset and behaviours in companies undergoing digital transformation. Our research showed that the effect of KM practices on innovation performance may be boosted when I4.0 design principles are extensively integrated into organisations.

COVID‐19 pandemic influence on organizational knowledge management systems and practices: Insights from an Indian engineering services organization

COVID‐19 pandemic unleashed uncertainties around the world. Organizations scrambled to ensure business continuity. COVID‐19 pandemic was unprecedented as disruptions were far beyond business continuity scenarios planning with respect to severities, timelines, and geographies. Initially, business disruptions were assumed to last just for a few days or weeks at a local governing region, county, or state level. However, the pandemic lasted much longer and sustained efforts were needed to stay compliant with ever‐evolving and changing local, state, federal, and international guidelines, rules, and regulations. Prolonged work from home became an unavoidable and only way to ensure business continuity for many service‐oriented organizations. Organizations not only tried to leverage existing knowledge management (KM) practices but also were compelled to critically relook at the efficacy and effectiveness of KM practices. Organizational KM systems and practices (OKMSP) in a typical Indian engineering consulting and design organization were studied. The changes in employee perceptions about OKMSP during the pandemic period were captured and critically analyzed. The study evaluated employee perceptions related to four critical aspects of OKMSP namely, KM processes, usage of KM tools, KM effectiveness, and KM culture. Lack of face‐to‐face meetings during the COVID‐19 period made an important change in the way of working. This paper captures COVID‐19 pandemic‐induced changes and provides pointers to further research opportunities in the field of OKMSP. The study highlights the need for robust knowledge management systems to face pandemic‐induced disruptions.

Capabilities and Opportunities: Linking Knowledge Management Practices of Textile-Based SMEs on Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Organizational Performance in China

Most researchers hold the role of dynamic capability (DC) as a key factor of achieving sustainable entrepreneurship performance (SEP) and Organizational Performance (OP) with the competitive advantage of knowledge management practices (KMPs). However, the effects of KMPs with SEP and OP are still under discussion. Moreover, the ambidexterity view, exploring the direct impact of KMPs mediated by dynamic capabilities (DC), gives evidence of sustainable entrepreneurship and organizational performance. Measuring the gathered data of 480 textile-based SME entrepreneurs and organizations through structural equation modeling, the study’s finding shows that KMPs positively and significantly influence sustainable entrepreneurship and organizational performance. Furthermore, this study explores the partial mediation of dynamic capabilities among KMPs with SEP and organization performance. At the same time, opportunity recognition is a moderator that strengthens the relationship between DCs with sustainable entrepreneurship and organizational performance. The study is limited to male textile-based SMEs and can be enhanced by female entrepreneurs. Furthermore, this research contributes to entrepreneurship students by encouraging better research work in current and existing studies, and practically assists government and private policymakers and business practitioners to formulate better strategies for the sustainability and economic growth of a country.

Seeking traces of democracy in the workplace: effects on knowledge sharing

Purpose This study aims to examine the role of organisational democracy (OD) in facilitating the knowledge sharing (KS) process within companies, thus considering the effect of different OD principles. Design/methodology/approach The authors used data collected through a questionnaire on a sample of 254 employees at private universities and colleges to test the relationship between OD and KS. Data were analysed using the structural equation modelling technique. Findings Overall, OD has a direct and significant effect on facilitating KS in organisations. Also, the results showed that there are different degrees and intensities among the individual principles (sub-concepts) of OD and KS. Practical implications The findings highlight the important role of democracy in an organisation to enhance the organisational climate and employees’ behaviours, thus leading to higher KS outcomes. Also, results, provide an opportunity for managers to consider enhancing democracy in an organisation for improving internal collaboration effectiveness in KS. Originality/value This paper sheds light and adds new knowledge to embryonic studies that are directed towards the integration of democracy within the main concept of knowledge management (KM). This emphasises the need to use and stimulate OD and its principles for improving the effectiveness of KM practices with specific attention to KS.

Impact of COVID-19 Crisis on Knowledge Management Practices in Sultanate of Oman

This research was conducted with the aim of identifying various changes made to knowledge management (KM) practices implemented by organizations in the Sultanate of Oman following the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. Further, the study focused on identifying the impact of those changes on various aspects of human resources management. Snowball and purposive sampling techniques were used to collect relevant data from 110 line managers in various organizations in the Sultanate of Oman. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-squared and post-hoc tests. The Bonferroni correction method was adopted to reduce the risk of Type I error. The findings indicated that organizations started utilizing an inside-out approach to KM after the COVID-19 crisis began, shifted KM process from manual to computer-based and spending from conventional to e-KM activities. Key finding is that the organizations demonstrated an increased dependency on internal knowledge sources. In addition, line managers began measuring the effectiveness of KM practices, a metric which had been mostly neglected in the pre-pandemic period. Perceived benefits of these changes included increased employee motivation and engagement, increased employee learning and job-related skill, along with an enhanced knowledge-sharing culture across the organization. Important measures taken to mitigate the perceived negative impact of these changes, or enhance the perceived positive impact, included consistent persuasive communication with employees and identifying alternate financial resources to support KM activities. This research contributes to the field of KM and projects it as a supportive discipline to effective crisis management. Findings of this research can help in identifying the areas of training and improvements in the KM framework. This research is global and topical in nature as it relates to the e-KM practices during the ongoing global COVID-19 crisis and portrays the changing e-learning scenario in the organizations in Oman, one of the prominent countries in the middle east and represents the middle east regional culture and economy.

EFFECT OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON PERFORMANCE OF MOBILE TELEPHONE COMPANIES

Purpose: Knowledge management practices in general were found to influence organization performance as there is increased awareness of information that is critical to achieving the organization’s mission. The general objective of the study was to establish the effect of knowledge management practices on performance of mobile telephone companies.
 Methodology: The paper used a desk study review methodology where relevant empirical literature was reviewed to identify main themes and to extract knowledge gaps.
 Findings: The study concludes that knowledge management practices in general influences organization performance in various ways including, knowledgeable employees, better decision making in the organization, improved service offering to client, reduced operational costs, improved organizational competitiveness. This is mainly so because there is increased awareness of information that is critical to achieving the organization’s mission. The order of significance of the effect of knowledge management practices on performance of mobile telephone companies in starting with the most significant to the least is; knowledge creation, knowledge sharing, knowledge acquisition, knowledge implementation and knowledge storage respectively.
 Recommendations: The study points out that for effective organization administration organizations need to create a central repository system to store and retrieve information on organization reports cards, feedback on student progression, coordination of organization schedules, organization suspension, finances and other professional development which will have an overall effect on organization performance. Organizations should also install internet services and computers in order to share knowledge and improve the organization’s efficiency, performance, and competitiveness

Examining the role of knowledge sharing on employee performance with a mediating effect of organizational learning

PurposeThe current world of knowledge has a demand for intellectual capital to position or prosper any business. Organizations are constantly looking for developing a pool of talent to gain a competitive advantage. The purpose of this study is to find out the contribution of knowledge sharing that enhances the performance of the employees. This study also exhibits a model for measuring the performance of the employee.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on the primary and secondary sources of data. This paper has collected 354 samples from the different information technology (IT) firms located in India. The data were analyzed through statistical package for the social sciences-23 and analysis of moment structures. Path analysis has been conducted to examine the independent and mediating effects on the dependent factor.FindingsThis study confirms the conceptual model with the data. The key contributors are organizational intelligence (OI), organizational learning and knowledge sharing and organizational culture. The performance of the employee is primarily based on organizational learning. OI, knowledge sharing and organizational culture are the major factors that create an environment for organizational learning.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that organizational learning stimulates the effect of knowledge management practices on employee performance. Apart from this OI affirms the learning culture for IT firms.Originality/valueDrawing from the different theories, this is the first study where the role of OI, organizational culture and knowledge sharing simultaneously aligned and shows the effect on employee performance with the mediation role of organizational learning.

Knowledge Management Practices towards Competitive Advantage: Study on SMEs in Sri Lanka

Purpose: Knowledge Management (KM) can be defined as capturing, distributing, and effectively using knowledge. Organizations become more knowledge intensive and they are hiring “minds” more than “hands”. The organization practice has shown that knowledge, when properly used and leveraged, could drive it to become more innovative and thus, more competitive. The investments on intangible resources and the creation of capabilities made by the SMEs are quite problematic. The main reason of conducting this study is to examine the effects of Knowledge Management Practices (KMP) to gain competitive advantage (CA) of SMEs in Sri Lanka.
 Methods: Explanatory research approach was utilized followed with quantitative research method. Knowledge Creation, Knowledge Validation, Knowledge Presentation, Knowledge Distribution and Knowledge Application were considered as Knowledge Management Practices. The study was conducted with 32 SMEs in Colombo District. 
 Findings: According to the overall assessment of Knowledge Management Practices in SMEs, 12.5 percent of respondents were never heard about Knowledge Management while 6.3 percent were thinking that it is just a management activity that organizations are already engaging with. Further, 34.4 percent opined that Knowledge Management is a strategic part of the business while 15.6 percent stated Knowledge Management is not existence at their organizations. Fortunately, 40.6 percent believed that Knowledge Management Practices could be beneficial for the organizations. Correlation analysis result indicated moderate positive correlation among knowledge creation, validation, presentation, distribution, application and competitive advantage of SMEs. Regression analysis results revealed that of knowledge distribution was the only significant determinant of competitive advantage of SMEs. 
 Research Implications: The findings could be beneficial to SMEs to share and manage tacit and explicit knowledge and information effectively within their entity to achieve competitive advantage. Organizational learning will help them to enhance their decision-making process more effectively. The smooth and accelerate access to information and knowledge and manages to engage in work will be bonuses of having a good Knowledge Management Practices in the society.
 Limitations: The study was conducted based on the sample of SMEs in Colombo District, as in Colombo area population is relatively high and it is the business hub of Sri Lanka. Generalizability of the findings might be restricted.

SmartPLS mediation moderation model: Integrated the entrepreneurial performance of textile-based small-medium enterprises

The core purpose of this study is to explore the effects of knowledge management practices and the dynamic capabilities of entrepreneurs on the entrepreneurial performance of small-medium enterprises (SMEs). This study gathered the required information using a structured survey from textile-based small-medium enterprises and applied a structural equation model to analyze 486 valid responses from Pakistan. The empirical results show that knowledge management practices, such as knowledge sharing behavior, innovative capacity, and absorptive capacity, are significantly correlated with developing entrepreneurs’ dynamic capability, thus improving their performance. At the same time, this study also confirms that opportunity recognition positively affects the relationship between the dynamic capability and entrepreneurial performance of SMEs. In addition, the findings of this study guide business practitioners and policymakers in strategy formulation envisioned to encourage entrepreneurs who contribute to the country’s sustainable economic growth. This study contributes to the existing literature of knowledge management practices with knowledge sharing behavior, innovative capacity, absorptive capacity, and more intended to involve the role of opportunity recognition.

Knowledge Management Practices and Project Performance in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya

Public infrastructure projects have taken a moderate pace since freedom. The records from the Kenya government 2014 on vision 2030 towards an internationally serious and prosperous Kenya demonstrate that the moderate pace in execution of open foundation ventures has prompted unsatisfactory street systems; under normalized open pleasantries; non network of the national matrix line to mechanical expected regions; inadequate relief measures in agrarian territories; and ruined motorization of the once serious enterprises that are going under. A major problem facing county governments is how to maximize on knowledge management in project management. The main objective of this study is to determine the effect of knowledge management practices on project performance in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. The study sets out to determine the effect of knowledge creation, knowledge sharing, knowledge acquisition and knowledge storage on project performance in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. The study was anchored on Knowledge-Based View Theory the Resource-Based Theory and the Organization Learning Theory. The study adopted cross sectional, explanatory and descriptive research designs targeting 120 management staff and employees of Tharaka Nithi County. A census study of all the targeted staff was carried out. Primary data was collected using structured questionnaire. The questionnaires were piloted with 12 staff from the neighboring Embu County to determine their return rate. The study used multiple regression analysis, frequencies, bar graphs, means and standard deviation measures. The study established that knowledge sharing influence project performance in Tharaka Nithi County. The study found that knowledge acquisition influences project performance in Tharaka Nithi County to a great extent. The study found that knowledge acquisition influences project performance in Tharaka Nithi County to a great. The study concludes that knowledge creation has a positive and significant influence on project performance in Tharaka Nithi County.The study will be used by project management team in other counties as it will help in formulation of proper knowledge management practices that promote effective project delivery.

The effect of knowledge management practices on organizational innovation: Moderating role of management support

Drawing on the resource‐based and knowledge‐based view, this study attempts to empirically test the relationship between knowledge management practices (KMP) and organizational innovation (OI) in the context of a developing country. The study also investigates the moderating effect of management support (MS) in facilitating the way for KMP to lead OI. Six practices of KM including creation, capture storage, organization, dissemination and application of knowledge were identified from the literature and tested for their combined positive effect on OI which was measured through its three dimensions namely, product, process, and culture innovation. The contextual relevance of the study was assessed with the help of a focus‐group involving representatives from multiple industries while the instruments were validated with the help of face validity and reliability analysis. Regression analysis confirmed a positive relationship between KMP and OI. Moderation analysis also validated that to strengthen the above relationship MS role is significant. The study aids to the scarce body of literature on KM and OI in the context of emerging markets as well as provide practitioners a good starting point to initiate KM practices to boost innovations.

Knowledge management, intellectual capital and entrepreneurship: a structured literature review

Knowledge management, intellectual capital and entrepreneurship: a structured literature review

Role of IT in Effectiveness of Knowledge Management Practices in Business: An Empirical Study

Vital source for corporate competitiveness is knowledge and there are huge number of information technology solutions providing support to knowledge management. One of the significant problem to be discussed is role of information technology in success or failure to implement Knowledge management. To reflect knowledge of employees the term “Knowledge is Power” is used in organizations and considered as asset in companies. Knowledge management is a major driving force for organizational changes and creation of wealth and company utilizing employee’s knowledge and recognizing it as an intellect capital having competitive advantage. Effective leveraging of knowledge needs usage of information technology. Though, knowledge management in companies is more than just application of information technology, it needs it as an enabler promoting creation, storing, distributing, and retrieving knowledge for reuse. Knowledge management activities cannot be achieved with implementation of information technology in this century where there is need of rapid access to significant knowledge is enormously rising. The sample size of the study was 191 respondents. The data analysis was performed with the help of t-test and mean.

Direct effects of knowledge management practices on organizational performance

The relationship between knowledge management (KM) and firm performance is an interesting field for both scholars and practitioners. Despite the extant literature, more studies are required in order to clarify the abovementioned relationship. The purpose of this article is to examine the impact of KM practices on financial and nonfinancial performance. KM practices are knowledge creation practices, continuous learning practices (CLP), knowledge and feedback systems (KFS), and management of employees’ individual competencies. Methodologically the study uses partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results show that KFS affect firms’ financial performance and that CLP do not influence oneither financial or nonfinancial performance.

Influence of Knowledge Management Practices on Public Service Delivery by Municipalities

This study examines the influence of knowledge management (KM) practices on public service delivery by municipalities in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The study sought to determine the factors that have triggered the implementation of KM practices; the effectiveness of KM practices towards public service delivery; and the extent to which KM practices have influenced public service delivery by municipalities in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed in this study. Quantitative data were collected through a survey questionnaire administered to a sample of 202 employees at the Raymond Mhlaba Municipality in the Eastern Cape. Qualitative data were collected through observations and interviews of 2 senior managers. The data collected gave a response rate of 72 per cent. The quantitative and qualitative data were analysed descriptively and presented verbatim respectively. The results indicated that the internal and external factors included in this study have contributed to the implementation of KM practices in the municipality. Furthermore, the effective use of KM practices has increased the organisational KM initiative, as well as the provision of services such as electricity, education, transport, and social services by the municipality. The study recommends the establishment of KM awareness and the establishment of an integrated system that will assist in effective knowledge sharing, retention and acquisition across municipalities in the Eastern Cape.