Knowledge Management Practice in The Ghanaian Construction Industry: A Case Study of 4 Firms in The Tamale Metropolis

Abstract

The paper investigates the environmental enablers that promote Knowledge Management (KM) implementation and test them in Ghanaian construction firms. A case study design was used. Data were collected from a set of questionnaires administered to four (4) different construction firms. Findings revealed that the right environmental enablers (culture, infrastructure, and technology) are essential to knowledge management implementation. Construction firms in Ghana are not equipped with adequate environmental enablers of knowledge management implementation. As a step to KM implementation, the firms must begin to see KM as a strategic tool and nurture the environmental enablers of KM implementation within their respective organizations. The study is limited to four (4) construction companies (a case study approach) through a longitudinal survey would have represented the true situation of knowledge management in Ghanaian construction firms. Lack of the right environmental enablers hinders knowledge management implementation. This paper is one of the first to investigate the environmental enablers of KM implementation in construction firms in Ghana and Africa. Inadequate environmental enablers are a challenge to KM implementation in Ghanaian construction firms.

Keywords: Construction firms, Environmental enablers, Ghana, Knowledge management,