Journal of Management Research
Vol. 23, No. 1 (January - June 2023)
ISSN: 0972-5814 Online ISSN: 0974-455X
Implementation of Effective Knowledge Management Practices for Improving Productivity of Nigerian Construction SMEs
Egwunatum I. Samuel and Oboreh C. Justina
Abstract |
Construction SMEs dominate the construction sector of a nation and they immensely contribute to
employment and innovation. However, they suffer from decline in productivity and performance especially as regards to time, cost, quality and safety due to their inflexibility in the implementation of latest management techniques as well as adapting to other external environmental factors. Knowledge is a critical organizational asset, and knowledge management is an important tactical and strategic management tool for enhancing an organization’s efficiency, competitiveness and existence. The purpose of this study is to assess the potential effects of effective knowledge management (KM) practices and their implementation by the construction SMEs on the productivity of construction projects in the south-south geopolitical zone of Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was administered electronically to the construction professionals in SMEs using a snowball
sampling method for data collection. With a sample size of 248, response rate of 54.84% and reliability index of 0.858, the collected data were analyzed using the frequency, percentage, relative importance index (RII) and Kruskal-Wallis H test. The study found that there was a high level of agreement and convergence of opinion on the effect of knowledge management on productivity. It was concluded that knowledge management implementation improved the productivity of construction SMEs. The study recommends adequate government and management support for implementation of effective knowledge management practices in construction SMEs to improve productivity and performance in project construction and delivery.
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