Yap, J B H and Lock, A (2017) Analysing the benefits, techniques, tools and challenges of knowledge management practices in the Malaysian construction SMEs. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 15(6), pp. 803-825.
Abstract
Purpose Knowledge management (KM) is the central know how for the construction industry. However, the delivery of construction projects is often plagued by schedule delays and cost overruns due to lack of working knowledge of project personnel. Hence, the need to appraise the practices of knowledge management in the construction industry has become all the more germane. This paper aims to determine the awareness of KM practices in Malaysia-based construction small and medium enterprises, and to investigate the benefits, tools and techniques, and challenges associated with knowledge management implementation so that effective measures can be devised to address them. Design/methodology/approach The research data were gathered using a structured questionnaire survey disseminated in the Klang Valley region in Malaysia. Responses were collected from 107 industry practitioners. The quantitative data are subjected to descriptive statistics, and the ranking with category of significance of the hypothesised variables is determined using the relative importance index (RII) technique. Findings The key benefits of KM practices are predominantly raising efficiency, quality, productivity and decision-making. The most preferred KM techniques are “face-to-face interaction”, “mentoring” and “documents and reports”. The highly significant tools are “groupware” and “telephone”. The major organisational issue hampering the implementation of knowledge management practices is “lack of motivation” while the critical cultural issue is relating to “bureaucracy and hierarchical”, and the vital people issue concerns “lack of trust”. Research limitations/implications The respondents were limited to only small and medium construction enterprises located in the Klang Valley region in Malaysia, which makes generalisation challenging. Practical implications KM provides not only a pragmatic but also a proactive approach to raising the competitive edge and capabilities of a construction company. Identification of the critical attributes of KM provides the basis for project managers in formulating KM strategies to enhance the chances of successful delivery of future projects. Originality/value The study contributes to the debate on the knowledge agenda in the construction industry, particularly from a fast developing economy’s perspective, where an effective KM can further contribute to realising a reasonable level of competitiveness operation.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | project management; benefits; Malaysia; challenges; knowledge management |
| Index terms: | mentoring, knowledge management, decision-making, methodology, construction project, practitioner, documents, questionnaire, relative importance index, strategy, face, survey, construction company, motivation, developing economy, personnel, interaction, implementation, construction industry, statistics, organizational issue, project management, competitiveness, productivity, cost overrun, efficiency, schedule delay, Malaysia, project manager |
| Subjects: | management, economic development, research methods, performance management, production management, Geography, professional development, project management theory and practice, market analysis, project controls, decision analysis, industry analysis, behavioral psychology, data collection methods, profession, risk assessment, business, mathematical modelling, organization, practitioner, psychology, training, contractual arrangements, financial and cost management |
| Topics: | International Construction, Quality Management, Human Resources, Time Control, Organizational Design, Cost Management, Business Strategy, Information Management, Research Practice, Project Management, Geographical Context, Risk Management, Roles and Professions, Procurement |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here