Olomolaiye, A and Egbu, C (2004) The significance of human resource issues in knowledge management within the construction industry: People, problems and possibilities. In: Khosrowshahi, F (ed.) Proceedings of 20th Annual ARCOM Conference, 1-3 September 2004, Edinburgh, UK.
Abstract
In recent times, construction organisations have been turning to the practise of knowledge management (KM), for sharing experiences and expertise, as the currency for organisational sustenance and competitive advantage. The human resource (HR) view is now increasingly gaining more attention in recent years in the KM 'territory', especially in project-based industries, such as construction. This is due to the recognition that employees within the organisation are the main source of experience and expertise. Therefore, organisations need to develop a greater appreciation for their intangible human assets, captive in the minds and experiences of their employees. This paper, based on an on-going doctoral programme, examines the 3 Ps - people, problems and possibilities - that have to be considered in successfully utilising human resource (HR) issues for implementing KM and the benefits that are expected to accrue to the organisation. The construction industry is a mixture of both core and periphery employees which pose a difficult challenge to managing knowledge within the organisation. Problems, such as knowledge ownership, structural and cultural blockages, which might impede the successful take-off of KM when a greater people-centric perspective of managing knowledge is adopted, are identified and likely solutions proffered. This paper concludes with the importance of HR issues as reflected in the way HRM policies and practices ensure that only the best people are selected. Employees need to be given high quality and appropriate training and development. They also need to be suitably rewarded to reflect their contribution to knowledge sharing and creation, and their commitment to the organisation is achieved. The issue of trust and empowerment are particularly significant to knowledge sharing and creation.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | human resource management; knowledge management |
| Index terms: | project-based industry, knowledge management, construction industry, ownership, human resource, knowledge sharing, programme, commitment, human resource management, take-off, construction organization, empowerment, competitive advantage |
| Subjects: | organization, knowledge management, psychology, professional development, economics, management, quantity surveying, industry analysis, project controls, market analysis |
| Topics: | Information Management, Research Practice, Cost Management, Business Strategy, Time Control, Organizational Design, Human Resources |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
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