Zuofa, T; Ochieng, E and Burns, A (2015) Appraising knowledge management perceptions among construction practitioners. Proceedings of Institution of Civil Engineers: Management, Procurement and Law, 168(2), pp. 89-98. ISSN 17514304
Abstract
Contemporary studies have identified knowledge and its management as strategic resources within organisations. Lessons learned from the construction industry have also proved that effective generation, reusing and sharing of knowledge can enhance the outcomes of construction projects by reducing the associated costs, time of completion and improving the overall competitiveness within organisations. However, the fragmented project-based and taskoriented nature of most construction activities has often made knowledge management (KM) implementation unfeasible within the construction industry. One major challenge to KM implementation in construction organisations is the lack of systematic procedures that support the development and application of KM. Utilising semi-structured interviews, this paper examines the perceptions of KM among practitioners within the Nigerian construction industry. The key findings indicate that, even though practitioners in the Nigerian construction industry may be aware of KM and its benefits, in practice its systematic application still remains largely uncommon. The paper also highlights the need for shifts in organisational culture as a means of facilitating a more KM-conscious construction industry in Nigeria.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | knowledge management; project management |
| Index terms: | practitioner, construction project, knowledge management, organizational culture, lessons learned, interview, construction practitioner, competitiveness, project management, implementation, construction industry, construction organization, strategic resource, Nigeria, construction activity |
| Subjects: | data collection methods, project management theory and practice, professional development, economics, industry analysis, sociology, practitioner, organization, construction operations, contractual arrangements, Geography, production management, market analysis |
| Topics: | Procurement, Project Management, Geographical Context, Roles and Professions, Research Practice, Information Management, Business Strategy, Organizational Design, Site Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
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