Arif, M; Egbu, C; Alom, O and Khalfan, M M A (2009) Measuring knowledge retention: A case study of a construction consultancy in the UAE. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 16(1), pp. 92-108. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to develop a model that can be used to assess the knowledge retention capabilities of an organisation, and suggest opportunities for improvement. A model to fulfil this aim is developed and validated on a construction engineering consultancy. Design/methodology/approach - A knowledge retention model was developed drawing on a thorough review of the literature. The developed retention model was validated through a case of a construction engineering consultancy. Semi-structured interviews were used to elicit relevant information during the case study. Findings - A four-stage knowledge retention process has been presented. These four steps are socialisation, codification, knowledge construction, and knowledge retrieval. The paper also describes four levels of maturity for the knowledge retention model. The first level demonstrated the extent of knowledge sharing in the organisation, the second level measured the extent of knowledge shared being documented, the third level measured the effectiveness of storage of documented knowledge, and the last level was a measure of ease of accessibility and retrieval of the knowledge. A four-level indicator of maturity of the knowledge retention process has been documented. For the case study analysed in this research, the maturity of knowledge retention was noted as being between two and three. Research limitations/implications - The model developed only captures knowledge that can be converted into an explicit form. The authors accept that there would be some tacit knowledge that cannot be effectively codified in explicit form, and such knowledge might not be captured using the model. Originality/value - The paper has developed a model that can be used to measure the knowledge retention in an organisation. Although the model has been applied to a construction industry, it can easily be modified vis-à-vis other sectors.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | knowledge management; knowledge sharing; memory |
| Index terms: | drawing, knowledge sharing, interview, tacit knowledge, consultancy, knowledge management, methodology, accessibility, case study, retention, construction industry, construction engineering, effectiveness |
| Subjects: | professional development, management, engineering methods, research methods, performance management, inclusive design, industry analysis, data collection methods, organization, knowledge management, technical documentation |
| Topics: | Research Practice, Information Management, Engineering Principles, Organizational Design, Human Resources, Quality Management, Design Practice |
| 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