Assessment of Knowledge Sharing Practices in Nigerian Construction Firms
Abstract
Knowledge generated during construction projects is wasted as a result of a lack of awareness of the benefits of sharing knowledge. Moreover, knowledge is scattered in the construction firms through various documents and individual brains without a platform to retrieving it for sharing among the employees. Therefore, this paper aims to assess knowledge sharing practices in Nigerian construction firms. A detailed review of relevant literature was conducted with the view of collecting relevant data necessary for this paper. A total of 150 numbers of questionnaires was distributed to Engineers, Quantity surveyors, Builders and Architects in construction firms that are based in Abuja. The descriptive method of analysis was used to analyze the data obtained from the survey. The result shows the followings as methods of knowledge sharing practices in Nigerian construction firms: (1) face to face interaction, (2) site & Departmental meetings, (3) mentoring and tutoring, (4) project briefing and interviewing session, and (5) internal training courses. In addition, the followings were established as construction activities that are commonly used for knowledge-sharing practices: (1) site visitation, (2) estimation & price forecasting, (3) evaluation of BOQ, (4) preparation of scheduling for site activities, (5) development of tender programme, (6) taking off and (7) understanding of construction technologies and methods. Therefore, the paper recommended that the top management should encourage knowledge-sharing practices in the construction firms through face to face interaction, seminars/workshops, and post-project review.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Alam, S. S., Abdullah, Z., Ishak, N. A., & Zain, Z. M. (2009). Assessing Knowledge Sharing Behaviour among Employees in SMEs: An Empirical Study. International Business Research, 2(2). doi: 10.5539/ibr.v2n2p115
Babcock, P. (2004, May 1). Shedding light on knowledge management. HR Magazine, 49(5), 46–50.
Begoña, M.-F., & Carmen, P.-S. (2011). Knowledge construction and knowledge sharing: a Wiki-based approach. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 28, 622–627. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.11.118
Bollinger, A. S., & Smith, R. D. (2001). Managing organisational knowledge as a strategic asset. Journal of Knowledge Management, 5(1), 8–18.
Bresnen, M., Edelman, L., Newell, S., Scarbrough, H., & Swan, J. (2003). Social practices and the management of knowledge in project environments. International Journal of Project Management, 21(3), 157–166. doi: 10.1016/s0263-7863(02)00090-x
Carrillo, P., Robinson, H., Al-Ghassani, A., & Anumba, C. (2004). Knowledge Management in UK Construction: Strategies, Resources and Barriers. Project Management Journal, 35(1), 46–56. doi: 10.1177/875697280403500105
Chen, J.-H. (2008). KNN based knowledge-sharing model for severe change order disputes in construction. Automation in Construction, 17(6), 773–779. doi: 10.1016/j.autcon.2008.02.005
Chen, Y.-H., Wu, J.-J., & Chung, Y.-S. (2008). Cultural Impact on Trust: A Comparison of Virtual Communities in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Journal of Global Information Technology Management, 11(1), 28–48. doi: 10.1080/1097198x.2008.10856460
Cheng, M. Y, Ho, S. Y, & Lau, P. M. (2009). Knowledge sharing in academic institutions: a study of Multimedia University Malaysia. Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management, 7(3), 313–324.
Choi, J. (2012). A Knowledge Representation Model for Formalizing Subcontractors′ Scheduling Process. Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, 11(2), 275–282. doi: 10.3130/jaabe.11.275
Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Creswell, J. W., & Tashakkori, A. (2007). Editorial: Developing Publishable Mixed Methods Manuscripts. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1(2), 107–111. doi: 10.1177/1558689806298644
Davenport, T., & Prusak, L. (2005). Working knowledge: How organisations manage what they know. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229099904_Working_Knowledge_How_Organizations_Manage_What_They_Know
Dent, R. J., Montague, K. N. (2004). Benchmarking knowledge management practice in construction. London: CIRIA.
Egbu, C. (2006). Knowledge production and capabilities – their importance and challenges for construction organisations in China. Journal of Technology Management in China, 1(3), 304–321. doi: 10.1108/17468770610704967
Eriksson, P. E. (2013). Exploration and exploitation in project-based organizations: Development and diffusion of knowledge at different organizational levels in construction companies. International Journal of Project Management, 31(3), 333–341. doi: 10.1016/j.ijproman.2012.07.005
Fernie, S., Green, S. D., Weller, S. J., & Newcombe, R. (2003). Knowledge sharing: context, confusion and controversy. International Journal of Project Management, 21(3), 177–187. doi: 10.1016/s0263-7863(02)00092-3
Fong, P. S. W., Chu, L. (2006). Exploratory study of knowledge sharing in contracting companies: a sociotechnical perspective. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 132(9), 928–939.
Forcada, N., Casals, M., Fuertes, A., Gangolells, M., & Roca, X. (2010). A web-based system for sharing and disseminating research results: The underground construction case study. Automation in Construction, 19(4), 458–474. doi: 10.1016/j.autcon.2009.12.018
Forcada, N., Fuertes, A., Gangolells, M., Casals, M., & Macarulla, M. (2013). Knowledge management perceptions in construction and design companies. Automation in Construction, 29, 83–91. doi: 10.1016/j.autcon.2012.09.001
Harrigan, E. (2005). Tobin builds knowledge infrastructure. The Engineers Journal, 59(6), 1-10.
Hendriks, P. (1999). Why Share Knowledge? The Influence of ICT on the Motivation for Knowledge Sharing. Knowledge and Process Management, 6(2), 91–100. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1441(199906)6:2%3C91::aid-kpm54%3E3.0.co;2-m
Hillebrandt, P. M. (2000). Economic theory and the construction industry (3rd ed.) Basingstoke: Macmillan.
Hillebrandt, P. M., & Cannon, J. (1990). The modern construction firm. Basingstoke: Macmillan.
Hsu, I.-C. (2008). Knowledge sharing practices as a facilitating factor for improving organizational performance through human capital: A preliminary test. Expert Systems with Applications, 35(3), 1316–1326. doi: 10.1016/j.eswa.2007.08.012
Jackson, S. E., Chuang, C.-H., Harden, E. E., & Jiang, Y. (n.d.). Toward Developing Human Resource Management Systems for Knowledge-Intensive Teamwork. Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, 27–70. doi: 10.1016/s0742-7301(06)25002-3
Jacobsson, M., & Wilson, T. L. (2012). The Construction Company Through the Lens of Service Management: Inferences From Sweden. Services Marketing Quarterly, 33(2), 155–176. doi: 10.1080/15332969.2012.662460
Jeong, K. S., Lu, S. L., Sexton, M. G. (2010). Good practice transfer within small construction specialist trade contractors. Retrieved from http://www.arcom.ac.uk/-docs/proceedings/ar2010-0769-0778_Jeong_Lu_and_Sexton.pdf
Johannessen, J.-A., Olsen, B., & Olaisen, J. (1999). Aspects of innovation theory based on knowledge-management. International Journal of Information Management, 19(2), 121–139. doi: 10.1016/s0268-4012(99)00004-3
Kamara, J. M., Anumba, C. J., & Carrillo, P. M. (2002). A CLEVER approach to selecting a knowledge management strategy. International Journal of Project Management, 20(3), 205–211. doi: 10.1016/s0263-7863(01)00070-9
Kasimu, M. A., Roslan, A.& Fadhlin, A. (2013). Knowledge Sharing Practices in Construction Organisation in Nigeria. International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology, 1(2), 1–10.
Kasimu, M., Roslan, A., Fadhlin, A., Saba, A., Kabiru, M., Jibrin, I. (2014). The Influence of Technological Devices on Knowledge Sharing Practices in the Construction Organisations in Nigeria. International Journal of Advancement in Research & Technology, 3(8), 141–150.
Kim, W. C., & Mauborgne, R. (1998). Procedural justice, strategic decision making, and the knowledge economy. Strategic Management Journal, 19(4), 323–338.
Kivrak, S., Arslan, G., Dikmen, I., Birgonul, M. T. (2008). Capturing knowledge in construction projects: Knowledge platform for contractors. Journal of Management in Engineering, 24(2), 87–95.
Lee, H., & Choi, B. (2014). Knowledge Management Enablers, Processes, and Organizational Performance: An Integrative View and Empirical Examination. (2003). Journal of Management Information Systems, 20(1), 179–228. doi: 10.1080/07421222.2003.11045756
Lee, J.-N. (2001). The impact of knowledge sharing, organizational capability and partnership quality on IS outsourcing success. Information & Management, 38(5), 323–335. doi: 10.1016/s0378-7206(00)00074-4
Leung, J. K. L., & Fong, P. S. W. (2011). The power of stories in the construction industry: lessons from other domains. VINE, 41(4), 466–482. doi: 10.1108/03055721111188548
Lin, Y.-C., & Lee, H.-Y. (2012). Developing project communities of practice-based knowledge management system in construction. Automation in Construction, 22, 422–432. doi: 10.1016/j.autcon.2011.10.004
Ma, Z., Qi, L., & Wang, K. (2008). Knowledge sharing in Chinese construction project teams and its affecting factors. Chinese Management Studies, 2(2), 97–108. doi: 10.1108/17506140810882234
Magnini, V. P. (2008). Practicing effective knowledge sharing in international hotel joint ventures. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 27(2), 249–258. doi: 10.1016/j.ijhm.2007.07.015
Maqsood, T., Finegan, A., & Walker, D. (2006). Applying project histories and project learning through knowledge management in an Australian construction company. The Learning Organization, 13(1), 80–95. doi: 10.1108/09696470610639149
Meso, P., & Smith, R. (2000). A resource‐based view of organizational knowledge management systems. Journal of Knowledge Management, 4(3), 224–234. doi: 10.1108/13673270010350020
Myers, D. (2017). Construction Economics: A New Approach (4th ed.). London: Routledge.
Nonaka, I., Takeuchi, H. (1995). The Knowledge-Creating Company: How Japanese Companies Create the Dynamics of Innovation. New York: Oxford University press.
Nordin, N. , Daud, N. , Osman, W. (2012). Knowledge Sharing Behaviour among Academic Staff at a Public Higher Education Institution in Malaysia. International Journal of Educational and Pedagogical Sciences, 6(12), 3415–3420.
Payne, J., (2004). Demystifying knowledge management. Retrieved from https://www.coursehero.com/file/14764290/KM-Guide/
Robinson, H. S., Carrillo, P. M., Anumba, C. J., & Al‐Ghassani, A. M. (2005). Knowledge management practices in large construction organisations. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 12(5), 431–445. doi: 10.1108/09699980510627135
Runeson, G., & skitmore, M. (1999). Tendering theory revisited. Construction Management and Economics, 17(3), 285–296. doi: 10.1080/014461999371493
Sadiq Sohail, M., & Daud, S. (2009). Knowledge sharing in higher education institutions. VINE, 39(2), 125–142. doi: 10.1108/03055720910988841
Scully, R., Khosrowshahi, F. (2011). Implementing the process of knowledge sharing for small construction consultant practices in Ireland. The Built &Human Environment Review, 4(1), 45–58.
Senge, P. (1997). Sharing knowledge: The leader’s role is key to a learning culture. Executive Excellence, 14(11), 17–18.
Sheehan, T., Poole, D., Lyttle, I., & Egbu, C. O. (n.d.). Strategies and Business Case for Knowledge Management. Knowledge Management in Construction, 50–64. doi: 10.1002/9780470759554.ch4
Tserng, H. P., & Chang, C.-H. (2008). Developing a project knowledge management framework for tunnel construction: lessons learned in Taiwan. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 35(4), 333–348. doi: 10.1139/l07-116Article Metrics
Metrics powered by PLOS ALM
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2019 Mohammed Alhaji Kasimu, Mohammed Isah Leje

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.