ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN QUANTITY SURVEYING FIRMS IN ABUJA, NIGERIA
ABSTRACT: In Global Construction Industry, the Quantity Surveying profession has been identified as a knowledge-intensive profession i.e. a profession broad in scope and provides expert advice and professional knowledge to the clients. This research seeks to assess knowledge management practices in QS firms to know various means of generating knowledge transferring and the sustainability of the knowledge in various quantity surveying. The objectives are to assess means of generating new knowledge, assess the effective means of transferring knowledge in the firm, and to assess means of sustaining knowledge in your firm. The target population was mainly registered quantity surveyors in the federal capital territory (FCT), Abuja. Data collection was done through the distribution of questionnaires and the statistical tool used for analysis was the mean score, and the result was presented in tables and results show that interactions among workers, discussion and encouraging staff ideas as the most effective means of generating new knowledge in an organization. Working in a group with senior and experienced staff, the knowledge gained from the previous project and sharing knowledge through documentation of previous work were identified as the most effective means of transferring knowledge. Interaction with senior staff, transfer of knowledge from senior staff to junior staff and training programs were found to be the major means of sustaining knowledge in an organization. Therefore quantity surveying firms that intend to implement knowledge management should take cognizance of the above findings for the sake of proper knowledge management practices. It is recommended that seniors staff should not assume junior staff knows all about the works and should always interact with junior staff this will help to sustain the knowledge that resides in the firm.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Construction is the process of constructing a building or infrastructure. Construction differs from manufacturing, in that, manufacturing typically involves mass production of similar items without a designated purchaser, construction typically takes place on location for a known client. Construction as an industry comprises six to nine percent of the gross domestic product of developed countries. Construction as an industry is complex and unique because it comprises of large numbers of parties, the owners (Bertelsen, 2003). Also, construction can be defined as a process in which an organization takes on a project, assigns a team to build it, and provides systems, (tools, equipment, process, and procedures), with which the team can complete their work. Thus, construction can be divided majorly into 3, namely building construction which refers to the process of adding structures to real property, such as residential, commercials, educational institutions, hospital, sporting areas, among others. Civil construction, which is the addition of infrastructures such as roads, rails ways, airports, harbors, dams, mines, and golf courses to the environment. Industrial construction deals with large projects, such as pharmaceuticals, petroleum, chemical, power generation, and manufacturing complexes (Baumann, 2000).
For a construction project to be achieved, it must starts with planning, design, and financing; and continues until the project is built and ready for use. Large-scale construction requires collaboration across multiple disciplines. An architect normally manages the job, and a construction manager, design engineers, construction engineers or project managers supervises it while the quantity surveyors are involved with the costing of the project. According to Olander (2003), Projects have always required planning, management, and control to deliver the desired outcome. From the building of pyramids, in ancient Egypt, to the actualizations in the field of information and communication technology (ICT) in the modern world, knowledge has always been the drive behind all successful human innovations and constructions.
The QS is a professional who by his training and practice bears the responsibility for administering the financial aspects of construction projects from their inception through design, construction, and maintenance to their final demolition (Abdul, 1990). The services rendered by the QS revolve around cost management throughout the life cycle of a construction project. However, for him to harness, achieve, and remain relevant in the construction industry, there is a need for constant knowledge gathering. The term Knowledge can simply be defined as the fact of knowing about something, general understanding or familiarity with a subject, place situation. In line with the definition given above, it can be inferred that knowledge is a weapon, and one cannot do-without resources in the field of construction.
According to Egbu and Botterill (2006), National and international governments, practitioners and academics have identified the area of knowledge management practices as critical for organizational and national competitiveness. Similarly, intellectual capital(IC) in the form of human capital, is also seen as vital for project and organizational effectiveness. Managing knowledge and human capital is particularly relevant to the construction industry, which is characterized by prototypical projects, has temporary multi-disciplinary teams and structures and relies heavily on experiences as a basis for planning and decision making.
In the last 20 years, ‘knowledge’ has been celebrated as a resource that is as important for organizations to understand and manage, as labour and capital were in the ‘old economy. (King, 2009). The emergency of knowledge management is symbolic of the increasing attention paid by organizations to their internal capabilities. The last decade has also seen a shift in management focus from traditional accountancy practices where financial capital is paramount to the growing realization that intangible assets are of greater significance in our knowledge-based economy. It is estimated that more than 10 percent of GDP in the organization for economic co-operation and development country (OECD) go into intangibles of intellectual capital (IC) (Edvinson, 2000). The Gottlieb Duttweiler Foundation found that only 20% of knowledge available to an organization, is used (Brooking, 1996). Knowledge can be a valuable resource for competitive advantage and harnessing its value is likely to be one of the pre-eminent challenges of management in the first decade of the 21st century. Stewart (1994) argues that an organization’s capacity to innovate depends considerably on the knowledge and expertise possessed by its staff, assets ‘that can vanish overnight’. Therefore, managing knowledge is an essential requirement for innovative organizations. Knowledge management practices are about harnessing the different types of knowledge or intellectual capital (IC) in an organization so that they can be commercially exploited, leading to competitive advantage.
However, it must be stated that the basic focus of is research is to evaluate the assessment of knowledge management implementation among quantity surveying firms.
1.2 Statement of Research Problem
Failure to capture knowledge or loss of knowledge acquired in a construction project represents an unnecessary waste of assets. This knowledge may still be present in the organization but may be immersed in documents that are not filed systematically or are no longer available because of personnel leaving the organization (Carillo, 2000). Many construction companies engage in a repeated ineffective practice that leads to suboptimal results, such as low productivity, poor work quality, among others. What is even unfortunate is that they repeat these practices from time to time again with predictable outcomes Carillo (2000) Understanding the causes and effect of poor knowledge management (Cheng and Chiu, 2004) may provide an avenue for reducing some of the problems faced by the people involved in the delivery.
The construction industry is highly fragmented with specialized components each with its objectives, drivers, enablers, practices, and procedures. The efficient flow of information and knowledge is crucial at every stage of the project to ensure that the project achieves necessary coordination and effective communication between all its participants (Ahuja et al, 2007). A great challenge for managers in construction project management is how to handle, store, organize and disseminate effectively all the information needed to design and build a major facility, and it is believed that more efficient information management is a primary prerequisite for the construction industry to enhance its performance, productivity and perception (Becerik, 2004). The impact of outdated lost or conflicting information, causing delays, mistakes and expensive reworks on overall construction cost can be damaging to the financial position and reputation of a construction organization (Akinsiku, 2012). According to Cheng and Chiu, (2004). The construction industry is becoming more complicated, dynamic and interactive and the need to speed up reflective decision-making on time is fulfilled by utilizing construction information and knowledge which are amongst the most important resources contributing towards managerial decision-making. Despite all the efforts by various stakeholders such as the NIQS and QSRBN to improve the practice of Quantity Surveyors as a profession, there are still so many challenges in the area of knowledge management among people who are into the practice of the profession. Some of the problems that this project will be looking at are ways of generating new knowledge by quantity surveying firms, various means of transferring this knowledge and sustainability of the knowledge generated by quantity surveying firms.
1.3 Research Questions
Having highlighted the various problem in which the construction field faces in the area of knowledge management practices, this research work will, therefore, seek to find answers to the following questions:
- What are the new means of generating new knowledge?
- What are the means of transferring knowledge in quantity surveying firms?
- Our quantity surveying firms sustaining knowledge in their organization?
1.4 Aim and Objectives
This research aims to assess knowledge management practices among quantity surveying firms in Nigeria, to measure means of generating knowledge, transferring and sustainability of knowledge in various firms. The specific objectives of this study are to:
- Assess new means of generating new knowledge
- assess the means of transferring knowledge in quantity surveying firms
- assess the sustainability of knowledge in quantity surveying firms.
1.5 Significance of the Study
In the knowledge-based society, organizations often encounter problems as they seek to manage knowledge. Knowledge management practices and research have grown at a dramatic pace in the last few years (Gray and Meister, 2006). Given the intensively competitive climate, organizations position themselves as knowledge-driven companies, seeking to leverage their knowledge resources to achieve competitive advantage. However, organizations are confronted by a variety of knowledge management (KM) problems. These problems can be addressed both by identifying the causes and by developing solutions (Alavi and Leidner 2001). Prior research in the KM arena has tended to focus on organization-level initiatives, as well as senior management and their strategic application of KM (Gold et al. 2001).
Previous research by Mostafa (2010) assessed the importance of putting sustainable development at the core of any knowledge management performance evaluation effort and proposes a sustainable development-led framework for evaluating knowledge management performance in the university setting. Seethanaik (2014) assessed the Indian opportunity for harnessing the power of the knowledge revolution Discoveries in Gene Technology (GT) and
Information Technology (IT) and discover the complete life cycle of knowledge, describing the phases, techniques, and types of knowledge management. Assessment of Knowledge Management Practices among construction Professionals in Nigerian by Oke, Ogunsemi, and Adeeko (2013) examined the areas of the construction industry that will improve as a result of the contributions of knowledge management the study revealed that the knowledge management adoption is being hindered the most in Nigeria by funding as there is no adequate fund to carry it out in construction organizations.
Mario (2011) also assessed Knowledge Management practices integration in Occupational health and safety systems in the construction industry, been still a critical problem in the industry characterized by many Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). And observed the role of knowledge in improving safety performances which have been deeply investigated, suggesting the integration of Knowledge Management practices issues in the traditional approach to management systems. A framework for characterizing knowledge management practices, methods and technologies by Brian (2009) examined knowledge management has not been a single discipline. Rather, it an integration of numerous endeavors and fields of study, and provides a framework for characterizing the various tools (methods, practices, and technologies) available to knowledge management practices practitioners, providing a high-level overview of several key terms and concepts.
Adegbembo and Ogunsemi and Awodele (2015) also assessed Knowledge Management practices in QS firms intending to establish the state of the art of Knowledge Management practices in Quantity surveying firms in Lagos and Abuja and affirm that QS firms in Lagos and Abuja are aware of Knowledge Management practices. Also, all Knowledge Management practices activities occur regularly in QS firms except knowledge maintenance.
A vast wealth of knowledge on knowledge management practices abounds, but little from the researcher’s viewpoint has looked at this from the angle of means of generating new knowledge, transferring the knowledge and sustainability of knowledge among various quantity surveying firms in Abuja which form the basis of the study.
1.6 Scope of the Study
This research is restricted to the study of knowledge management practices which applies to quantity surveying firms which will be carried out in the federal capital territory of Nigeria (FCT) Abuja. The choice for the adoption of the federal capital territory hinges on the fact that the zone houses a large number of registered quantity surveying firms, which happens to be the objects of this research work. It must, therefore, be noted that the research work will seek to cover registered quantity surveying firms in private practice.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN QUANTITY SURVEYING FIRMS IN ABUJA, NIGERIA
TABLE OF CONTENT
Abstract
Certification
Dedication
Acknowledgment
Tables of Contents
Lists of Figures
List of Tables
1.1 Background to the study
1.2 Statement of the problem
1.3 Research questions
1.4 Aim and objectives of the study
1.5 Justification for the study
1.6 Scope of the study
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Types of knowledge in an organization
2.2 SECI model of knowledge conversion
2.3 Means of generating new knowledge among various quantity surveying firms
2.3.1 Definition of knowledge management
2.3.2 Knowledge generation and development
2.4 Knowledge creation
2.5 Means of transferring knowledge among various quantity surveying firms
2.5.1 The general knowledge model
2.5.2 Knowledge artifacts
2.5.3 Knowledge sharing among fragmented firms
2.6 Knowledge sustainability in various quantity surveying firms
2.6.1 Defining intellectual capital
2.6.2 Component of intellectual capital
2.7 Organizational culture
2.8 Putting knowledge management at the core of knowledge management
2.8.1 Sustainable development view by universities
2.8.2 Sustainable development led kmp evaluation framework
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Research Design
3.3 Research population
3.4 Sample Frame
3.5 Sample Technique
3.6 Data Collection Instruments
3.7 Method of data analysis
3.7.1 Mean item score
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION OF DATA
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Analyses of data
4.3 Discussion of findings
4.3.1 Means of generating new knowledge
4.3.2 Means of transferring knowledge in quantity surveying firms
4.3.3 Sustainability of the knowledge in quantity surveying firms
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Conclusions
5.3 Recommendations
5.4 Areas of further studies
References
Appendices
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