APPRAISAL OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN QUANTITY SURVEYING FIRMS IN DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Knowledge management (KM) is the process of acquiring, storing, organizing, using, and creating knowledge. Knowledge is the currency of today’s economy and the crux of knowledge management. KM is a good tool to achieve sustainable competitive advantage in firms. The improvement of technology in the fields of sciences and communications together with the ever growing markets pressures, demands and many challenges are forcing business organizations to ensure constant intellectual development in order to sustain their competitiveness. Quantity surveying (QS) profession is globally identified as a knowledge intensive profession and an encyclopedia of construction cost information and a profession very wide in scope and gives expert advice and professional knowledge to all and sundries. As competitiveness among firms increase, a major challenge facing QS firms is the proper management of knowledge resources, which helps firms to minimize the risks on projects and other anticipated inconsistencies through accurate and appropriate decision making. Also, expert knowledge resources are not properly stored in the right way for re-use and so firms are unable to capitalize on its potentials residing in their human assets and systems to solve organizational problems, when the needs arise. Therefore, the study aimed at appraising the capability of QS firms in the Delta State, Nigeria to manage knowledge with a view to enhance professional services delivery to all and sundry. The study adopted research design mixed method approach. The study population consisted of professionally qualified quantity surveyors in the various establishments in the study area. The pilot survey indicated this to be thirty five (35) respondents. The study adopted well structured questionnaire survey and interviews as data collection instrument. Data collected were analyzed using mean item score (MIS), KruskalWallis Rank test for testing the Hypothesis and content analysis method for the interviews. The discussions and findings showed that QS firms in Delta State were aware of KM practices. Also the study revealed that the motivational factors that encourage KM practices in QS firms were competitive advantages, experiences to perform services efficiently, accurately and provide the same level of services to all and sundries at all times. The study in area of KM benefits revealed that the application of KM practices in developing new services in problem solving, encourages innovations, competitive edges and knowledge mapping. Also, the study revealed that the driving factors of KM practices were information technology, motivational aids measurements, organizational leadership, education and training. This study, recommended that the awareness and importance of KM practices should be disseminated to all QS firms. That all QS professional bodies should be encouraged to organize seminars and workshops on KM practices for practitioners. Most staff that believe in knowledge sharing culture should be sponsored to attend KM practice workshops and seminars. Management should insist that only well edited data and knowledge information should be stored in data bases and external storage devices for reference purposes and mentoring. That this study work should be replicated in order States of the Federation a part from the study area. This study strived to bridge the knowledge gap by encouraging lifelong learning and management of knowledge amongst QS firms and members to enhance professional service delivery to all and sundry.