Key organisational barriers to effective knowledge risk management in South African public sector enterprises

• Malefetjane Phineas Phaladi ^[1]
  1. [1] Durban University of Technology

     Durban University of Technology

     Ethekwini, Sudáfrica

     
• Localización: Intangible Capital, ISSN-e 1697-9818, Vol. 20, Nº. 3, 2024, págs. 447-463
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
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• Resumen

  • Purpose:The aim of this study was to delve into the obstacles preventing the effective management oftacit knowledge risks in South African public sector enterprises (PSEs) from the perspectives of humanresource management (HRM) and knowledge management (KM). A perusal of the literature reveals thatmost South African PSEs are grappling with significant challenges related to potential tacit knowledgeloss risks.

    Design/methodology/approach: The research utilised a mixed methods exploratory sequentialdesign, collecting qualitative data through interviews with 20 HR managers in 9 PSEs and survey datafrom 585 questionnaires. The reliability of the data was tested, and thematic analysis was performedusing Atlas.ti software.

    Findings: The study identified key barriers to effective tacit knowledge loss risk management in PSEs,including a silo mentality, organisational red-tape, knowledge as a power source, lack of recognition andrewards, KM awareness, cultures and structures, employment equity, fixed-term contracts, competingpriorities for leadership, knowledge hoarding, HRM practices, and inadequate KM technologies andsystems. These pressing issues need to be addressed to improve knowledge risk management (KRM)efforts in PSEs.

    Research limitations/implications: The exploration of organisational barriers was only limited to thetacit knowledge loss risks category, induced by human resource turnover in country-specific PSEs.Future studies could explore the organisational barriers and factors affecting other types of knowledgerisks in PSEs or similar knowledge-intensive business enterprises across the globe using differentsamples and populations. Other similar studies could include strategic sectors of the economy such asenergy generation, civil aviation, defence, mining and rail. The study contributes to the knowledge-basedview and knowledge stickiness theories, and proposes an interdisciplinarity approach using mixedmethods for future research on tacit knowledge loss.

    Practical implications:The research findings conclusively indicate that PSEs face the aforementionedbarriers that hinder the effective implementation of the KRM system. This study identifies that keyorganisational barriers were mainly due to a lack of knowledge-driven HRM strategies in KM. Toaddress these barriers, HR managers and other stakeholders must collaborate to ensure effectiveknowledge management and mitigate the negative impact of knowledge loss risks on organisationalperformance Social Implications: The study highlights the importance of removing key barriers for improved KRMin PSEs. The improved KRM can enhance public service delivery efficiency, transparency and theaccountability of PSEs by addressing socio-economic developmental issues in developing economies.

    Originality/value:Using South African PSEs as a case to address this challenge, the paper sought toexplore key organisational barriers to effective knowledge loss risk management in organisations with aview to shaping discourse, policies, research, theories and practices in KM and HRM. Organisationalbarriers affecting the management of such risks remain unexplored in the extant body of knowledgeand practice