Knowledge management: A strategy for mentoring business educators in Nigerian universities

Abstract

The paper examined knowledge management as a strategy for mentoring business educators in Nigerian universities. The purpose of the study was to investigate how knowledge management could serve as a tool for mentoring business educators in Nigerian universities. This is because, knowledge management has become a catchphrase in most universities in recent times. This is occasioned by the evolving nature of institutional value from physical assets (tangible) to knowledge assets (intangible). Knowledge management has thus, taken a centre stage institution’s ability to remain both relevant and competitive in the global scheme of things. Organizational knowledge includes both tacit and explicit knowledge.Tacit is the one an individual possesses about a product, system, and process; while explicit knowledge is codified in manuals, databases and information systems.The challenge of many institutions is how to manage both tacit and explicit knowledge and make sure that they are shared to other colleagues who may see it useful both in the present and future job requirements. The implication of this is that the exit of the senior and experienced business educators due to retirements or other extraneous factors will not create loss of memory that may affect university effectiveness and productivity. Business educators in Nigerian universities therefore need to appreciate the indispensable nature of knowledge management and then develop a mechanism such as mentoring to tap into the collective intelligence, skills and expertise of senior and experienced staff in order to create a greater knowledge base. It is against this background that this paper examines problems plaguing Nigerian universities, knowledge management, ways universities can influence it, the need for knowledge management in Nigerian universities, mentoring in universities, benefits of mentoring and KM as a strategy for mentoring in Nigerian universities. They arrived at logical conclusions and offers key recommendations.