Knowledge management processes at St Paul’s University Library in Kenya

Abstract

Background: Given the changes in society resulting from the explosion of information and knowledge in a knowledge economy, academic libraries are becoming an integral part of the knowledge system, and knowledge management is recognised as a vital process in academic libraries. The success of academic libraries in the competitive and challenging knowledge environment depends on their ability to utilise information and knowledge to meet the needs of the academic community.Objectives: This article investigates knowledge management processes at St Paul’s University Library in Kenya and suggests ways in which knowledge management processes may be enhanced.Method: A qualitative research approach and a case study research design have been adopted. Out of the 50 target population, only 32 were successfully interviewed to the point of saturation, and the data were analysed using content analysis.Results: The findings revealed that knowledge management processes were utilised at St Paul’s University Library, albeit to varying degrees, and the knowledge management processes were not formalised.Conclusion: The article recommends that knowledge management processes should be formally incorporated at academic libraries in Kenya. A formal knowledge management process at St Paul’s University Library may be realised through an institutionalised written knowledge management policy with leadership buy-in. A future quantitative survey of knowledge management processes in all academic libraries in Kenya is suggested.

How exploitative leadership influences on knowledge management processes: the moderating role of organisational citizenship behaviour

“…The knowledge value stays low if knowledge is retained in the minds of working individuals or organisational memory until it is shared and used. Neglecting KS process and not storing and sharing metadata may lead to reduction and loss of knowledge (Shujahat et al, 2019;Singh and Singh, 2019;Sirorei and Fombad, 2019;Zaim, 2016).…”

Applying knowledge management to planning joint-use facilities: the ImaginOn library and theater

“…The need for strategic management planning was suggested as a path toward improved performance in knowledge-intensive organizations; libraries are knowledge-intensive. Another case study j JOURNAL OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT j reviewed the potential for KM processes in an academic library and found that KM was utilized, but processes were not formalized through library policy or leadership buy-in (Sirorei and Fombad, 2019).…”

Impact of Knowledge Oriented Leadership on Knowledge Management Processes in the Middle Eastern Audit and Consulting Companies

“…The knowledge creation process is defined by scientists as the process of knowledge transformation through different levels of learning (García-Fernández, 2015;Känsäkoski, 2017;Claver-cortes et al, 2018), the development of existing or new competence within the organization (Probst et al, 2000;Ceptureanu & Popescu, 2018;Mahdi et al, 2019), the dynamic interaction of tacit and explicit knowledge and the transformation of individual knowledge into organizational context (Nonaka & Toyama, 2004;Sun, 2010;Rusly et al, 2012;Wee & Chua, 2013;Wahba, 2015;Little & Deokar, 2016), the ability of an organization to generate new and useful ideas and solutions (Sangari, Hosnavi, & Zahedi, 2015;Henttonen et al, 2016;Kianto et al, 2016) in order to improve processes, identify new opportunities, develop innovation (Wee & Chua, 2013;Ranjbarfard et al, 2014;Little & Deokar, 2016), increase knowledge created value (Rusly et al, 2012;Claver-cortes et al, 2018), and preserve or gain a competitive advantage (Mehralian, Nazari, Akhavan, & Rasekh, 2014;Little & Deokar, 2016;Sirorei & Fombad, 2019). Knowledge creation is defined as the development of existing and new organizational competence (knowledge, abilities and skills) in order to implement knowledge strategy, achieve organizational performance outcomes, create mutual value, and increase uniqueness and leadership in the market.…”

“…The knowledge storage process is seen as turning an individuals' and experts' knowledge into a resource for the organization (Kotnour & Proctor, 1996;Sumbal, Tsui, See-to, & Barendrecht, 2017;Ceptureanu & Popescu, 2018;Mahdi et al, 2019), by capturing and "wrapping" knowledge (Edvardsson & Durst, 2013), by selecting, accumulating and updating knowledge (Probst et al, 2000;Acharya & Mishra, 2017;Dzenopoljac et al, 2018;Sirorei & Fombad, 2019), and by using information technology tools (Sumbal et al, 2017), in order to protect knowledge value from loss (Probst et al, 2000;Edvardsson & Durst, 2013;Kianto et al, 2016) and to access knowledge for decision making (Sangari et al, 2015). In defining the process of knowledge storage, researchers note the importance of organizational memory (Easterby-Smith & Lyles, 2011;Sangari et al, 2015;Kianto et al, 2016).…”