Knowledge management systems implementation in selected mobile telecommunication companies in Namibia

Abstract

Organisational knowledge management systems (KMS) garner global attention in organisational environments for organisational knowledge management (KM) practices. Organisations are grappling with the best ways to manage organisational knowledge (OK) to foster innovation and increase organisational competitiveness. Organisational KMS enable critical processes such as knowledge acquisition, creation, transfer, sharing, dissemination, classification, identification, and capture within an organisation to foster continuous innovation for competitive advantage. Mobile telecommunication (MT) companies in Namibia must therefore recognise that the success of their organisational KMS implementation contributes significantly to organisational KM practices that can enhance employee and organisational performance. The study explored the current state of organisational KMS implementation in selected MT companies in Namibia. The study used the technology organisation environment (TOE) and the socialisation externalisation contribution and internalisation (SECI) theories to aid in conceptualising the framework of the study. The study used a mixed method approach via a convergent parallel design. The sample of the study was made up of 329 employees from two selected MT companies in Namibia. Twenty interviews and document analysis were employed in the qualitative method. On the other hand, the survey was conducted under a quantitative method. Purposive sampling was used to select qualitative participants and documents. Three hundred and nine respondents for the quantitative phase were identified using proportionate simple random selection under probability sampling, and the response rate was 57%. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 22.0 was utilised to analyse quantitative data and generate descriptive statistics in the form of tables and graphs. ATLAS.ti 22 was utilised to extract, categorize, and link data segments from interviews with eleven participants and documents to discover patterns and themes. The study