Knowledge Management and skills development
BUSI 240-Organizational Behavior 1
Liberty University
2022
Knowledge Management
Jelena, Vesna and Mojea (2012), defined Knowledge Management as a component of four
elements which consists of knowledge accumulation, knowledge utilization, knowledge
sharing practices and knowledge ownership identification. In the conceptual framework
knowledge management indicators are: knowledge availability, dissemination,
collaboration, information sharing, and systems.
World Bank report in 2010, noted that knowledge produces growth – (Grey matter is a
country’s main resource) and knowledge has become a key driver of competitiveness
(World Bank, 2010). Armstrong and Taylor (2014) defines KM as any process or practice
of creating, acquiring, capturing, sharing and using knowledge, wherever it resides, to
enhance learning and performance in organizations. Yasar, Saban and Gokhan (2013),
posits that knowledge, skills, values, beliefs and habits of a group of people are transferred
to other people, through storytelling, discussion, teaching, training or research. In practice
KM is a conscious effort to gain the knowledge that lies within an organization by using it
to achieve the organizations missions (Stevens, 2010).
Stevens (2010) noted that it is important to consider knowledge and intellectual capital as a
company’s primary source of production and value. In a world where knowledge doubles
every year and skills have half-life 2.5 to 5 years, leaders need constant development.
Hecht, Maier, Seeber and Waldhart (2011) argued that the process of successful
implementation of knowledge management has three stages: adoption, acceptance and
assimilation. Jelena et al., (2012) explained that successful KM applies a set of approaches
including: accumulation, utilization, sharing and ownership.
Dessler (2013) noted that in effective knowledge management, the learning objectives you
choose should address rectifying the performance deficiencies that you identified with
needs analysis. For instance, if the sales team sales are 40% too low the objectives should
focus on ensuring they get knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to boost their
performance. Jelena et al., (2012) further noted that knowledge accumulation can be
internal or external, occasional or intended while knowledge utilization covers individual
and group knowledge learning from experience or to innovative solutions and knowledge
sharing can also be both formal and informal.
Skills Development
The availability and quality of skills are important determinants of productivity and the
types of activities that can be undertaken, other measures capture potential technology and
innovation (World Bank, 2018). As defined by Vanpatten and Benati (2010), skills refer
to the ability to do rather than underlying competence or mental representation. Omolo
(2013; 2014) noted that skills development programmes enable employees gain
employability skills. Employability skills are potable competencies and qualifications that
enhance an individual’s capacity to make use of the education and training opportunities
available, order to secure and retain decent work, to progress within enterprise and
between jobs, and to cope with changing technology and labour market conditions (ILO,
2013).
Skills Development means developing one’s skills to add value to the organization as well
as your own career development. Elphick-Moore (2012) defined skills development as
what we do to improve productivity in the workplace and the competitiveness of our
businesses and to improve the quality of work life of workers, their prospects of work and
their mobility. Kajewski and Madsen (2013) in their study, Demystifying 70:20:10 Model,
found that 70% of one’s development come from informal, on-job, experience based,
stretch projects and practice; 20% come from coaching, mentoring and developing others
and 10% come from formal , learning interventions, workplace raining and structured
courses. The 70:20:10 models was formulated by three researchers – Morgan, Lombardo
and Robert in 1980, who researched on key developmental experiences of successful
managers.
According to World Bank (2010) skills bottlenecks affects productivity and are likely to
worsen in the coming years. The report revealed that Enterprise surveys since the year
2000, in some 90 countries, suggests that skills constraints impede performance particularly
in more dynamic environments. For example, a share of the industry worried about
inadequate worker education and skills averages about 40% in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In Kenya, it has been observed that there exist gaps in human skills (trainees and trainers),
curriculum and technology do not adequately address the ever changing skill and
technology need (RoK, 2017). Thus the labour market is characterized by co-existence of
trained unemployed manpower alongside skills shortages in some areas within the
market (RoK, 2012). One of the key challenges in Kenya’s labour market is identifying the
critical skills. In addition, according to (RoK, 2012), the weakness in skills development is
partly attributed to inadequacy in the framework for promoting skills and training in the
country.
However, according to RoK (2017), there are government policy instruments and private
sector initiatives that have been developed to address these challenges of skills shortages
and mismatch. Some of the government policy and legal instruments are geared towards
addressing training at three levels, which includes: Education Act Cap 211, SME Sessional
Paper No 2 of 2005, TVET Strategy 2008, TVET Act, Industrial Training Act 237,
Employment Act Revised 2012 (2007) and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Curriculum for Youth Polytechnics. In 2018, the Government of Kenya introduced the
Competence Based Education and Training (CBET) in the TVET institutions to enhance
skills development, and produce internationally competitive workforce.
Skills development has the potential to significantly improve the employability of the
Kenyan workforce especially of the youth and women (AfDB, 2014). Certain situations call
for new skills to be learned, and that relevant skills training requires bridging the world of
education and training to the world of work (ILO, 2014). According to AfDB (2014), skills
gap is impounded by weak linkages between the private sector and the Technical Education
and training (TVET) curricula, resulting in mismatch between the supply of and demand of
skills. According to ILO (2015), skills mismatch exacts economical and social costs at all
levels – individual, business and government and are as a result and contributory cause of
structural unemployment.
Skills and skills enhancement are essential component of all efforts in this challenging era
(World Bank, 2014). Upgrading and enhancing the relevance of skills training and
improving access to skills for more women and men can help countries move to a virtuous
circle of higher productivity more employment of better quality, income, growth and
development (ILO, 2014). Skills are particularly important for the development, economic
diversification and transforming of low-income countries (Adams, Silva & Razmara,
2013).
Skills are at the core of improving individual’s employment outcomes and increasing
countries productivity and growth (World Bank, 2014), and that the job relevant skills are
critical. World Bank (2010) defines job relevant skills as a set of competencies valued
by employers and useful for self-employment, they include: problem-solving skills,
learning skills, communication skills personal skills and social skills. Skills development is
among the greatest challenges facing countries, enterprises and people all across the world
today (ILO, 2014).
A substantive body of evidence shows that different skill levels have large economic
effects for individuals, employers, regions and whole national economies (Green, 2011).
Muzaffar, Salamat and Ali (2012) noted that, to increase the employee’s performance, it is
crucial to inspire the employees by means of satisfying the space in between skills
necessary and the owned or operated by staff through delivering applicable training.
Most organizations use education as an indicator of a person’s skill levels or productivity,
they frequently employ it as a prerequisite in hiring decisions (Yasir, Khalid, Irfan & Khan,
2013).
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