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Chan, M Y E (2018) Enablers for knowledge management implementation by large construction organisations in Hong Kong, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Griffith University.

• Type: Thesis
• Keywords: culture; market; organisational culture; business performance; innovation; knowledge management; leadership; Hong Kong; professional; focus group
• ISBN/ISSN:
• URL: https://hdl.handle.net/10072/378552
• Abstract:
  Knowledge is one of the critical driving forces for business success. Knowledgemanagement (KM) and its appropriate implementation help organisations find, select,organise, distribute and transfer vital business information. The effect of KM on anorganisation’s outcome measures has been widely documented; in particular, itscontribution to the development of innovation culture.In the construction industry, the need for KM is widely acknowledged, as the demandfor innovation and improved business performance requires effective deployment andutilisation of project-based knowledge. For construction contracting organisations,KM is now recognised as a core business concern because intellectual assets have avital role to play in improving business effectiveness and creating and gainingsustainable competitive advantage.In light of the above, this research study identifies the enabling factors (i.e., enablers)needed for effective KM implementation in construction contracting organisations. Itreviews and presents the seven most widely reported enablers, and empiricallyexplores their relative enabling power and dependence in the context of KM beingpractised by large construction organisations operating in Hong Kong. The sevenenablers under investigation are 1) leadership, 2) organisational culture, 3) strategies,4) technology, 5) people, 6) process and activities and 7) innovation.Initially, a combination of focus groups and the Interpretive Structural Modelling(ISM) technique was adopted to investigate the interdependence of the enablers and develop and empirically test a conceptual model connecting each uniquely definedand operationalised enabler to the other six enablers.The operationalised definitions of the enablers were subsequently used to develop astructured questionnaire, which was administered to local large constructioncontractors. Data were collected on the views of construction professionals on issuesrelated to each enabler. Based on a total of 120 valid responses, this study employsstructural equation modelling analysis to verify the conceptual model derived usingthe ISM technique. The best-fit path model reveals the empirically supportedinterrelations among the enablers.Finally, the best-fit path model was qualitatively validated using a qualitative casestudy. A pattern-matching technique was applied to verify the findings and generaliseto actual practices (as reported by five construction organisations), taking intoconsideration the local professional expertise of the people involved and the reality ofthe context under investigation.The quantitative and qualitative analyses not only provide a relationship amongvarious enablers, but determine the extent of the relationship. It is found that theleadership and technology enablers have the highest and lowest driving power amongall seven enablers, respectively. The leadership enabler, in particular, simultaneouslyleads four enablers: organisational culture, strategies, process and activities andinnovation. Many of the hypothesised relationships among enablers proved to bestatistically significant. However, the hypothesised influence of organisational cultureon people was, surprisingly, statistically insignificant. This could be because of theproject-based, transient nature of the industry, where relationships between staff and their respective organisations are more fluid, transient and opaque than in many otherindustrial sectors.The study highlights the critical role played by leadership in directly and indirectly(through strategies) influencing organisational culture. In line with previous studies,this study reveals the need for managerial actions to maintain staff positive attitudestowards knowledge sharing. This study also sheds light on the relationship betweenpeople and technology, where the latter proved to have the highest level ofdependence on other enablers.This study enhances our current understanding of the interrelationships among variousKM enablers. This will ultimately provide Hong Kong-based construction contractingorganisations with both focus and irection to steer and control their tangible andintangible knowledge assets to remain resilient in the face of a fluctuating and highly competitive market and maintain or sustain their performance.

Chen, L (2007) Linking knowledge management to organisational business performance in construction, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Griffith University.

Chinda, T (2008) A system dynamics approach to construction safety culture, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Griffith University.

Jabour Al Hazmi, H S (2011) National culture and knowledge sharing practices: Empirical study in the context of the procurement of educational building projects in Saudi Arabia, Unpublished PhD Thesis, , Griffith University.

Stewart, R A (2003) Lifecycle management of information technology (IT) projects in construction, Unpublished PhD Thesis, School of Engineering, Griffith University.