TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose While several studies have indicated the critical role played by the ability of countries to exploit knowledge as an economic resource, it would appear that there have been very few studies conducted on understanding the practices adopted by governments in relation to exploring knowledge, particularly in Africa. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevailing knowledge management practices and technological solutions used by governments to support knowledge management.Design/methodology/approach To address the research objective of this study, semi-structured interviews and document analysis were used. The interviews were conducted with both senior and junior county officials from five counties in Kenya, with a total of 31 county officials participating. Further, various county documents were analysed both to seek convergence and corroborate the interview findings.Findings The study findings revealed that no systematic knowledge management practices existed in the county governments in Kenya, which were investigated. On the few occasions that the study did find evidence of knowledge management practices, these practices were isolated, informal, uncoordinated and rarely documented and/or communicated. Furthermore, the study found that there were inadequate policy frameworks in place to support knowledge management practices. The study also revealed a scarcity of relevant technological solutions tailored to support knowledge management practices.Research limitations/implications It was, thus, hoped that this research would promote an understanding of the prevailing local circumstances that hinder the effective utilisation of knowledge management practices and systems. The study recommends that county governments develop the capabilities required for creating and sustaining an enabling knowledge management environment through frameworks and policies that foster knowledge management practices and systems. The findings have practical implications for the way in which county governments in Kenya and other developing countries may improve their knowledge management practices and adopt appropriate technological solutions to support such practices.Originality/value Much of the existing literature on knowledge management is focussed on exploring such practices in large businesses. Studies centred specifically on the analysis of knowledge management practices in county governments in Africa, and how technological solutions may be used to build such practices are conspicuously lacking in the relevant literature.
VL  - 49
IS  - 3
SN  - 2059-5891
DO  - 10.1108/VJIKMS-01-2019-0014
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/VJIKMS-01-2019-0014
AU  - Ndiege Joshua Rumo Arongo
AU  - Wamuyu Patrick Kanyi
PY  - 2019
Y1  - 2019/01/01
TI  - Knowledge management practices and systems in county governments in developing countries: Perspectives from selected counties in Kenya
T2  - VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems
PB  - Emerald Publishing Limited
SP  - 420
EP  - 439
Y2  - 2024/04/25
ER  -