The Role of Knowledge Management Enablers in a South African Transport Agency

Abstract

Many organisations are exploring the field of knowledge management to improve and sustain their competitiveness and competitive edge over their rivals. Knowledge Management (KM) can be referred to set of processes and activities to change organisations’ knowledge processing pattern, and organisations need to focus on management of knowledge for obtaining optimum results and efficiency to draw various benefits towards gaining competitive advantage. There are several enablers of KM that have a bearing on the success of KM in an organisation. Enablers of KM can be defined as factors that positively influence the success of KM activities to implement changes or are conducive to effective KM to take place in organisations. However, not all organisations are affected by these factors the same way. Most of these factors are associated with the organisation within which KM processes are carried out. A qualitative study was conducted in one of the government transport agencies, which has recently embarked on KM initiatives to find out which KM enablers played a key role in the successful implementation of KM activities in the transport agency and how this played a role (impact). The study used the Knowledge Management Capability Assessment Tool (KM CAT) theory to assess the role of KM enablers in the transport agency. The data were collected by purposefully interviewing senior officials/managers in the agency’s KM directorate. The results showed that several factors played a positive role in the success of KM activities in the transport agency. The study recommends a holistic approach to KM with less emphasis on a single aspect or a few factors presumed to have a positive influence on or are important in creating a conducive environment for the successful implementation of KM in organisations. There is limited literature or research on the use of KM strategies in South African transport industry. Therefore, this study is worth sharing with scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to contribute to the scientific dialogue of KM in all sectors, including the transport industry, to create an enabling environment for the successful implementation of KM activities.

Full text

The Role of Knowledge Management Enablers in a South African
Transport Agency
Ike Hlongwane1 and Kamogelo Molekwa2
1The Department of Information science, University of South Africa (UNISA), Pretoria, South Africa
2City of Tshwane (CoT) Metropolitan municipality, Pretoria, South Africa
Hlongik@unisa.ac.za
Kamogelom@tshwane.gov.za
Abstract: Many organisations are exploring the field of knowledge management to improve and sustain their
competitiveness and competitive edge over their rivals. Knowledge Management (KM) can be referred to set of processes
and activities to change organisations’ knowledge processing pattern, and organisations need to focus on management of
knowledge for obtaining optimum results and efficiency to draw various benefits towards gaining competitive advantage.
There are several enablers of KM that have a bearing on the success of KM in an organisation. Enablers of KM can be defined
as factors that positively influence the success of KM activities to implement changes or are conducive to effective KM to
take place in organisations. However, not all organisations are affected by these factors the same way. Most of these factors
are associated with the organisation within which KM processes are carried out. A qualitative study was conducted in one of
the government transport agencies, which has recently embarked on KM initiatives to find out which KM enablers played a
key role in the successful implementation of KM activities in the transport agency and how this played a role (impact). The
study used the Knowledge Management Capability Assessment Tool (KM CAT) theory to assess the role of KM enablers in
the transport agency. The data were collected by purposefully interviewing senior officials/managers in the agency’s KM
directorate. The results showed that several factors played a positive role in the success of KM activities in the transport
agency. The study recommends a holistic approach to KM with less emphasis on a single aspect or a few factors presumed
to have a positive influence on or are important in creating a conducive environment for the successful implementation of
KM in organisations. There is limited literature or research on the use of KM strategies in South African transport industry.
Therefore, this study is worth sharing with scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to contribute to the scientific dialogue
of KM in all sectors, including the transport industry, to create an enabling environment for the successful implementation
of KM activities.
Keywords: Knowledge, Knowledge Management, Knowledge Management Enablers, Government Transport Agency,
Knowledge Management Capability Assessment Tool (KM CAT), Holistic Approach
1. Introduction
Many organisations are exploring the field of knowledge management (KM) to improve and sustain their
competitiveness and competitive edge over their rivals (Kumar, Singh & Haleem, 2014). KM may be referred to
set of processes and activities to change an organisation’s knowledge processing pattern (Joseph & Elroy, 2005),
and organisations need to focus on the management of knowledge for obtaining optimum results and efficiency
(Wong, 2005) to draw various benefits towards gaining competitive advantage (King, 2001; Ofek & Sarvary,
2001). Much literature has defined KM, but Davenport (1994) postulates KM as “the process of capturing,
developing, sharing, and effectively using organizational knowledge.” Later, Duhon (1998) provided another
definition: “KM is a discipline that promotes an integrated approach to identifying, capturing, evaluating,
retrieving, and sharing all of an enterprise's information assets”. According to Gloet and Terziovski (2004), KM is
the interpretation of experience and how to access that knowledge and proficiency, which produce new
competencies, empower superior routine, boost innovation, and increase customer satisfaction. Thus,
knowledge is considered a valuable asset for organisations, critical for achieving long-term sustainable
competitive advantage. As a result, many organisations are making efforts toward the implementation of KM
initiatives, recognising that their competitive advantage depends on their ability to effectively collect, capture,
retain, store, transfer and share knowledge. Although companies are increasingly competing based on their
ability to effectively manage knowledge, there are still numerous challenges for organisations that intend to
implement a KM system. Thus, for a successful implementation of KM in organisations, it is crucial to understand
which factors are critical in creating an enabling environment for the successful implementation of KM processes
and lead to competitive advantage (Onofre & Teixeira, 2022). Although there are many studies related to
enablers of KM in organisations, few have been explored within the context of the transport industry in a
developing country like South Africa.
As a developing country, South Africa is witnessing fast population growth, which drives up the travel demand.
Many of the country’s citizens continue to rely on public transport to get to work, school, healthcare, recreation
and tourism sites. To manage an innovative, rapid rail transport system in the country, an agency was formed as
327
Proceedings of the 25th European Conference on Knowledge Management, ECKM 2024

Ike Hlongwane and Kamogelo Molekwa
a public-private partnership (PPP) project to provide a more affordable and accessible transport system to
alleviate traffic congestion, while also providing a reliable and quick mode of public transport. In the intervening
process, a wealth of skills and technical knowledge, particularly in the management of the protracted design and
construction review process and the legal and environmental compliance processes, are organically produced.
Today, organisations are increasingly dynamic, ever changing and continuously re-inventing themselves to
achieve sustainable competitive advantage to an extent that what works for one organisation may not
necessarily work for others with the same degree of impact.
This paper provides an overview of a qualitative study conducted in one of the government transport agencies
in South Africa. The purpose of the study was to answer the following research questions:
• What are key enablers of KM systems?
• Which KM enablers played a key role in the successful implementation of KM activities in the transport
agency?
• How do these KM enablers interact with each other for the successful implementation of KM initiative.
For practical purposes, this study used the Knowledge Management Capability Assessment Tool (KM CAT) theory
to assess the role of KM enablers in the transport agency. The data were collected by purposefully interviewing
senior officials/managers in the agency’s KM directorate. A thematic approach was used to analyse the data to
obtain the results.
The results showed that several factors played a positive role in the success of KM activities in the transport
agency. The study recommends a holistic approach to KM with less emphasis on a single aspect or a few factors
presumed to have a positive influence on or are important in creating an environment that is conducive to the
successful implementation of KM in organisations.
Given that there is limited literature or research on the use of KM strategies in the South African transport
industry, this study is worth sharing with scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to contribute to the scientific
dialogue of KM in all sectors including the transport industry to create an enabling environment for the
successful implementation of KM activities.
2. Knowledge Management Capability Assessment Tool
To assess knowledge management maturity in the organisation, the study used the KM CAT. The KM CAT is
divided into four major sections, each of which is subdivided into subcategories assess as follows:
• Strategy (objectives, business case and budgets)
• People (resources, governance structure and roles, change management and communication)
• Process (knowledge flow process, KM approaches and measurement)
• Content and information technology (content management and IT processes and tools)
The KM CAT is best suited for reviewing procedures, recognising intellectual assets in an organisation. According
to APQC (2022), the KM CAT helps an organisation assess its capabilities and maturity in KM and focus its KM
investments on producing the highest return on value. Thus, the use of KM CAT gave the researcher a broad
perspective when assessing the role of KM enablers in the transport agency for improved efficiency, increased
productivity and enhanced organisational performance.
3. Overview of KM Initiative in the South African Transport Agency
The agency’s KM strategy (2016) was firmly established by the South African transport Act, (Act No. 5 of 2006).
Section 5(e) and (f) of the Act requires the agency to establish and operate information and management
systems for transport projects in the Gauteng province, and liaise and exchange information with institutions,
authorities or professional bodies regarding rail matters in South Africa or in other countries. As part of the
Gauteng province, the agency is required to support and contribute to the implementation of the Gauteng 25-
year Integrated Transport Master Plan (ITMP25). Given the mandate of the agency and public transport
development imperatives for the province, a KM strategy is critical for the organisation. Tremendous efforts
have been made on electronic document control and management, particularly during the development phase
of the transport projects in Gauteng province.
4. Literature Review
328
Proceedings of the 25th European Conference on Knowledge Management, ECKM 2024

Ike Hlongwane and Kamogelo Molekwa
Knowledge is a vital resource for having a sustainable competitive advantage (Manesh, Pellegrini, Marzi & Dabic,
2020). Two types of knowledge can be distinguished, namely tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge. According
to Powell (2023), tacit knowledge, is often difficult to share or articulate. This is because this type of knowledge
resides in human minds. It is often acquired through personal experiences, intuition and expertise. One of the
primary challenges with tacit knowledge in an organisation is that, due to its intangible and often subconscious
nature, it has proven to be to transfer and share tacit knowledge throughout the organisation (Chen, Nunes,
Ragsdell & An (2018). On the other hand, explicit knowledge can be easily communicated and shared. Due to its
tangible nature, explicit knowledge can be communicated through perceptible channels such as documents or
computer programs, or in a personal context such as verbalisation to knowledge workers through networking
competence (Fryczynska & Ciecierski, 2020). Tacit knowledge is generally accepted as expertise that exists solely
in the minds of individuals and is intangible, while explicit knowledge is the know-what aspect of knowledge,
which is tangible and exists outside the human mind. Therefore, tacit and explicit knowledge can be seen not as
two distinct knowledge typologies (Gamble, 2020), but as two sides of the same coin. This further was initially
alluded to by Panahi, Watson and Partridge (2016), stating that “there exists many cases of a middle ground
between them.”
KM is defined in many ways because it has been increasingly evolving and integrating business strategies,
processes and goals. Zvobgo, Chivivi and Marufu (2015) define KM as the systematic process for organisations
to create, identify, capture, obtain, secure, share, and control knowledge. However, Yee, Tan and Thurasamy
(2019) define KM as the systematic management of an organisation’s knowledge assets for the purpose of
creating value and meeting tactical and strategic requirements. It consists of the processes, strategies and
systems that sustain and enhance the creation, storage and sharing of knowledge. It is evident in the literature
that KM plays a strategic role for the survival, competitiveness and profitability of the organisation (Omotayo,
2015; Clark, 2020).
5. Knowledge Management Enablers
KM enablers are the operational or service settings in an organisation that are accountable for the success of a
KM initiative and treated as the mechanism or factors for facilitating knowledge creation, sharing, application
and protection within the organisation (Yang, Marlow & Luc, 2009). In the literature, several critical enablers in
successfully implementing effective KM initiatives and techniques in organisations are explored. Some of the
key KM enablers identified from previous studies consist of organisational culture, organisational structure,
management support, leadership, strategy, champion support, design of KM strategy, performance and
evaluation, training and technologies (Boamah et al., 2022); Gupta, Singh, Kamble & Ruchi Mishra, 2022;
Aldhaheri & Ahmad, 2024); Dang, Wipulanusat, Nuaklong & Witchayangkoon, 2024); Shehzad, Zhang, Dost,
Ahmad & Alam, 2024). These KM enablers are the key focus in many studies on KM processes across several and
diverse industries or fields such as education, health, libraries, engineering, construction, among others.
In another study by Menon and Suresh (2021), rewards and recognition and employee empowerment were
among the highest driving force behind KM. However, management support was found to be the most crucial
KM enabler. In addition, teamwork, reward structure, learning, collaboration and employee empowerment
(Atapattu & Huybers, 2021; Osupile & Makambe, 2021), are motivational antecedents of KM engagement and
sharing. Furthermore, knowledge-oriented leadership, environmental uncertainty (Sahibzada, Latif & Xu, 2022),
organisational climate (Farooq Sahibzada, Thomas, Sumbal and Malik (2023) and trust have a significant impact
on KM processes.
Another study by Iftikhar and Lions (2022) sought to identify the different KM enablers at different levels of the
organisation. The found that, at individual level, interpersonal relationships and social interactions are
knowledge-sharing enablers. In contrast, the study found that well-defined objectives were found to be team
level enablers; while at organisational level, appropriate knowledge sharing requires organisation to design their
structures adequately to be consistent with both the environment and the necessary level of interaction among
employees. Pham, Lokuge, Nguyen and Adamopoulos (2024) conducted a study to explore KM enablers for
blockchain-enabled food supply chain implementations. The study found external enablers, including regulation
and market competition, and internal enablers, such as people, organisational learning, strategy and leadership,
culture, information technology, organisational infrastructure, processes and activities.
6. Methodology
329
Proceedings of the 25th European Conference on Knowledge Management, ECKM 2024

Ike Hlongwane and Kamogelo Molekwa
To address the main research question, this qualitative study used a case study research design because a case
study enabled the researcher to conduct an in-depth study of the KM process in the agency. The case study
research design enabled the researcher to explain the complex situations where important factors could be lost
or not described completely enough in a generalised method. This study used semi-structured interviews to gain
an understanding of how the loss of knowledge (tacit) affected this South African government agency, rather
than acquiring a more superficial overview.
The researcher purposefully selected senior management involved in the agency’s KM directorate. The interview
guide was prepared to help the researcher to comprehensively cover identified topics relevant to the study
objectives. Each participant was allocated one and a half hours for the interview.
The interviews were conducted using the Microsoft Teams app, which is a virtual platform the researcher
deemed fit to use due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The interviews were recorded with the consent of the
participants.
Owing to the semi-structured nature of the interviews, participants were encouraged to elaborate on the subject
and provide as much information as they could. Apart from the interviews, internal documents of the agency,
such as the KM policy and strategy plan, were used to achieve data triangulation to enrich the data collected.
The collected data were analysed using Atlas.ti version 9 according to a thematic approach, in which the data
were aligned to the study themes, and a coding procedure was followed.
7. Profile of the Participants
The study initially targeted 10 senior managers in the KM directorate who were actively involved in the agency’s
KM projects and processes. These included the executive manager of KM, five KM specialists, a senior records
officer, a registry officer, a senior manager for reputation and a senior manager in stakeholder relations. Owing
to the Covid-19 pandemic, four employees were unavailable because of ill health and death. Finally, six senior
managers in the KM directorate with the relevant knowledge and experience in KM programmes and processes
of the agency were interviewed.
8. Discussion of the Findings
8.1 Key Enablers Of Knowledge Management System
The study results revealed that several factors play a critical role as KM enablers in the implementation of a KM
system in the transport agency in South Africa just like in any organisation throughout the world. The general
view of the participants in the South African transport agency, was that these KM enablers include, but are not
limited to, organisational culture, organisational structure, management support, champion support, design of
KM strategy, performance and evaluation, training and technologies. In addition, the participants also indicated
that policies, organisational philosophy, business innovation, business procedure and populace also affect the
KM strategy in the transport agency.
8.2 Role of KM Enablers in the Successful Implementation of KM Activities in the Transport Agency
Most participants noted that, in different measures or degree, several KM enablers positively influence or are
conducive to effective KM in agency. The support of top management is crucial for providing necessary
resources, communicating the importance of developing the KM system. Senior management in the transport
agency was also credited for giving essential directions for successfully integrating the KM system in the
transport agency. The participants also indicated that it was important to develop suitable strategies with the
active participation of all stakeholders from various departments in the transport agency to align the strategies
with organisational goals and objectives. Regarding organisational culture, most participants in the transport
agency were of the view that a knowledge-friendly culture encourages and embraces better ways of knowledge
sharing, it helps adopt new tools and techniques. Apart from creating awareness and knowledge of KM theory
and practice, the view of most participants was that top management should also focus on the provision of the
necessary information and communication technology (ICT) and training. Training provides skill and expertise to
human resources of how KM operates and functions. On the other hand, technology is usually seen as the
enabler of KM practice. The all-encompassing view of the participants was that advanced ICT infrastructure was
needed to promote KM through improved knowledge sharing. In addition, the participants indicated that KM
330
Proceedings of the 25th European Conference on Knowledge Management, ECKM 2024

Ike Hlongwane and Kamogelo Molekwa
policy provides a context of rules and methods to guide how the KM system is implemented in the transport
agency.
8.3 Interaction of KM Enablers for the Successful Implementation of KM Initiative
The study revealed that collaboration and coordination between and among the various KM enablers were
crucial for organisational performance, survival, profitability and competitiveness. The results strongly suggest
that all the KM enablers in the organisation should be harnessed to create value by aligning with the overall
organisational strategy, goals and objective. This is because the results showed that several factors, and not just
one factor or enabler, played a positive role in the success of KM activities in the transport agency. A holistic
approach to KM practice is important in creating an environment that is conducive to the successful
implementation of the KM initiative in organisations.
9. Conclusion
This study showed that there are several key KM enablers that positively influence or are conducive to effective
KM to take place in organisations, which include, but are not limited to, organisational culture, organisational
structure, management support, champion support, design of KM strategy, performance and evaluation,
training and technologies. Individually, each of these KM enablers plays a vital role. However, organisations
should strive to holistically harness and coordinate all the KM enables systematically to accomplish
organisational functions, operate and succeed in the current global knowledge-based economy.
References
Aldhaheri, S.M. and Ahmad, S.Z. (2024), The influence of transformational leadership on organizational performance and
knowledge management capability, International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Vol. ahead-
of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-10-2022-0532
American productivity and quality center (APQC). 2022 Knowledge Management capability assessment tool (KM CAT).
https://www.apqc.org/what-we-do/benchmarking/assessment-survey/knowledge-management-capability-
assessment-tool (Accessed 15 February 2024)
Atapattu, M.M. and Huybers, T. (2021), Motivational antecedents, employee engagement and knowledge management
performance, Journal of Knowledge Management, 26 (3): 528-547. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-12-2020-0898
Bitkowska, A. (2015). The orientation of business process management toward the creation of knowledge in enterprises.
Human Factors and Ergonomics In Manufacturing. https://doi.org/10.1002/hfm.20533. (Accessed 15 February 2024).
Boamah, F.A., Zhang, J., Wen, D., Sherani, M., Hayat, A. and Horbanenko, O. (2022), Enablers of knowledge management:
practical research-based in the construction industry, International Journal of Innovation Science, 14 (1):121-137.
https://doi.org/10.1108/IJIS-09-2020-0142
Dang, C.N., Wipulanusat, W., Nuaklong, P. and Witchayangkoon, B. (2024), Exploring the relationships between knowledge
management enablers, employee innovativeness and market development performance in A/E/C firms: a developing
country perspective, Construction Innovation, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/CI-02-
2023-0022
Chen, H., Nunes, M.B., Ragsdell, G. and An, X. (2018), Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation for experience grounded tacit
knowledge sharing in Chinese software organisations, Journal of Knowledge Management, 22 (2): 478-498.
Clark, S. (2020). The state of knowledge management in 2020. https://www.reworked.co/knowledge-findability/the-state-
ofknowledge-management-in-2020/. (Accessed 15 February 2024)
Farooq Sahibzada, U., Thomas, A., Sumbal, M.S.U.K. and Malik, M. (2023), Nexus of knowledge management and
organisational performance: a cross-country study of China and Pakistan higher educational institutes, Kybernetes,
52 (12): 6348-6378. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-08-2021-0768
Fryczynska, M. and Ciecierski, C. (2020), Networking competence and its impact on the employability of knowledge
workers, Journal of Organisational Change Management, 33 (2): 349-365.
Gamble, J.R. (2020), Tacit vs explicit knowledge as antecedents for organizational change, Journal of Organisational Change
Management, 33 (6): 1123-1141. https://0-doi-org.oasis.unisa.ac.za/10.1108/JOCM-04-2020-0121
Gupta, A, Singh, R.K, Kamble, S, and Mishra, R (2022) Knowledge management in industry 4.0 environment for sustainable
competitive advantage: a strategic framework, Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 20 (6): 878-892, DOI:
10.1080/14778238.2022.2144512
Iftikhar, R. and Lions, C. (2022), Interorganizational knowledge sharing barriers and enablers: the case of Peshawar Bus
Rapid Transit project, International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 15 (5): 769-792.
https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-11-2021-0313
GMA KM strategy, 2016/17-2018/19 FY. https://gma.gautrain.co.za/about/pages/knowledge-sharing.html. (Accessed 4
March 2024).
Manesh, M. F., Pellegrini, M. M., Marzi, G., and Dabic, M. (2020). Knowledge management in the fourth industrial
revolution: Mapping the literature and scoping future avenues. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management.
331
Proceedings of the 25th European Conference on Knowledge Management, ECKM 2024

Ike Hlongwane and Kamogelo Molekwa
Menon, S. and Suresh, M. (2021), Enablers of workforce agility in engineering educational institutions, Journal of Applied
Research in Higher Education, 13 (2): 504-539. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-12-2019-0304
Onofre, I., andTeixeira, L., 2022.Critical Factors for a Successful Knowledge Management Implementation: A Systematic
Literature Review. The Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management, 20 (2): 93-109.
Omotayo, F. O. (2015). Knowledge management as an important tool in organisational management: A review of literature.
Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal), 1-23.
Osupile, K. and Makambe, U. (2021), The nexus between organisational culture and knowledge sharing in a government
department in Botswana, International Journal of Public Sector Management, 34 (2):118-136.
https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-06-2020-0149
Panahi, S., Watson, J. and Partridge, H. (2016), Conceptualising social media support for tacit knowledge sharing:
physicians’ perspectives and experiences, Journal of Knowledge Management, 20 (2): 344-363.
Pham, C.M., Lokuge, S., Nguyen, T.-T. and Adamopoulos, A. (2024), Exploring knowledge management enablers for
blockchain-enabled food supply chain implementations, Journal of Knowledge Management, 28 (1): 210-231.
https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-07-2022-0586
Powell, B.C. (2023), Sharing intractably tacit knowledge: the case for nepotistic selection, Development and Learning in
Organizations, 37(5):11-13. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLO-08-2022-0154
Republic of South Africa. 2006. Department of Transport: National Land Transport Transition Act 5. Government Printer.
Pretoria.
Sahibzada, U.F., Latif, K.F. and Xu, Y. (2022), Symmetric and asymmetric modeling of knowledge management enablers to
knowledge management processes and knowledge worker productivity in higher education institutes, Journal of
Enterprise Information Management, 35 (3): 729-756. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEIM-08-2020-0346
Shehzad, M.U., Zhang, J., Dost, M., Ahmad, M.S. and Alam, S. (2024), Knowledge management enablers and knowledge
management processes: a direct and configurational approach to stimulate green innovation, European Journal of
Innovation Management, 27 (1):123-152. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-02-2022-0076
Yee, Y.M., Tan, C.L. and Thurasamy, R. (2019), Back to basics: building a knowledge management system, Strategic
Direction, 35(2):1-3. https://0-doi-org.oasis.unisa.ac.za/10.1108/SD-07-2018-0163
Zvobgo, C., Chivivi, O. O., and Marufu, B. (2015). Knowledge management as a survival strategy to enhance competitive
advantage in the Zimbabwean tourism and hospitality industry. European Journal of Business and Management, 62-
72.
332
Proceedings of the 25th European Conference on Knowledge Management, ECKM 2024