Knowledge Management Adoption and the role of HRM: Evidence from The Gambia Public Organizations

Abstract

To date, knowledge Management (KM) adoption in public organizations and the role of Human Resource Management (HRM) have not been systematically investigated. Existing studies mostly derived their knowledge management from private organizations‟ perspectives. This reflects the slower pace of KM adoption in public enterprises than in private organizations especially in developing nations. Therefore, this paper is aimed to add to the much-needed knowledge and information about this field in The Gambia. The main paradigm of data inquiry for this study was qualitative research techniques. Besides, semi-structured interviews were administered in five major public organizations. Triangulation was used as the 15 participants were drawn from different work levels. Results showed that successful adoption of knowledge management; knowledge infrastructures consisting of technology, organization structures, and culture, cannot do it in isolation. Human resource management is essential for effective adoption of KM. This paper uncovers key aspects of these dimensions. The results provide a basis for understanding HRM role in adopting knowledge management in organization.