Knowledge management capability and organizational memory: a study of public sector agencies

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore organizational memory (OM) in three public agencies in a developing country context. Research suggests that knowledge management (KM) can build a nation’s intellectual capital and improve the effectiveness of public sector management. Therefore, how knowledge is preserved is important. Design/methodology/approach The study targeted three large public institutions in Ghana. The study used a survey of 756 individuals in managerial and operational level positions in institutions to test the hypotheses in the study. Findings The findings confirm that knowledge management capability (KMC) has a positive and significant impact on OM. Knowledge acquisition and retention capabilities, in particular, are critical variables in building OM. Research limitations/implications The research relied on self-reports and so one cannot completely rule out social desirability and consistency biases. Using cross-sectional data also makes it difficult to make inferences about the causality. Practical implications Public agencies desirous of building their OM will need to build critical KMC and infrastructure. Originality/value This paper links KMC to OM in public institutions in an emerging country context.