Knowledge Management Practices on Sustainability of Sugar Companies in Kenya

Abstract

Knowledge management Practices (KMPs’) has become increasingly important in the current world to firms that are looking for competitive advantage and sustainability. Sugar companies in Kenya like many other companies in the world have used KMPs’ since 1959 to improve on their human capital resources in their quest for enhanced growth and sustainability but have realized dismaying results as their performance consistently decline. Some sugar companies in Kenya remain in perpetual debts, shortlisted for privatization as others go into receivership, making their dreams for sustainability more elusive; at a time occasioned with the rise in domestic demand for sugar causing spontaneous rise in sugar imports from 4000 tonnes in 1984 to 249,336 tonnes in 2001. Although studies have been conducted on KMPs’ with focus to corporate performance using case studies and surveys in Multinational Pharmaceutical and Engineering companies in Italy, Pakistan, Malaysia, Norway and Jordan, none has fully considered the influence of KMPs’ on sustainability of sugar companies and especially in Kenya. The general objective of this study was to establish the influence of KMPs’ on sustainability of sugar companies in Kenya. The study was guided by the following specific objectives; to explore the influence of Knowledge acquisition, Application, Sharing and Conversion in addition to moderating influence of government policy on the relationship between KMPs’ and sustainability. Data was collected using questionnaires and interview schedule were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study used null hypotheses to test the objectives. Sample populations of 250 managers from the five functional state owned sugar companies were studied using Descriptive survey design. The study contributes to the theory, Knowledge and practice focused at up scaling performance of sugar companies to a sustainable level in the general interest of mankind in Kenya. The study concluded that KMPs’ singly and jointly influence sustainability of sugar companies in Kenya and that government policy had least positive moderating effect on the relationship between KMPs’ and sustainability of sugar companies in Kenya. The study concluded that KMPs’ had influence on sustainability and government policy had low moderating contribution on the relationship between KMPs’ and sustainability. The study recommended that sugar companies should adopt and sustain efficient KMPs’ using monetary and non-monetary motivations. In addition, the study recommended that government should develop policy document to support implementation of KMPs’ to enable sugar companies achieve sustainable growth in Kenya. The study recommended further research on influence of KMPs’ with intermediation of government policy on sustainability of all sugar companies in Kenya using a larger sample.