ASSESSING THE INFLUENCE OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ON STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESSES  IN ORGANIZATION (A CASE STUDY OF TRUCKNET ENTERPRISE LTD CAMEROON)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background Of The Study

Knowledge is transforming into a critical organizational asset that confers a competitive edge in the information age, thereby inspiring Knowledge Management (KM) initiatives. Massive amounts of data have been gathered and stored by numerous organizations. Nonetheless, their ability to extract valuable insights from the data through the process of transforming it into practical and valuable knowledge is limited. Knowledge resource management can be difficult. Knowledge management is a field in which numerous organizations are implementing information technology to facilitate the generation, dissemination, integration, and sharing of knowledge (Silwattananusarn and Tuamsuk, 2022). According to Abdul-Rahman and Wang (2020), knowledge can be divided into personal, shared, and public, practical and theoretical, foreground and background, internal and external, hard and soft, structured and unstructured, knowing how and knowing that, and procession perspective and structural perspective. Knowledge management is a distinct and structured procedure that facilitates the acquisition, organization, maintenance, application, distribution, publication, and recreation of explicit and implicit knowledge for the staff. Its purpose is to enhance the performance of the organization and generate value (McInerney, 2022). The scope of knowledge management is wide-ranging, including both technical and organizational elements (Kang et al., 2018). Nonaka (2022) commenced his article in the Harvard Business Review with the following straightforward preamble: "In an economic environment characterized by uncertainty, knowledge stands as the sole enduring source of competitive advantage (Nonaka and Takeuchi, 2019)." The inquiry at hand concerns how a company can implement knowledge management to address future challenges. It is fair to say that a substantial amount of research has been conducted on first-mover organization in recent years. Strategic planning was the primary issue identified by the majority of senior executives. It is noteworthy that the issue of strategic planning persisted irrespective of whether the organizations implemented a structured strategic planning system or adopted an ad hoc methodology. Strategic planning, nevertheless, is of the utmost importance for maintaining competitiveness in a globalized and ever more turbulent environment (Moon, 2023). 

Strategic planning is preoccupied with the articulation, elaboration, and formalization of established strategies, with an emphasis on analysis. Conversely, strategic planning places emphasis on the integration of ideas and perspectives, employing intuition and innovation to develop a holistic understanding of the organization (Mintzberg, 2019). The alignment of knowledge management processes with the infrastructure and processes of an organization in a way that facilitates the attainment of its objectives is crucial to knowledge management's efficacy. Simplifying the representation of these relationships to a mere enumeration of elements and processes is insufficient. A holistic framework in which all components are cohesively incorporated to form a dynamic whole. Strategic planning and knowledge management have been shown to be interdependent in prior studies. By implementing strategic planning, the organization successfully establishes a generative learning environment by identifying and modifying critical behaviors within the knowledge management environment. This implies that knowledge management (KM) is not a singular undertaking or a collection of endeavors, but rather an ever-evolving system of procedures and methods that are ingrained in organizations and personnel (Alavi and Leidner, 2021).

Interactions between knowledge creation and storage, application and storage, and creation and storage were illustrated by Alavi and Leidner (2021). However, this research overlooked the potential negative interdependencies among the processes and the ways in which these interrelationships could impede the strategic long-term objectives of organizational knowledge management systems (Schultze and Leidner, 2022). For instance, in the absence of alignment between KM and an organization's strategic planning, it might prove ineffective and generate erroneous knowledge.

Statement of the Problem

The significance of Knowledge Management (KM) principles has been investigated and implemented across all organizational disciplines over the past decade. While this multiplicity has played a role in the field's rapid development, it has also led to a lack of terminology and concept integration. There are numerous obstacles to establishing KM as a distinct discipline at this time (Ackoff, 2022). 

Several studies have demonstrated that employees frequently fail to encode and retain their knowledge in certain organizations due to a lack of comprehension of the organization's strategic plan. Knowledge storage and creation were hindered in similar circumstances due to apprehensions regarding knowledge transfer (Ciabuschi, 2018). Furthermore, mandating that employees store their knowledge electronically may result in a decline in the quality of the stored information, and they may produce "more than they knew" at one point (Garud and Kumaraswamy, 2021). Available knowledge was not utilized in another organization, and unnecessary knowledge was generated in its place. The absence of strategic planning is evident due to the fact that strategic planning examines the characteristics of the entire entity rather than dissecting its constituent elements and analyzing their individual attributes (Ackoff, 2022). The Cameroonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance generates a vast quantity of knowledge through the execution of numerous projects and the involvement of management specialists. A portion of this knowledge is documented in the form of reports, documents, software, and instructions, among other things. However, a portion of it is immaterial, and the majority of it is concealed in the mind: relationship expertise, abilities, and insights. However, the function of KM in organizational strategies is not yet well defined; consequently, organizations will alter only a few aspects or remain unchanged in their approach to new challenges. Change capability should reflect the outcome of strategic planning capability. As crucial as design strategy is implementation strategy. Frequently, organizations prioritize design strategy over change capability. Early in the 1980s, research indicated that fewer than 10% of businesses were capable of implementing their strategies successfully. In 1999, Fourchon magazine published a disconcerting statistic: over 70% of strategic challenges faced by organizations were attributable to inadequate implementation strategies or failed to implement them, while less than 30% of these challenges were attributable to faulty strategies. As a public entity, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance is tasked with the responsibility of executing essential services and overseeing specific activities with the dual objective of optimizing profitability.  In Regard to this; the study tends to examine the influence of knowledge management strategy on strategic planning processes  in organization (a case study of Trucknet Enterprise Ltd Cameroon).

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The primary objective of this study is to examine the influence of knowledge management strategy on strategic planning processes  in organization (a case study of Trucknet Enterprise Ltd Cameroon). Specific objectives of this study are to:

Ascertain whether knowledge creation strategy influences strategic planning processes  in Trucknet Enterprise Ltd Cameroon.

Ascertain whether knowledge storage and maintenance strategy influences strategic planning processes  in Trucknet Enterprise Ltd Cameroon.

Ascertain whether knowledge sharing strategy influences strategic planning processes  in Trucknet Enterprise Ltd Cameroon.

Ascertain whether knowledge audit strategy influences strategic planning processes  in Trucknet Enterprise Ltd Cameroon.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions will be answered in this study:

Does knowledge creation strategy influence strategic planning processes in Trucknet Enterprise Ltd Cameroon?

Does knowledge storage and maintenance strategy influence strategic planning processes in Trucknet Enterprise Ltd Cameroon?

Does knowledge sharing strategy influence strategic planning processes in Trucknet Enterprise Ltd Cameroon?

Does knowledge audit strategy influence strategic planning processes in Trucknet Enterprise Ltd Cameroon?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

Ho: Knowledge management strategy does not have a significant influence on strategic planning processes  in Trucknet Enterprise Ltd Cameroon.

Ha: Knowledge management strategy have a significant influence on strategic planning processes  in Trucknet Enterprise Ltd Cameroon.

1.6 Significance of the Study

This study aims to furnish information to a diverse range of stakeholders, encompassing business organizations, employees, and scholars. 

Business organizations will derive the greatest benefit from this study because it will furnish them with the information and insights required to formulate well-informed decisions throughout the strategic planning phase. Through the utilization and examination of pertinent data and specialized knowledge, institutions can formulate strategies that are more efficacious in accordance with their aims and objectives. Additionally, it fosters innovation and creativity within organizations. Organizations can remain competitive in the market by identifying new opportunities and developing innovative products, services, and processes through the sharing and utilization of existing knowledge. 

Scholars and academicians will find the research significant as it addresses a gap in the literature regarding the impact of knowledge management strategy on organizational strategic planning processes.

1.7 Scope of the study

The scope of this study boarders on the influence of knowledge management strategy on strategic planning processes  in organization (a case study of Trucknet Enterprise Ltd Cameroon).  Hence,  the study will be delimited to  Trucknet Enterprise Ltd Cameroon.  

1.8 Limitation of the Study

Like in every human endeavour, the researcher encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. Insufficient funds tend to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size. More so, the researcher simultaneously engaged in this study with other academic work. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.

Moreover, the case study method utilized in the study posed some challenges to the investigator including the possibility of biases and poor judgment of issues. However, the investigator relied on respect for the general principles of procedures, justice, fairness, objectivity in observation and recording, and weighing of evidence to overcome the challenges.

1.9 Definition of terms

Knowledge Management (KM): is a systematic approach to identifying, capturing, organizing, storing, retrieving, and sharing knowledge assets within an organization to facilitate effective decision-making, innovation, learning, and performance improvement.  

Strategic Planning:  is a process in which an organization's leaders define their vision for the future and identify their organization's goals and objectives.