Towards Organizational Knowledge Sustainability Concept

The Nexus Between Knowledge Management and Organizational Learning

Abstract

Knowledge management (KM) and organizational learning (OL) have received much attention in recent times owing to the increased recognition of knowledge as a source of organizational success and sustainability. However, while it seems clear that both KM and OL have the same goals, that is to nurture and harness knowledge resources, the concepts have tended, in the past, to be regarded independently of each other, with parallel strategies having been implemented for each. The current study examines the nature of the relationship between KM and OL, with the aim of providing a unified framework for understanding how the above-mentioned knowledge-based concepts relate to each other. A quantitative approach was used to achieve the set objective. Data were collected using questionnaires from 56 respondents, employed at 4 urban local governments in Uganda. Canonical correlation analysis was applied to the data. Empirical evidence confirmed that KM and OL have an interdependent relationship, which is manifested in two main dimensions namely, the institutional strategic focus and people (human resources) focus. Based on such dimensions, the study proposes a re-conceptualization of the linkage between KM and OL aimed at evolving the two concepts into a single organizational knowledge sustainability notion.