Assessing the Key Components of Knowledge Management Practices among Information Professionals in three Different Organizations

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the key components of Knowledge Management practices among different information professionals. The study was carried out among three different groups of information professionals namely librarians, archivists and journalists. These information professionals are from Balme library, which is the main library of the University of Ghana, archivists from PRADD, they have been mandated by the governments of Ghana to preserve the Public Records of Ghana and lastly journalists from the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation which is the oldest and the first broadcasting corporation in Ghana. The objectives of the study were to assess the skills and competencies of these information professionals for effective Knowledge Management Practice, to investigate whether there were knowledge management polices driving effective KM in the three institutions and to identify the role of technology in facilitating KM practices as well as the changes faced by information professionals in implementing KM practices. The total population of information professionals was 170. The questionnaire was the instrument used to gather data from respondents. The data obtained from the questions were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences Version 20 (SPSS V 20). The presentation of data was done using tables, charts and graphs. The findings revealed that across all three institutions, there was a significant focus on knowledge sharing and utilization. The findings also showed the presence of established polices for the creation, sharing and usage of information with variation across institutions. The main challenges identified by the study were financial constraints and a lack of training for information professionals with regard to KM implementation. The study recommends enhanced training and development programs for information Professionals.