The Role Of Communication In Knowledge Management: A Study Of The Volta River Authority (VRA), Ghana

Abstract

This study examined the role of communication in knowledge management in Volta River Authority (VRA), one of the state own institutions in Ghana. The study sought to determine the communicative aspects used in the knowledge management process in VRA. The main challenge confronting the usage of communication in knowledge management in the VRA was examined. The qualitative research design approach was used in this study. The population of the study is comprised of senior, junior and middle level management at the knowledge management department. The respondents who participated in the study are two (2) Management, three (3) executives and directors, and fifteen (5) senior staff. In all ten (10) respondents were used for the study. The study revealed that communication plays a pivotal role in knowledge management. Thus without communication, it will be very difficult if not impossible to handle Knowledge Management in organizations. Another important result of the study is about the importance of communication in revealing and sharing both the explicit and tacit knowledge. Also, the findings of the study established that managers and employees at the VRA show interest in the usage of communication in the knowledge management processes. The study therefore recommends that there should be policies, framework, administration and processes to guide the implementation of Knowledge Management systems at VRA. Consciousness should be created by VRA Management to insure that staff is conversant with the Knowledge Management concept. The study recommends that with the rise of information age, electronic communication should be more employed in the VRA since electronic assumes an important role in sharing the recorded explicit knowledge.