Knowledge Management Activities  
in Ghanaian Businesses: Review of Literature 
Vincent Amponsah 
International School for Social and Business Studies, Slovenia 
vamponsah@sinapiaba.com 
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to conduct a preliminary review of various 
studies and papers on knowledge management (KM) activities in Ghanaian 
businesses. The review was guided by two key questions; what has been the literature 
on KM in Ghanaian Businesses? How have the various KM activities been applied, 
and in which sectors of the economy? 
Study design/methodology/approach: The study was conducted based on an 
organised review of several papers searched through various databases, including 
Google Scholar and Springer Link, with some inclusion and exclusion criteria. In the 
search, a total of 32 papers were deemed related to the paper's aim. A quick scan of 
the abstract resulted in 20 papers best fit the criteria set, and the focus was on papers 
that related to the KM processes and enablers and were related to the aim of the study. 
Findings: The review revealed interesting findings; key among them is that the papers 
reviewed were dominated by studies in the public sector, specifically in the service 
industry, accounting for over 50% of all the articles searched. It also came up that 
significant challenges confronting businesses in implementing KM are lack of 
available KM systems, lack of leadership support, and lack of awareness of KM 
practices. Furthermore, on the issue of the KM processes that dominated the studies, 
it revealed that over 70% of the studies focused on KM sharing or transfer. Finally, it 
identified that applying KM activities results in several benefits, including innovation 
and business competitiveness. 
Originality/value: The studies and papers on KM activities in Ghanaian businesses, 
particularly in the areas of KM processes and enablers, are dominated by knowledge-
sharing activities. Again, in assessing the sectors that dominated the discussion, it was 
evident that services sectors prevailed. 
Introduction 
Organisations have many kinds of resources, intending to harness the resources into productive 
activities in the development of the organisations. This pertains not only to large firms but also 
to small firms and also not only to advanced economies. One of the key resources that are 
usually not mentioned but vital and critical is knowledge. Organisations, both large and small, 
have in recent times focused on the use of organisational knowledge in promoting business 
growth and performance. Many pieces of research and studies have confirmed this. According 
to Arsawan et al. (2020), knowledge is a useful resource that, when harnessed well, has the 
potential to bring development to organisations both large and small. However, the focus of 
knowledge usage in many studies has been on large firms, with minimal studies on small 
businesses. Sad to say that most economies are instead dominated by small businesses and so 
should rather have studies related to small businesses as against large firms. 
Most studies have defined or explained knowledge in two folds; being tacit and explicit 
knowledge. However, several discussions on knowledge in small businesses have focused on 
tacit knowledge rather than explicit knowledge. This goes to buttress the point made by some 
writers that many knowledge management (KM) activities are going on in organisations, 
particularly small businesses. Still, they lack the understanding to appreciate that as KM.  
Most of these KM practices and activities are aimed at the development of businesses; however, 
it is essential to mention, and as many studies have confirmed, that for knowledge to be utilised 
adequately for organisational growth, there is the need to implement appropriate practices and 
International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning | ISSN 2232-5697
                    Volume 11 (2022) 257-270 | https://www.doi.org/10.53615/2232-5697.11.257-270
systems that will support the knowledge resource. These processes involve the organisational 
structures, management commitment, and IT tools that will help the organisation harness the 
knowledge for its use. A scan into the studies conducted in the KM space has revealed that KM 
pertains not only to businesses in the developed world but also to the developing and 
underdeveloped world. And that much as businesses in the developed world use knowledge 
management, so do businesses in the underdeveloped. However, the application levels may not 
be the same since most businesses in the developed world seem to mature in using knowledge 
management in business activities. 
This paper focuses on a literature review of papers on KM in Ghanaian businesses and how 
these businesses implement KM and its related activities. The paper aims to conduct a 
preliminary literature review of the papers identified as per the keywords used in the search. 
The purpose is to present the various studies available in the KM space among Ghanaian 
businesses and to serve as a direction and a motivation to open gaps for further research. 
Knowledge management (KM) 
Many researchers and authors have tried to avoid the temptation of giving a specific definition 
to the concept of KM. In their efforts, there has still not been a consensus on the very accepted 
definition of KM (Edvardsson & Durst, 2013). As a result, some have resorted to separately 
explaining the underlying constructs being knowledge and management. Notwithstanding the 
numerous attempts by many to avoid the temptation of giving definitions to KM, many have 
still resorted to building their thoughts and ideas on the existing literature. One major thought 
on the knowledge that many writers have resorted to in their attempt to define or explain 
knowledge has been that of Davenport and Prusak (1998). They defined knowledge as a fluid 
mix of framed experiences, values, contextual information, and experts’ insights that provide a 
framework for evaluating and incorporating new experiences and information. With numerous 
definitions, Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) classify knowledge into two distinct types within 
every organisation; tacit and explicit knowledge. They explained tacit knowledge as the skills 
and experiences embedded within the individual and not easily articulated and transferred, 
whereas explicit knowledge, on the other hand, can be seen, felt, and documented. 
Many writers have given their views and explanation for the term management; however, the 
term ''management'' generally means the act of organising and controlling a business or similar 
organisation. It includes two parts: responsibility and control. Peter F. Drucker was the first to 
identify management as an independent discipline authoring the concept of the corporation 
(1946) and the practice of management (1954). 
KM, therefore, represents the process that deals with the development, storage, retrieval, and 
dissemination of information and expertise within an organisation to support and improve its 
business performance. (Gupta et al., 2000). As corroborated by many authors, they further 
indicated that organisations need to harness knowledge to stay competitive and become 
innovative. KM requires a major shift in organisational culture and a commitment at all firm 
levels to make it work. Through a supportive organisational climate, ideally, through effective 
KM, an organisation can bring its entire organisational learning and knowledge to bear on any 
problem, anywhere in the world, at any time.  
According to Fei Gao Meng Li Steve Clarke (2008), management of knowledge has two facets: 
administrative efforts concerning existing explicit, ''subjective'' or ''objective'' knowledge (e.g. 
static substance knowledge); and facilitative initiatives to enable the dynamic process of tacit 
or implicit knowledge flow among knowledge workers for the effectiveness and efficiency of 
the human activity system (e.g. dynamic process knowledge). They further indicated that 
managing organisational knowledge is to manage both substance and process knowledge. 
Amponsah | Knowledge Management Activities in Ghanaian Businesses 258
Managing substance knowledge means managing the activities of developing, creating, 
capturing, codifying, mining, organising, distributing, diffusing, protecting, and utilising 
substance knowledge, which knowledge workers or professionals generally carry out. A critical 
look at the KM concepts in recent times has been the duty and task of every staff, and not only 
a dedicated team set to work on KM. Given this, it stands to reason that management shows 
commitment and leads in the KM activities in an organisation setting the right structure being 
backed with the right organisational culture to support the knowledge practices. 
KM activities 
Reaching a consensus on a single standard or process defined as KM activities has been 
farfetched. Each organisation, both large and small, may adopt some KM activities for its 
operational performance. Cerchione et al. (2016) defined KM practices or activities as the set 
of methods and techniques to support the organisational processes of knowledge creation, 
storage, transfer, and application. With the extent of literature on KM and its activities, there 
seems to be the need to position the thoughts on KM activities and practices clearly. Many 
writers have stressed that KM practices are embedded in the KM processes. According to 
Davenport (1994), KM is the process of capturing, distributing, and effectively using 
knowledge. Some authors have labelled the process as a four-stage process: discovery, capture, 
sharing, and application. It is important to mention that it involves converting information into 
useful knowledge accessible by stakeholders for organisational development, and many authors 
and writers have corroborated this.  
As captured by several writers, the processes also vary in their application from organisation to 
organisation, even though they have some fundamental procedure that makes them qualify as 
KM activities or processes. The processes, as indicated, are usually spiced with the 
organisation's unique practices and cultural approaches. It is these cultural and environmental 
practices and approaches to the implementation of the KM processes that make each 
organisation unique (Amponsah, 2021). In other words, each organisation or firm has a unique 
approach to applying the processes and is usually viewed from the perspective of the 
organisation's stakeholders. These cultural and environmental activities and behaviours are 
considered the unique practices that support the processes for KM. 
Several writers, in the bid to explain KM processes or activities, have resorted to the thoughts 
captured by Nonaka. According to Nonaka's (1994) four modes of knowledge creation 
(socialisation, combination, externalisation, and internalisation), socialisation involves 
converting tacit knowledge to new tacit knowledge through social interactions and shared 
experiences. The combination also involves creating new explicit knowledge by merging, 
categorising, and synthesising existing explicit knowledge; externalisation involves converting 
tacit knowledge to new explicit knowledge. And finally, internalisation involves creating new 
tacit knowledge from explicit knowledge. These processes involve iterative activities embedded 
in sharing experiences through observation, imitation, and practice. It generally occurs through 
workshops, seminars, apprenticeships, and conferences. These processes are very iterative, and 
their continuous implementation results in a learning organisation.  
According to Amponsah (2021), these processes facilitated by what is termed the organisational 
KM climate (environment conducive to KM practices) differentiate one organisation from the 
other in terms of KM application. Some organisations have a well-conditioned climate 
favourable for KM process implementation. The climate constitutes the cultural setting of the 
organisation, its management structure and commitment, the organisation's KM awareness 
levels, and how the KM strategy ties into the organisational strategy, resource availability, and 
readiness, among others. 
Amponsah | Knowledge Management Activities in Ghanaian Businesses 259
KM in Ghanaian businesses 
KM is an emerging concept, especially in developing countries of which Ghana is not an 
exception. There is still much to study about KM and its processes. Informal firms dominate 
the Ghanaian economy, and their contribution to the economy cannot be overlooked. The 
contribution of informal firms to the growth of the Ghanaian economy is very significant and 
has been established in many studies.   The Ghanaian business environment is known to be 
friendly, with businesses registered under any of the six (6) unique legal entities. Start-ups or 
large multinationals may choose the entity that suits their business operations in Ghana. The 
six (6) unique entities are Company limited by shares, Company limited by Guarantee, 
Company unlimited by shares, sole proprietorship, external companies, and incorporated 
partnership. With these formally registered businesses, it is also known that a significant 
proportion of unregistered businesses operate in the informal environment in the Ghanaian 
business space. The sectoral analysis of the Ghanaian business environment, as shown by 
Ghana Statistical Service Data (2020), revealed that the share of agriculture in Ghana's gross 
domestic product was 19.25 per cent, the industry contributed approximately 29.74 per cent, 
and the services sector contributed about 45.01 per cent. With the domination of the services 
sector in the economy, it is important to mention that most of these SMEs operate under the 
services sector of the economy. According to the Ghana Statistical Service (2015), 91 per cent 
of the small and medium enterprises are informal firms, contributing about 70 per cent of GDP 
and accounting for 80 per cent of employment. With this contribution of the SME sector to the 
Ghanaian economy, it is not surprising that a significant proportion of the studies conducted in 
Ghana are in the SME space, even though much has not been in the area of KM.  
As has been emphasised, the informal sector dominates the businesses operating in Ghana. 
Consequently, the level of KM activities could be said to be very limited. In terms of the sectors 
or industries that dominate the studies conducted were services and construction industries, 
constituting over 60 per cent of the papers identified and reviewed. The sectors that also 
featured prominently were the public services and particularly the service sectors in the public 
sector.  
In reviewing KM in businesses, it was not out of place to conduct it with a nexus to the processes 
of KM in the Ghanaian economy. It came up that, in all the papers reviewed, over 70 per cent 
were related to knowledge-sharing activities, with the next in line being knowledge usage/ 
application, constituting over 13 per cent, with the rest in others.  
This study excluded a search on SMEs but generalised it regarding Ghanaian businesses and 
KM activities. A search using the keywords as indicated revealed the following as related to 
the aims of the study with the various sectors as shown below. 
Table 1: The number of Firms/Businesses and their Sectors 
Sectors  Firms Percentage 
Service and Trading 8 40% 
Construction 2 10% 
Manufacturing  4 20% 
Public Service* 6 30% 
Total 20 100% 
Method of literature review 
A decision to study KM kept me wondering how and where to focus in terms of study to bring 
out a balance in the KM discussion in the Ghanaian economy. With the domination of the SME 
sector in the Ghanaian economy, it seems easier to have resorted to studying KM among SMEs; 
however, we saw the presentation of a balance in the discussion on whether should we venture 
into the general businesses in the Ghanaian economy. Consequently, our study into the KM 
Amponsah | Knowledge Management Activities in Ghanaian Businesses 260
activities in Ghanaian businesses thereby does not restrict the review to only SMEs but other 
businesses. The study was conducted based on an organised review of several papers searched 
through various databases. Based on the paper's aim, some keywords related to the paper's aim 
and ideas were used for the search. The words included “knowledge management”, “knowledge 
management in Ghanaian businesses”, and “knowledge management activities”. 
The search focused on database sites Google Scholar and Springer Link. Some exclusion and 
inclusion criteria were set for the search. The inclusion criteria were articles, research papers, 
conference papers, English language, and Ghanaian business focus, focus on KM and KM 
activities. In addition, the search excluded paid articles and papers, and dissertations. In all 
thirty-two (32) papers deemed somewhat related to the paper's aim, a quick scan of the abstract 
was done to determine which papers best fit our interests. The determination was based on a 
priority for papers related to KM activities and processes and with a Ghanaian focus. This 
became necessary due to time constraints and was considered efficient means to have a broader 
view of thoughts and ideas on the topic. Twenty (20) papers best fit the criteria and thus 
constituted the basis for the review. 
The review was guided by two key questions; what has been the literature on KM in Ghanaian 
Businesses? How have the various KM activities been applied, and in which sectors of the 
economy? 
Investigation into the aim of the paper resulted in the findings and discussion around the 
processes of KM and how they are implemented in Ghanaian businesses as per the papers 
reviewed. Below is a table that shows some key ideas or findings that emerged from the 
preliminary review. 
Table 2: Summary Results from Preliminary Review of relevant papers 
Topic  Area of Study and 
Purpose 
Methods used  Paper type Key Findings and 
Contribution 
Challenges in 
Adoption of KM 
in Construction  
 
Explore critical 
challenges and 
strategies in 
Adopting KM 
Survey methods with 
questionnaires used 
among 13 companies 
and 70 professionals 
Empirical  Lack of available KM 
systems, lack of 
leadership support, and 
lack of awareness of KM 
practices 
Customer KM 
practices on 
social media 
platforms: Case 
study MTN and 
Vodafone Ghana 
Examine how 
social media can be 
employed to assist 
customer KM  
The study employed 
case study and 
ethnography as research 
design. Data was 
obtained from Twitter 
and Facebook fan page 
MTN and Vodafone 
Theoretical The findings show that 
MTN and Vodafone 
Ghana have employed 
social media to manage 
customer knowledge and 
that social media is a 
potent tool for managing 
knowledge.  
Innovation and 
Knowledge 
Sharing: A New 
Competitive 
Advantage in the 
Mobile Teleco 
Industry in 
Ghana 
Examining the 
influence of the 
individual and 
organisational 
KS enablers on KS 
behaviour that 
leads to the 
development of 
firm innovation 
capability 
A questionnaire was 
developed and 
administered randomly 
to a sample of 400 
employees in the 
managerial and 
developmental levels of 
six mobile 
telecommunications 
companies 
Empirical It was revealed that 
employees in the 
Ghanaian 
telecommunication 
sector are influenced by 
their managers 'support, 
help, and encouragement 
to share knowledge 
more than the 
organisational rewards 
system 
KM capability 
and 
organisational 
memory: a study 
Explore 
organisational 
memory (OM) in 
three public 
agencies in a 
The study targeted 3 
large public institutions 
in Ghana. The study 
used a survey of 756 
individuals in 
Empirical The findings confirm 
that knowledge 
management capability 
(KMC) positively and 
Amponsah | Knowledge Management Activities in Ghanaian Businesses 261
of public sector 
agencies 
developing country 
context 
managerial and 
operational level 
positions in institutions 
to test the hypotheses in 
the study 
 significantly impacts 
OM. In particular, 
knowledge acquisition 
and retention capabilities 
are critical variables in 
building OM. 
Knowledge 
application in 
Ghanaian 
industries 
Ascertain the 
factors influencing 
knowledge 
application in 
Ghanaian industries 
Purposive and snowball 
sampling techniques 
were used to select 300 
respondents. A 
questionnaire was the 
primary data collection 
tool. 
Empirical The study found that 
organisational culture, 
trust and absorptive 
capacity are the factors 
influencing knowledge 
application in Ghanaian 
industries 
The knowledge 
enablers of 
knowledge 
transfer: a study 
in the 
construction 
industries in 
Ghana 
This research 
investigates and 
identifies 
knowledge transfer 
(KT) enablers 
within the 
the developing 
country of Ghana 
A perceptional 
questionnaire survey 
was used to elicit 
responses from 
construction 
practitioners using 
purposive and 
snowballing non-
probability sampling 
techniques.  
Empirical It was revealed that 
knowledge strategy, 
organisational culture, 
information technology, 
and knowledge 
leadership as knowledge 
enablers have a 
significant positive 
relationship with KT 
Knowledge 
sharing among 
employees 
in Ghanaian 
Industries: The 
role 
of 
transformational 
leadership style 
and communal 
organisational 
culture 
Investigates the 
effects of 
organisational 
culture (OC) and 
transformational 
leadership (TL) 
style on knowledge 
sharing (KS) 
A survey research 
design was used. The 
simple random sampling 
technique was used to 
select the study's sample 
size. 
A questionnaire was 
used for the data 
collection. Data were 
analysed using 
descriptive statistics and 
multiple regression 
analysis. 
Empirical The findings show the 
presence of communal 
culture in industries in 
Ghana. Again, it was 
found that OC is a 
significant predictor of 
KS 
The potential for 
technology and 
knowledge 
transfers between 
foreign 
and local firms: 
A study of the 
construction 
industry in Ghana 
Multinational 
corporations 
(MNCs) and other 
foreign firms can 
be conduits for 
technology and 
knowledge (T&K) 
transfer to host 
countries in the 
developing world 
Using the Ghanaian 
construction industry as 
an empirical focus, this 
article explores the T&K 
transfer potential 
Empirical / 
Theoretical 
The findings reveal 
significant weaknesses 
in T&K transfer across 
industry subsectors and 
between foreign and 
local firms. This arises 
from the potentially 
complementary but 
dissimilar resource and 
knowledge bases. 
Towards a model 
of high-
performance 
organisations 
(HPO) in Ghana 
The study argues 
that by using KM 
and Management 
Innovation as 
independent 
variables and HPO 
framework and 
competitive 
advantage to 
mediate and 
moderate the 
relationships, High 
Organizational 
Through literature 
review and the 
development of a 
conceptual model 
Theoretical The study speculates a 
positive relationship 
between KM and 
Organizational 
Performance (OP), 
which is mediated by the 
HPO framework and 
moderated by 
Competitive Advantage. 
It also assumes a 
positive relationship 
between Management 
Innovation and OP, 
which is mediated by the 
Amponsah | Knowledge Management Activities in Ghanaian Businesses 262
Performance can be 
predicted. 
HPO framework and 
moderated by 
Competitive Advantage 
University 
knowledge 
transfer 
and innovation 
performance in 
firms: the 
Ghanaian 
experience 
Examines the 
association 
between university-
industry 
collaboration and 
firm innovation 
performance, and 
the effect of 
informal 
mechanisms of 
knowledge transfer 
on 
such an association 
Using data from a 
survey of 245 firms in 
Ghana and employing 
partial least squares 
structural equation 
modelling 
Empirical It came up that while 
University-industry 
collaboration is 
positively related to 
innovation performance 
in firms; informal 
mechanisms of 
university knowledge 
transfer do not and 
negatively moderate the 
positive association 
between university-
industry collaboration 
and innovation 
performance in firms. 
Utilisation of ICT 
in KM at the 
Ghana Volta 
River Authority 
Investigates the use 
of ICT tools in KM 
in the Ghanaian 
state organisation, 
Volta River 
Authority (VRA), 
in achieving set 
goals 
The research uses the 
SECI model for 
knowledge creation and 
sharing as its conceptual 
framework. 
Empirical / 
Theoretical 
The findings show that 
the concept of ICT in 
KM is still relatively 
new at VRA, even 
though ICT tools are 
widely used 
KM Practice in 
The Ghanaian 
Construction 
Industry: A Case 
Study of 4 Firms 
in The Tamale 
Metropolis 
Investigates the 
environmental 
enablers that 
promote KM 
implementation 
and test them in 
Ghanaian 
construction firms. 
A case study design was 
used. Data were 
collected from a set of 
questionnaires 
administered to four (4) 
different construction 
firms. 
Empirical Findings revealed that 
the right 
environmental enablers 
(culture, infrastructure, 
and technology) are 
essential to KM 
implementation 
Assessing the 
KM Capability 
of the Ghanaian 
Public Sector 
through the 
"BCPI." 
Matrix: A Case 
study of the 
Value Added Tax 
(VAT) Service 
Assess the 
readiness of the 
public sector 
organisations in 
Ghana to adopt and 
practice KM in the 
face of various 
exigencies – 
political, economic 
and social- that are 
inherent in such 
establishments 
The research 
methodology is based on 
a case study with the 
Value Added Tax 
(VAT) Service – a 
revenue institution that 
typifies Ghana's public 
sector organisations. 
Self-administered and 
semi- 
structured interview 
questionnaires were 
employed in the data 
collection. 
Empirical The results of this study 
show that the public 
sector organisations in 
Ghana exhibit 
tendencies that can 
be receptive to 
implementing KM 
programmes. Employees 
in the public sector 
generally display a 
positive knowledge 
culture which may be 
improved through 
enhanced working 
conditions and 
infrastructure. 
KM in 
indigenous 
medicine: the 
expected role of 
Ghanaian 
university 
libraries 
To find out the 
current way of 
preserving and 
disseminating 
information on 
indigenous 
medicine in 
Ghanaian 
university libraries. 
Two data collection 
instruments were used, 
namely a questionnaire 
and an interview. 
Quantitative 
data collected were 
analysed using simple 
tables with frequencies 
and percentages, while 
Empirical/ 
Theoretical 
Some of the findings are 
that apart from the 
Library of Kwame 
Nkrumah University of 
Science and Technology 
the remaining university 
libraries have few 
information resources on 
indigenous medicine 
since most of them have 
Amponsah | Knowledge Management Activities in Ghanaian Businesses 263
qualitative data were 
analysed thematically. 
never thought of 
gathering documents on 
indigenous medicine 
In search of 
performance-
oriented 
leadership 
behaviours in the 
Ghanaian 
financial service 
sector: 
the role of KS 
Examine the 
mediating role of 
knowledge sharing 
(KNS) in the nexus 
between 
leadership 
behaviours and 
organisational 
performance (OP). 
Using the survey 
research design, data 
were obtained from 335 
employees in the 
Ghanaian financial 
service sector. 
Responses were 
analysed using IBM 
SPSS (v.23.0), Smart 
PLS 3.0 and Haye's 
(2017) PROCESS 
macro. 
Empirical KNS mediated the 
relationship between 
leadership behaviours 
and OP. In addition, 
transformational 
leadership behaviour and 
transactional leadership 
behaviour positively 
relate to OP rather 
than transfor-sactional 
leadership behaviour. 
Innovation and 
KS of SME in an 
emerging 
economy; the 
moderating effect 
of 
transformational 
leadership style 
Examines the 
impact of various 
types of innovation 
(product, process, 
marketing, and 
organisation) on the 
KS of SMEs 
through 
transformational 
leadership 
A total of 437 samples 
were collected from 
SMEs owners/managers 
in the service sector of a 
developing 
economy through a 
quantitative method. 
The data were analysed 
using a SMART PLS-
SEM 
Empirical The findings confirmed 
the hypotheses that 
innovation has a 
significant influence 
on KS; whiles 
transformational 
leadership had a non-
moderating effect 
The impact of 
tacit knowledge 
sharing on the 
success of 
construction 
companies’ 
operations 
Examine the impact 
of sharing tacit 
knowledge on the 
success of a 
company. 
Construction managers 
and senior managers 
were the study's target 
participants. The 
correlation matrix was 
used to assess the 
significant correlation 
between study 
frameworks. The 
statistical approach of 
multiple regression was 
also used to test the 
hypotheses using the 
statistical package for 
social sciences (SPSS) 
v.26. 
Empirical The findings suggest 
that companies will be 
more willing and 
capable of making 
decisions based on 
experience when 
knowledge systems are 
used successfully. 
Furthermore, new 
organisational 
knowledge and 
particular evaluation 
procedures, such as 
anxiety and conflict 
resolution preparation, 
personal relationship and 
training improvement, 
mediation and task 
clarity, are explained, 
which can aid in 
success. 
Knowledge 
transfer in the 
emerging solar 
energy sector in 
Ghana 
The study reports 
the results of an 
exploratory 
qualitative 
investigation into 
knowledge transfer 
processes within 
the solar energy 
industry in Ghana. 
Interviewed 12 solar 
energy firms operating 
in the country and 12 
solar energy users. The 
data 
were analysed using 
Tables and statements 
from the respondents. 
Empirical / 
Theoretical 
The results reveal that an 
increasing number of 
firms are entering 
the industry to take 
advantage of the 
growing demand for 
solar energy. There is 
also a general eagerness 
among individuals and 
firms to acquire skills 
and knowledge, mainly 
from foreign firms, and 
inter-firm knowledge 
Amponsah | Knowledge Management Activities in Ghanaian Businesses 264
transfers appear to be 
facilitated by social ties 
The Linkage 
Between 
Knowledge 
Acquisition, 
Learning 
Flexibility, and 
Product 
Innovation in 
Small and 
Medium 
Enterprises 
Seeks to establish 
the relationship 
between KA 
through Industry 
Knowledge and 
knowledge from 
prior experience on 
product innovation 
(PI) 
Using Survey data was 
collected from 500 
manufacturing SMEs in 
the Eastern region of 
Ghana, 
Empirical The result showed that 
both knowledge 
acquisition (Prior 
Experience and Industry 
Knowledge) were found 
to have a statistically 
significant effect on 
SMEs' product 
innovation. The results 
also revealed that 
Learning Flexibility 
partially mediates the 
relationship between 
Prior Experience and 
SME product 
innovation. 
Findings and discussion 
The findings are organised in two main areas: KM processes and enablers or capabilities. In 
terms of the KM processes, the study highlighted knowledge creation, knowledge sharing or 
transfer, knowledge storage, and its usage or application. And in terms of capabilities, the area 
of capabilities or enablers is also shown, as per the review. 
KM Processes 
Knowledge Creation/Acquisition/Generation 
Knowledge creation or generation is considered the initial part of the KM process and, however, 
very useful in the process. The KM practice of getting information has been established as 
knowledge acquisition. Many terms or names are associated with such a practice of getting 
information. This includes knowledge generation, acquisition, and knowledge creation, among 
others. Many writers have painstakingly tried to define or explain the knowledge acquisition 
process. Nonaka (1994); AlMulhim (2020) opined that knowledge acquisition and creation 
occur when individuals engage in practical activities through participation in social practices 
under the guidance of individuals who are more experienced than them. Huber (1991) also 
defined knowledge acquisition as a process of gathering, understanding, and organising 
information; it includes five sub-processes: congenital learning, experimental learning, 
vicarious learning, grafting, and searching. From the definitions, it could be realised that 
knowledge acquisition in an organisation involves a lot of interaction of human activities with 
a lot of consciousness to creating knowledge. Thus, it could be said that several factors describe 
knowledge creation and acquisition: market information around the organisation; knowledge 
on-the-job using techniques such as quality circles, case notes, mentoring and coaching to 
create, acquire and share knowledge using technologies like teleconferencing, 
videoconferencing and groupware (Castaneda and Cuellar, 2020). 
Although it did not reveal much about knowledge acquisition as part of the KM process, the 
literature search had some interesting results. The following were the few findings from the 
review: 
• In an organisation's KM journey, it is important to consider knowledge acquisition as a 
critical variable in building organisational memory. This is important because there is a 
tendency for businesses to try to manage their knowledge to neglect the initial process 
of knowledge acquisition. 
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• In corroboration to many studies conducted, the result showed that both knowledge 
acquisition (Prior Experience and Industry Knowledge) were found to have a 
statistically significant effect on business' product innovation. This is important because 
innovation is considered a by-product of KM activities. Many writers have pointed out 
the potential of KM for innovation. According to (Goh, 2005), innovation is an 
intentional change in the existing products, services, ideas, and operations new to the 
end-user or unit of adoption. For many, it is imperative for survival in competitive 
markets; thus, businesses invest heavily in Research and Development to stay 
competitive (Hayes et al., 2005). However, it must be said that there cannot be 
meaningful research in the organisation without organisational knowledge. Plessis 
(2007) noted that innovation is dependent on knowledge. 
Knowledge Storage 
As already indicated, the KM process involves creating knowledge through storage and sharing 
and using the created knowledge. As part of the KM process, having a sound knowledge storage 
system or organisational memory is important. Alavi (2000) claimed that creating new 
knowledge is not enough and that mechanisms are needed to store acquired knowledge and 
retrieve it when needed. According to Raghu and Vinze (2002), effective knowledge storage 
practices enable storing observations, consequences, and exceptions in workflow execution and 
decision-making activities. Most effective storage practices tend to be non-intrusive and occur 
naturally as part of workflow and decision-making activities. Traditionally, knowledge storage 
and organisational memory are more akin to technology. However, it is important to mention 
the cultural dimension of organisational memory. Organisational memory includes knowledge 
residing in various component forms that may include written documentation, structured 
information stored in electronic databases, codified human knowledge stored in expert systems, 
documented organisation procedures and processes, and tacit knowledge acquired by 
individuals and networks of individuals (Tan et al., 1998). Some writers believe a knowledge 
storage system must have some factors to make it work. These include structure allowing the 
system to quickly and correctly present information and classify events, policies, or procedures 
based on learning needs. 
The review of the papers related to Ghanaian businesses had a minimal study on knowledge 
storage and organisational memory. Reasons could not be assigned to the few numbers of 
research in this area; however, that could not be suggested for less relevance in terms of the 
KM processes. With the very few studies shown in the area of knowledge storage, it was 
revealed that KM capabilities have a positive and significant impact on organisational memory 
and that knowledge acquisition and retention capabilities, particularly, are critical variables in 
building organisational memory. 
Knowledge Sharing/Transfer/Dissemination 
Knowledge sharing is considered a key component in the KM process. It has been recognised 
as the most important factor in the success of KM. Several authors have explained knowledge 
sharing in various ways; however, it is all centred on exchanging knowledge, skills, and 
experience among employees in an organisation. Knowledge sharing is a mutual exchange of 
ideas and information that could influence how teams learn in organisations (Shamsie & 
Mannor, 2013). It involves the capturing, organising, reusing, and transferring tacit knowledge, 
often characterised as the implicit knowledge of one's own practices (Brooks, 1994). According 
to Davenport et al. (1998), knowledge is created invisibly in the human brain, and only the right 
organisational climate can persuade people to create, reveal, share and use it.  
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The study revealed that knowledge transfer was far the most written about among the KM 
processes. Furthermore, it was revealed that with the search, over 70 per cent of the papers 
concerned KM transfers among Ghanaian businesses. This confirms the many thoughts on the 
importance of knowledge transfer in the KM processes. The following were some interesting 
findings from the review conducted on Ghanaian businesses and KM activities. 
• In knowledge sharing, employees are influenced by the manager's support and help to 
share knowledge even more than reward systems that may be implemented for 
knowledge sharing strategies. 
• Knowledge enablers (strategy, organisational culture, information technology, and 
knowledge leadership) have a significant positive relationship with knowledge transfer. 
• The studies revealed the presence of communal culture in industries in Ghana. And that 
communal culture, as part of most Ghanaian organisational culture, was found to be a 
significant predictor of knowledge sharing.  
• The findings reveal significant weaknesses in Knowledge transfer across industry 
subsectors and between foreign and local firms. This arises from the potentially 
complementary but dissimilar resource and knowledge bases. 
• Knowledge sharing mediated the relationship between leadership behaviours and 
Organisational performance. 
• The findings confirmed the hypotheses that innovation significantly influences 
knowledge sharing, while transformational leadership had a non-moderating effect. 
• The results reveal a general eagerness among individuals and firms to acquire skills and 
knowledge, mainly from foreign firms. Moreover, inter-firm knowledge transfers 
appear to be facilitated by social ties. 
Knowledge Usage / Application 
The initial KM process of knowledge generation, storage, and sharing is meaningless unless 
linked to an effective and efficient strategy for applying knowledge to business decisions. 
Knowledge not properly harnessed may not achieve the desired benefits that accrue to 
businesses who have intentions of using knowledge resources for business decisions. Wiig 
(1999) notes that the value of knowledge assets is realised when the assets are used to create 
products or deliver services or when they are sold or traded for value. Knowledge application 
is said to be the actualisation of knowledge to make decisions, improve processes, and make 
the best use of this knowledge to solve business problems. Many businesses have used different 
ways and means to implement knowledge resources into developing the business or solving 
organisational problems. 
As suggested in many studies, the review showed that the acquisition and application of 
knowledge affect product innovation in Ghanaian business resulting in the business gaining a 
competitive advantage. It further revealed that the use of knowledge resources in institutions 
makes the business more willing and capable of making decisions resulting in the organisation's 
success. 
The application of knowledge resources helps the organisation's leadership behaviours, which 
positively affect organisational performance.  
There is a tendency to assume that the fact that ICT tools are available in organisations will 
result in using ICT in KM. However, it was revealed that the availability of ICT tools does not 
necessarily impact ICT in KM. Since it became evident in some public organisations that even 
though there were ICT tools, they did not necessarily affect the ICT usage in KM activities. 
Amponsah | Knowledge Management Activities in Ghanaian Businesses 267
One of the key propellers of knowledge sharing or transfer is the institution of a reward system 
in organisations. However, the study revealed that support and encouragement from managers 
in some Ghanaian businesses influence the knowledge-sharing behaviour more than the 
organisational rewards system. 
KM enablers or capabilities 
A firm’s KM culture, structure, and technology constitute a firm’s internal KM capabilities 
(Gold et al., 2001). KM enablers are the mechanisms for organisations to develop their 
knowledge and stimulate the creation of knowledge within the organisation and the sharing and 
protection of it (Yeh et al., 2006). Many studies have identified these three factors as the key 
enabling factors supporting organisational KM. Many writers have considered organisational 
communication systems, communal culture, transformational leadership, and information 
technology as the essential KM enablers. Some have named it KM capabilities, tools, or factors. 
Some writers seem to put the processes and capabilities together in several discussions. Gold et 
al. (2001) described the processes, practices, and systems as factors affecting KM and called 
them KM capabilities. He further categorised the capabilities into two infrastructure capabilities 
and process capabilities. The infrastructure capabilities have three factors; Technology, 
Structure, and Culture, and the process capabilities are discussed in four-factor perspectives. 
These four factors are acquisition, conversion, application, and protection. 
Each of the three KM enablers or capabilities has a specific and unique role in making the 
knowledge activities function well in a business environment. Whereas technology refers to the 
information technology and infrastructure and its capabilities supporting the KM architecture, 
organisational structure refers to the formal relationships and allocation of activities and 
resources among people. And finally, the organisational culture is the set of values, beliefs, 
norms, meanings, and procedures shared by organisation members. The effective and efficient 
interplay of these capabilities creates a suitable environment for organisation KM activities, 
ensuring the right resources and capabilities technologically and the right structure and 
framework supported by a good organisational culture. In an environment such as this, there is 
communication, collaborative learning, trust, support for one another, and the desire to have the 
knowledge permeate through the various levels of the organisation. Studies have shown the 
contribution or impact on the KM processes.  
The review of the studies did not reveal any known differences in the KM capabilities of 
businesses in developed countries and those in developing or underdeveloped countries. There 
might be some differences in its application among small and large firms. The review of studies 
on Ghanaian businesses and their KM activities had some interesting findings as follows: 
• In corroboration to many studies, it was revealed that the right environmental enablers 
(culture, infrastructure, and technology) are essential to KM implementation. 
• It is widely known that ICT is an enabler to KM activities and processes; however, the 
findings revealed that the presence of ICT does not necessarily propel KM activities and 
processes. One of the studies showed that the ICT concept in KM is still relatively new 
even though ICT tools are widely used in the organisation. 
• It was also revealed that public sector organisations in Ghana exhibit tendencies that 
can be receptive to implementing KM programmes. Employees in the public sector 
generally display a positive knowledge culture which may be improved through 
enhanced working conditions and infrastructure. 
• The findings suggest that companies are more willing and capable of making decisions 
based on experience when knowledge systems are used successfully. This explains the 
importance of KM systems in KM activities. 
Amponsah | Knowledge Management Activities in Ghanaian Businesses 268
Conclusion 
This paper aimed to identify and review the body of knowledge regarding KM activities in 
Ghanaian businesses. And to summarise its findings in connection with the existing knowledge 
in the KM space. 
The study revealed several KM activities conducted among Ghanaian businesses. These 
activities were highlighted in two main areas for discussion. These were KM processes and 
enablers. 
The review shows knowledge transfers or sharing as the most written about among the KM 
processes. However, there were no findings to prove its superiority in terms of its potency in 
the KM process journey among organisations in Ghana. It also came up that over 60% of the 
papers reviewed were in the service industries, and also, the papers were empirical in nature as 
others. 
One critical issue most written about is the contribution of KM processes to an organisation's 
innovation ability. In confirmation of existing knowledge, the study revealed that the 
acquisition and application of knowledge affect product innovation in Ghanaian business 
resulting in the business gain a competitive advantage.  
In reference to knowledge enablers or capabilities, an organisation's ICT capabilities are a key 
component of knowledge capabilities. However, it was revealed that just the presence of ICT 
does not necessarily propel KM activities and processes. Finally, it came up that KM 
capabilities have a positive and significant impact on organisational memory and that 
knowledge acquisition and retention capabilities are critical variables in building organisational 
memory.  
Some challenges were highlighted in the papers as challenges confronting the businesses in 
implementing KM. Key among them was lack of available KM systems, lack of leadership 
support, and lack of awareness of KM practices and their business application. 
Given the importance and contribution of SMEs to the Ghanaian economy, it would not be out 
of place to consider a study into KM activities in Ghanaian SMEs. Again It would be interesting 
to have further study on how each of the sectors of the businesses in Ghana applies KM 
activities and how the implementation of KM activities influences their business operations. 
Finally, it would be interesting to study further how Information systems support each of the 
KM processes in SMEs or Ghanaian businesses. 
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