Abstract:
Skilled staff turnover plays a wide role in continuous knowledge loss in
manufacturing organizations. The result of staff turnover impacts the organizational
performance, productivity, effectiveness, employee performances and its
knowledge. The importance of managing an organization’s knowledge is a need in
manufacturing organizations. This research identified the importance of knowledge
management in the manufacturing sector with high staff turnover. This enables
project managers to take project knowledge management into practice within the
organization.
This study uses a qualitative approach. The aim of the study was achieved by a case
study research strategy. Semi structured interviews were performed as data
collection technique. Data was collected from TMC Trailer Manufactured Ltd,
focusing on knowledge management methodologies used at the project phases and
figure out the impact of staff turnover on organizational knowledge.
The knowledge management techniques vary from one project phase to another
project phase. Based on the outcome of this research, project managers can identify
the most effective knowledge management techniques to be used at each phases.
According to the study, the most frequently used KM techniques in the planning
stage were “Learning & Idea Capturing” and “Refer Knowledge Base”. The most
prominently used KM techniques in the designing stage was “Brainstorming” and
“Learning & Idea Capturing”. While the most frequently used KM technique in the
building, testing and launching stages was found to be “Refer Knowledge Base”.
From this research study, project managers are clearly able to identify the critical
areas affect by skilled staff turnover, how to prepare for in advance and minimize
knowledge loss.
